22ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

To the holy ones and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ . . . 

Holy and faithful! It sounds as if the Colossians were doing well. Like us, they had been baptized and were trying their best to live as disciples in a secular world. They were also striving to navigate a culture that emphasized supernatural powers and extreme self-denial. And for the most part, they were succeeding. But the rest of Paul’s letter shows that they also had their share of problems.

So is Paul turning a blind eye to their weaknesses? Not at all. In fact, he spends the first part of his letter reminding them of who Christ is—the one Paul says they are “in” (Colossians 1:2). This Christ is “the image of the invisible God,” the one who holds all creation together (1:15, 17). Paul goes on to show that the pagan practices and beliefs were mere shadows. Jesus is the fullness, the reality (1:19; 2:17).

Paul could call them holy and faithful for one clear reason: “Christ in you, the hope for glory” (Colossians 1:27). Jesus, the holy and faithful one, lived in them. Despite their struggles with sin, their incomplete understanding, and their need to grow in love, Jesus was at work within them. By the power of the Spirit, he was making them holy and helping them to be faithful. If they cooperated with the Spirit, their lives would reflect the gift they had already received.

This month, our articles focus on this mystery—that the all-holy God dwells in “earthen vessels” like us (2 Corinthians 4:7). If we are willing, Jesus can make us holy and faithful. Let’s spend a few minutes with him each day in prayer. Let’s marvel that the one who formed the universe lives in our hearts. And let’s yield to him by being faithful to the tasks before us and by loving the people he has placed in our lives.

“Lord, make me more like you today.”

Psalm 52:10-11
Luke 4:38-44
Colossians 1:1-8

WORD AMONG US