Thursday 21st July - Colossians 1

Today’s chapter is Colossians 1, you can read it here

Tom writes:

Think of it like trying to build a tower with a deck of playing cards and a big concrete block. Unless you put the concrete block on the bottom, a lot of things are going to break. To realise that is wisdom and understanding. For much of history the problem of humanity was that they couldn’t move the concrete block, nor even touch it and it wasn’t in the right place or at the right angle for them to build. They were constrained and condemned to towers that break or fall or fail. Then Jesus came along. Magnificent Jesus. Concrete Block Jesus who had promenades-worth of concrete in him, and yet could prance like a pony and tickle children under the chin. Jesus changed everything. Now, through Jesus, people could build a tower that would not break. Wisdom could be lived if cards were stacked on Christ. In these glorious verses Paul waxes lyrical about the monstrous magnitude of Jesus; Jesus is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, all things were created by him and for him.

Just in case any of the Colossians had forgotten; just in case we had forgotten; Paul reminds us all that Jesus is frightfully massive - the concrete block of all of life. And in these glorious verses Paul giggles gleefully about the generous graciousness of our self-giving God; he has rescued us, he was pleased to bring us into his friendship, he has put Christ in you, you now have the hope of glory. And so we come out of this chapter wooed towards wisdom. We come out of this passage - if we have skimmed through it sufficiently slowly - wanting to build our tower of cards upon the concrete block of Christ. The short-hand summary of such a life is this; love. Fruit-bearing. God-pleasing. Progressing towards perfection. Love for all the saints and love for God is the pinnacle of wisdom, it is the glorious riches of his grace. So will you pray for more love-inducing wisdom into your life today? Will you labour for love? Will you lean into love defined by and built upon Supreme Jesus; the Royal revelation of the fullness of wisdom of our self-giving God?

Question for reflection

Are you trying to fit Jesus into your life or are Jesus’ personality and priorities what define all you are and seek to be?