A Call to Discipleship: Reflections from Colossians

December 9th

Eleventh Day of Advent

For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Colossians 2: 1-3

Have you ever felt a burden for someone? The kind of burden that causes you to fall on your knees, struggling, praying day and night for a friend or family member? Paul feels a heavy burden for the Colossians. Paul struggles for the church, exhorting the church to have hearts encouraged and united in love, a picture of the Christian maturity Paul spoke of just a few verses earlier.

Imagine for a moment the diverse world of the early church. Jew and Greek. Male and Female. Slave and free. Religious diversity. Economic diversity. Gender diversity. Paul wants this diverse world, a world now converged as one community in Christ, to become encouraged and united in love.

But how… how do we become one body united in love?

Paul proclaims Jesus over and over. For Paul and for us, being united in love is being united in Jesus Christ. As we bend toward Jesus, submitting to Him and allowing Him to transform our hearts and minds… then Jesus changes us, teaching us how to bend toward each other. Jesus teaches us how to love people, put others ahead of ourselves, show empathy, live in humility, and offer grace to others.

So, how do we become one body united in love? Simply put… we love God and we love people. As we love God and love people, we become encouraged and unified in love.

In the Message, Eugene Peterson interprets this passage in the following way:

I want you woven into a tapestry of love, in touch with everything there is to know of God. Then you will have minds confident and at rest, focused on Christ, God’s great mystery. All the richest treasure of wisdom and knowledge are embedded in that mystery and nowhere else. And we have been shown the mystery!

Indeed! We have been shown the mystery. But for now, we wait. And as we wait… let us fully live our faith, allowing God to weave us into a tapestry of love as we love God and love others.