To you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus

To you who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus. 

How about exploring today’s first reading in a somewhat different way?  Let’s pay special attention to a class of little words called “prepositions.”  For example: Of.   In.   Upon.   It’s easy to skip right over them, but these words can make a world of difference—especially in the Scriptures.

Prepositions express relationships. Sometimes they describe how things relate physically:   Where is the hiker?   On the mountain.   Other times, they relate something to its source:   she is from Argentina.   Still others point to a destination: we’re walking toward the canyon.

Paul used prepositions again and again—like an adventurer relying on a trusty tool—to describe how we relate to Christ.   Look at just a few of the ways that Paul expresses our relationship with the Lord in  1 Corinthians 1:2.   According to him, we are

• In Christ (1 Corinthians 1:2)

• Upon Christ(1 Corinthians 1:2)

• To Christ (1 Corinthians 1:6)

• With Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9)

Each of these little phrases tells us something new about our relationship with the Lord.

Consider “in Christ,” for example.   You could say that it means your life has been completely taken up into Christ’s life.   In Christ your old self died.   In Christ you were raised up and made into a new creation.   In Christ you are loved as a son or daughter of God.

That’s not all.   Because Christ lives in you, he is with you always.   Wherever you go, you bring Christ with you.   Like Mary, you bear him to the world.

And think of this: you will be in Christ forever—into eternity.   There will never be a time when you are not in Christ.

What a difference one little word can make!   So today spend some time reflecting on how this phrase, or one of the others, describes your relationship with Jesus.   What seems special or pertinent to you right now?   Ask the Holy Spirit to help you.   You never know—those prepositions might have more to say to you than you think!

Word Among Us