Acts 26:18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’
John 1:1–3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God…
Jesus fulfilled all of the requirements of the Covenant of the Old Testament. Now we live and breathe in the newness that He redeemed for us. The New and everlasting Covenant that was given to us in Christ Jesus. His teachings are the only ones that matter. The very Word of God was born into this world that we could have life and that life abundantly rich in the peace that only He can give. Glory be to Father, Son and Holy Spirit that protects us and delivers us from the evils of this world. Carla
Colossians 1:12-18
12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, 14 in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. 17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. 18 And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (NKJV)
As non-Jews (Gentiles), the Colossians would have been considered outsiders to God’s blessings, which were reserved for the people of Israel. However, the central truth of the gospel for Paul was that Christ’s death and resurrection brought salvation for all who believed, Jews and Gentiles alike.
Throughout his letters, Paul conveys this central truth using different kinds of imagery. Here, he affirms believers as God’s heirs; in the next verse, he shifts to language of deliverance. The domain of darkness refers to the realm dominated by sin and death (Ephesians 6:12).
The kingdom is the realm in which Christ reigns as King, where His sovereign rule is carried out. The transfer from one realm to the other is accomplished by God: In His love and grace, He brings believers out of the domain of sin and death and moves them into the kingdom of His Son.
The kingdom of God (or kingdom of heaven) is one of the most dominant themes in Jesus’ teaching ministry (Matthew 4:17; 5:3–20; 13:10–52). In this verse, Paul indicates that God’s kingdom is not just about the future; in some sense, it must already be present, because God has delivered believers from darkness and transferred them into His kingdom.
Redemption refers to the act of freeing someone who is enslaved. Just as Israel was enslaved in Egypt before being rescued by Yahweh, so the Colossian believers had been enslaved to the domain of sin and death before they responded in faith to God’s act of salvation in Christ (Exodus 6:6; 14:30; Romans 6:16–17).
God’s forgiveness removes sin (Colossians 2:14) and provides reconciliation (verse 22). Forgiveness is an expression of God’s grace and love. Faithlife Study Bible
The word qualified means to be able or authorized for a task. Believers can never be qualified on their own; instead God must make them sufficient through Jesus Christ. The tense of the verb points to “qualifying” as an act in the past rather than a process. Ordinarily to qualify for an event or a position, we have to prove ourselves. However the inheritance (verse 5) that believers receive is not one that they have earned but is based on being qualified by God. The Father “qualifies” us for eternal life with Him, whereas the Son will reward us at the end of the race (Revelations 22:12).
God has liberated believers from the dominion of darkness. The apostle uses the common symbolism of light and darkness for good and evil, for God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom, that is found throughout the Nw Testament. The kingdom from which believers have been rescued is the kingdom of darkness.
The Greek word redemption points naturally to the payment of a price or ransom for the release of a slave. The slavery from which believers are released is not physical but spiritual. They are freed from bondage to sin by forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:7).
Firstborn could denote a priority in time or in rank. The word does not describe Christ as the first being created in time because the hymn proclaims that all things were “created by Him” and that “He is before all things.” Jesus is the eternal One who was before all creation. Being firstborn referred more to rank and privilege than to order of birth. Since Christ is God, He is supreme in rank over all creation. Yet He is not only the transcendent deity who created us; He is the One who died on our behalf (Philippians 2:6–18) and was subsequently raised from the dead. Thus He is also the firstborn from the dead (verse 18). The first One who experienced the true resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20).
Christ is the One who created all things, whether they be material or immaterial, seen or unseen. All things were created through Him and for Him: Not only did Jesus create all things; everything was created for His purposes (Hebrews 1:2, where Christ is said to be the “heir of all things”). But the glory of the earth, the heavens, or the sun, moon, and stars cannot be compared with the glory of His new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Following the celebration of Christ’s authority over all creation, this early Christian hymn proceeds to proclaim His authority over the church. He is the head of His own body, which is the church. No one should underestimate the significance of the church, for it is in fact Christ’s body. The sovereign Creator of the universe, as Head of the church, provides leadership and oversight over it. No wonder He is so jealous for it (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). Christ was the first to be raised from the dead. His own resurrection guarantees that the church will one day be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:12–28). The NKJV Study Bible
Ephesians 1:20–23
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come…
Romans 11:36
For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
Ephesians 1:6–7
to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
Empathy matters.
Compassion matters.
And community backbone matters.
Let is not forget that “Tenderness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women. Tenderness is not weakness; it is fortitude. It is the path of solidarity, the path of humility,” as Pope Francis reminded us.
And I take a deep breath and smile big.
More and more, I am so grateful for every opportunity to remember that I need not be afraid of living with a soft heart. That empathy and compassion matter. And they spill to the world around us.
Okay, my homily today:
One. From a soft heart, compassion and empathy win.
For starters, when we see with our heart we don't give in to fear.
And Two. A soft heart can hold life’s brokenness and pain, and not be undone by it.
“To remain soft in a world that punishes tenderness is a choice few dare to make. It is saying, ‘I will not become someone I am not to survive.’ Life will knock us down, and it will demand that we harden ourselves just to keep walking. Yet those who refuse to armor up understand that authenticity is not weakness, it is power. Softness is courage incarnate. It is the willow bending in the storm, the phoenix burning to ash only to rise anew.
Yet, in such a tough and hurtful place, you need to remember who you are. You need to continue to spread passion and an essence of goodness, despite the under appreciation and maltreatment you receive. I want you to know that there is nothing wrong or bad about being softhearted. In fact, hold the remembrance that being kind and sincere makes you unique.”
(Thank you Obnews.co—Staying Soft Is a Choice of Radical Authenticity). Sabbath Moments
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