Weekly Reflections

If you don’t use a thing for its intended purpose it may lose the ability to do it (like mental arithmetic). There is some sense in a utilitarian view of the puzzle. What is our life for? Is it for ourselves? Is life one of the inalienable rights of human beings? Modern discussions tend to omit the preceding phrase in the Declaration of Independence, which is “endowed by their Creator”.  That makes a difference. The right to life is asserted in Genesis9.5, on the grounds that humans are created in the image of God.

But the previous eight chapters make very clear that the life of humans was intended to serve God’s purposes. They were not free to wander around doing whatever pleased themselves. Their happiness consisted in doing what God had prepared for them to do.

Jesus said the way to happiness and life that lasts is to abandon the self-preserved life. Hate it, he said. Hate the life that is centred on us and our happiness and safety and comfort. Abandon it in favour of following Jesus.

That’s what his life was like. He did what the Father had sent him to do. He planted his life in the ground and God raised it to life again. But he was also planting our life in the ground of death. He acted for us. And in doing so invited us to follow him in his death.

So we could follow him to eternal life.

“Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honour.”

Dale