Daily Liturgy and Scripture

As Paul continues talking to those whom he has already commended for their faithfulness, he goes a bit deeper. There are some pretty weight spiritual matters in this section, including resurrection, the Antichrist, and false prophets. Paul wants the Thessalonians to know that they have not missed the resurrection, that the Antichrist is yet to come, and they must be careful not to follow false prophets. And of course, all this can be wrapped up in a simple command: follow Jesus. Be obedient.

Paul writes once again to the Thessalonians, and it seems that they have been attentive to what he asked in the first letter. He is complimenting the things he was encouraging them to do. It’s interesting that they don’t seem to be done with their diligence. Paul prays that God may make them “worthy of his calling,” and only God can do that. No amount of good works can put us in a place where we are finished, but it is God working in us constantly to bring us ever closer to himself.

Looking outward, building the Kingdom of Christ, is important. That’s not what Paul is emphasizing as he ends the letter to the Thessalonians, however. He’s reminding them that they owe a debt of love to one another within the body of Christ, because of the sacrifice of Christ for all of us. When a community is dedicated to loving one another well, they will become a community that others want to join.

Christ truly is our hope. This goes beyond life; he also holds the doorway to eternal life. This is a great comfort, and must have been present with those in the early Church when they suffered persecution and martyrdom. If Christ holds us secure, none can take us away from him.

The two loves that Paul contrasts in this passage could not be more different. One is a passionate, bodily lust, the other is a love which grows in the Spirit of Christ to make us more like Jesus. One objectifies people for their bodies, the other sees the image of God in the other. It is a great challenge to learn to love the way Jesus loves, which is why it is necessary for us to continue encouraging one another.

Paul is very pastoral in this section, expressing deep affection for the church at Thessalonica. They have obviously been in his thoughts, and he has put resources into staying in touch with them despite setbacks. He has been talking about life in community together, but this is her personal touch. It’s also a pretty good glimpse into the depth of love we should have for one another.

Paul paints a great picture of what the Church should look like. Accepting God’s word as that of God, not of people. Sharing lives together. Leaving wrath and judgement to God and turning our focus to becoming imitators of other believers and our Savior. It’s almost Utopian, but it’s not impossible. The same Spirit that bound them together in love is still ours today.

The Old and New Testament readings today are really interesting to hold next to one another. On one hand, you have Jeremiah, preaching a pretty dismal message at the temple gates to people who have abandoned the very God they claim to go there to worship. Then you have the letter to the Thessalonians, whom Paul, Silas, and Timothy (their names at the beginning mean that it was from them, not to them) commend for doing the very opposite: laying down their idols to follow Christ. We can also see the difference in the rest of their lives: the Thessalonians were an example to other churches, while the Hebrew people to whom Jeremiah was speaking had become cruel oppressors of the defenseless. It's not hard to figure out which way we should be going.

Paul finishes his letter to the Galatians by reminding them of a few more practical issues. What matters is Christ, and it is Christ in whom we live. This changes things. No longer are we to follow the path set by the world around us, but we are to see a better path. Christ is coming to restore all things, and we can get a head start by living in the way he exemplified.

Instead of just the story of the visit of the Magi today, we have a verse from John to remind us what Jesus' coming means. It's more than just God showing up to walk around. It's the opening of the door to a new king of Kingdom where the Spirit is plentiful and available to all. Jesus made amazing wine from water, which probably made him pretty popular at the party. Of course, he did more than that. He set the stage to bring wholeness and healing to all, fulfilling the covenant with Abraham and including us all.