Tuesday, September 25, 2012

the contender


The Word for today:
1 Kings 2
David came of age in the meadows and mountains, where he'd killed a bear and a lion in defense of his sheep. He'd been a fugitive, hunted by Saul and forced to hide in the caves and the desolate hills. As a man of war, his bravery and exploits were legendary in Israel.
But Solomon grew up in the royal palace, in soft circumstances, a child of privilege and preferential treatment. Jesus implied as much when he mentioned the florid splendor of the soft clothing worn by those in kings' palaces (1). And David found it necessary to urge Solomon to act like a man (2).
Solomon means "peace," and for a while peace and achievement and splendor marked his reign. But it was peace and prosperity won by another, by his father. He'd had it handed to him.
Jesus has handed us peace that surpasses understanding (3). We are rich, blessed with all spiritual blessings (4). But don't languish in your lavish inheritance like Solomon did, ending up with only the tarnished crown of a crumbling kingdom to give his son.
Jesus worked in the hot Galilean sun with heavy hammers, stone, boards, and beams. His hands were calloused, his shoulders strong. Upon leaving his home to wield the sword of the Spirit against all the power that spiritual darkness could bring to bear, he was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted and was tested. He gathered about him a band of simple, rugged men--commercial fisherman and tax collectors. They lived in the fields, with no place to lay their heads, until the Spirit impelled him to Jerusalem, there to carry the heavy wooden beams with which he built his Father's house.
I came late to this battle. I was never a young man in the faith. But to those of you who are, will you listen very carefully. What I'm about to say will cost you, it will exact its price. But the commendation of Jesus Christ awaits you, if you will...
Learn to fight; to wield the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (5). Wield it powerfully in defense of the faith and in defense of the faithful.
Live sparely, training to run the race of faith (6).
Run to win (7). Finish the course that Solomon could not.
Our churches do not lack for mild-mannered Christians. What's needed are those who will earnestly contend for the faith (8). Be stalwart; a rock, a contender--by the Spirit that was in David; by the Jesus in you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(1) Matthew 11:8 and Luke 12:27; (2)1 Kings 2:2; (3) Philippians 4:7; (4) Ephesians 1:3;(5) Ephesians 6:17; (6) 2 Timothy 4:7; (7) 1 Corinthians 9:23-27; (8) Jude 1:3

No comments:

Post a Comment