Let's start the week with a continuation of comments by Tuomo Mannerma as he writes about faith as participation in the person of Christ.
It is a central idea of Luther's theology that in faith human beings really participate in the person of Christ, and in the divine life and victory that comes with him. Or to say it the other way round: Christ gives his person to us through faith. "Faith" means participation in Christ, in whom there is not sin, death, or curse...
In Luther's view, faith is a victory precisely because it unites the believer with the person of Christ, who, in himself, is the victory.
Let the life begin! Already the victory is here and already we are a part of the life that comes within the realm of that victory...so, let the life begin. This is not a life merely measured by what we do. It is a life that is in the shape of the the one we call Lord because it is our Lord's life that comes alive in the midst of us - as us. I'm using a bit of "being" language here because the doing that comes to life within the church is merely a reflection of the being. If we, by faith, participate in the life of our Lord, it is present. In some ways, we not only are taught that Christ is really present in the Meal, we also teach that Christ is really present participating in our life. This becomes the life changing reality of the followers of Jesus. We are not left behind or left alone. We are living a life that is free from the power of death and sin because Christ has already conquered death and sin and we therefore are alive within a new world and within an identity that is the image of Christ - who participates in this life with us.
Connection: Who knows what this life will be for us? We simply can be assured that the Christ of God rules among us and that shaped everything in this day. We are invited to be a part of how the Christ takes shape since we participate in Christ through faith.
Beyond what makes sense to the workings of the world around us, You, O God, walk with us into a life that is in the shape of your beloved, Jesus. Continue to inspire us and nurture in us a faith that let's go of our need to control and is able to abide in the life of our Lord as we step into this day united with him. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment