John Calvin once declared, “There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice.” One of the fundamental beliefs in the Bible is that the world is not the result of chance, but rather that God is the Creator of all things. This belief leads to a sense of purpose in our lives. In today’s reading, the apostle Paul clarifies that God the Father was not the only member of the Trinity involved in creation. All things were created through Jesus and for Him (v. 16): blades of grass, as well as black holes, mountains and forests, seraphim and cherubim. This truth is a part of Paul’s larger point of exalting Jesus. As many passages in the Gospels affirm, Jesus was fully human. But while humans are created in the image of God, Paul declares that Jesus is the image of God. We can know what God is like through Jesus. Paul also declares that Jesus is the “firstborn over all creation” (v. 15). Some have struggled with this phrase because it makes it sound like Jesus was created by God. This false teaching goes back to Arius in the fourth century. While the term “firstborn” can mean someone who was born first, it can also denote a position of authority. For example, God said to David, “I will appoint him to be my firstborn, the most exalted of the kings of the earth” (Ps. 89:27). Paul uses the term in a similar way here. Jesus holds the position of highest authority over all creation. We all, whether we acknowledge it or not, owe our very existence to Christ. He is the one by whom and for whom we were created, and He is the one who continually sustains our lives (v. 17).