Today we pick up at verse 3 in chapter 1 of 1 Peter:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
Well, here's the rest of this long sentence. Not only is this a new birth into a living hope - that is what is to come is already a part of the day at hand - it is also safe and secure and 'the always and forevermore' that is meant to free up our lives. Our lives are free to roam and walk within the domain of the resurrected Jesus. This is even if the powers around us threaten us or denounce this way or call it foolishness. In the reality of such hope, the powers 'can't touch this.' "Kept in heaven" means it is out of reach - now power can go there and grab the blessed life we have been given. Now, we are indeed free to live anew - really - really. That may not seem possible from day to day because we can so easily be brought down by what is around us and pulling on us. Yet, this promise - this new birth - this inheritance - is present and into whatever may be our 'last days.' So - beyond now - beyond tomorrow and into a time that is not yet here we have this identity and it is the source of our gumption and faithful living. Connection: Does such protection mean nothing bad will come our way? Not at all. Stuff happens. Maybe the writer of 1 Peter is helping us look at what is in a way that will not have us give up on today - no matter what. I'm not always good at that. Sometimes, the stuff - the crap - that pours into the day can make me turn my head away from promise and hope and the beloved fact that I am blessed - Indeed. In the middle of what is so common, O God, remind us that we are always held as your beloved and beyond all the power of the world that attempt to lead us astray. Amen |
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