Living and Loving on Borrowed Belief & Time

Day 18

Wednesday, January 19 

Read:

“For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

Devote:

Paul holds to the strong conviction that he will have his day in court. But lest we think Paul only put trust in the Roman judicial system, we have his words, “For to me, living is Christ.” Paul roots his full confidence in a resurrected Christ who inaugurated the Kingdom of God. Paul will have his day in court. The most powerful weapon to continue the struggle in this life that shapes history toward the kingdom of God is the hope of resurrection. If you want to defend the status quo, if you want to silence justice from actively stirring up history in a world that passes away, if you want to kill any hope of changing this world, then deny the resurrection. This is why Paul writes, “For me, living is Christ.” Paul sees his life and death in the context of Jesus’ life and death. Paul knows that his commission came as a result of the decisive act of God in this world, through the man Jesus of Galilee. This same Jesus who was crucified, dead, and buried is the one who conquered death. In the power of his resurrected life death is now a footnote to the story of our lives. Life is in Jesus and he is risen from the dead. Christ inaugurated God’s kingdom. The inauguration is only the beginning. His exaltation gradually manifests in this world through the life of the Christ community as she (the Church) reflects the power of her resurrected Lord. Like Paul we too know that to die is gain and yet we remain here for fruitful labor necessary for a world that passes away.

Journal:

Write about what the resurrection of Jesus means for your life NOW.

Reflect:

How does the risen Christ reveal himself in our history? What is the best way to apprehend his work in our world?

Pray:

Be present, be present, O Jesus, our great High Priest, as you were present with your disciples, and be known to us in our histories and personal stories. Amen.

Author:

Revisit selections from The Measure of a Man by Martin Luther King, Jr.