Family of God

One in ChristLiving in the Spirit
October 2, 2015

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying,
‘I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
   in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.’ –Hebrews 2:10-13

The quote in our scripture today is taken from Psalm 22:22. We are probably more familiar with the first verse of this Psalm for it was the words Jesus quoted from the cross: My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Apparently the early church saw Jesus in all of this Psalm, which ultimately ends in oneness and justice for all God’s people whom Jesus viewed as his brothers and sisters, the family of God.

Yet it seems we as God’s avowed followers, are further apart than ever. We clump together in silos of our own making defining God in terms that fit our needs, fill our hungers, and in the short term quiet our fears. We need to let God out of those tubes. It is time for a rebirth in and through God toward the fulfillment of the Kingdom of which Jesus taught. We want more and more and are never satisfied, are over-sated and still empty, and are letting our fears of change drive us to long for things we thought once existed but never did.

If ever we needed a savior, it is now. Praise be to God we have one. We must get to know him for who he was, is, and is to come. We may be surprised at how very much we will find Jesus Christ is exactly what we needed all along.

Prayer: Lord, forgive me for defining you in my image. Remold me and make me like thee divine* so that I may be a part of the solutions to our separateness not a cause. Amen.

*From the hymn Are you Able by Earl Marlatt  See at Http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/r/aryeable.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.