Proper 29: Epistle, Colossians 1:13-20

Colossians 1:13-20

Many years ago I heard a prominent American pastor lament that the church was publishing myriads of books on many topics and a lamentable few on Jesus Christ. It causes some reflection as I look at my own bookshelf and see the titles. Books on the church and how to make it thrive. Books on history and culture during biblical times. Language helps and mostly books written to interpret the Bible as a “how-to” manual. By the way, one lesson learned over the past many years is that the Bible is NOT a “how-to” manual. That’s for another day.

Our epistle reading today, in fact the entire letter to the Colossian Christians radiates Christ Jesus. It is my “go-to” when I sense my life is being taken up with stuff other than Jesus. And that seems to be more common lately. Life stuffs our pockets full of so much that distracts us from the one gaze with which we should be occupied: the face of Christ. In our reading Jesus is portrayed as Creator, the Firstborn of Creation, the One who precedes all things, the Head of the Church and the One in whom is the fullness of deity in human flesh.

That’s not all. But each one of those distinctives could and should take days, weeks, and months of our lives to revel in, to rejoice in, and to live from.. Even as I sit at my keyboard, I am challenged with how little of church work is taken up with the Person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Oh, He’s in there somewhere. But we’re so good at putting our own names, personalities and preferences in the ministries we lead or the congregations we serve.

Take up the Scriptures today and read the short epistle to the Colossians. Put the laser on our reading text. But before you do, ask our Father to show you His dear Son in this letter. He will. And remember, it isn’t you putting Christ first. He already is.