One of the replies I received to yesterday's devotion encouraged me to not skip so quickly over that first difference Jesus' resurrection means in our lives. The reply reminded me that young adults (no less than their aging parents and grandparents) cling tightly to the promise of our resurrection. Other notes spoke of grandmothers having surgery and of mothers in ICU. No, we cannot and should not fail to lift up the promised resurrection of all God's children. You and me included.
The appointed reading for this morning is from I Corinthians 15:12-28. Here, Paul lays before us the importance of speaking of the resurrection. He begins, "Now if Christ is preached as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection?" Remember that Paul writes to the emerging Church, one in which there are no creeds or doctrines to guide the believers. He isn't so much concerned with orthodoxy as he is with confidence. He does not want his readers to be misinformed, or to fear needlessly.
He continues, "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all persons most to be pitied."
I like the way my seminary teacher explained these words. Dr. Sittler said, "Considering how wonderful God has been to me in this life, how can I do anything but anticipate with great joy that which awaits me after death?"
It is our Easter mantra - and may it respond throughout all our lives! Again, in this section of I Corinthians, we are reminded, "But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment