Christ has sent me

You may feel unqualified to step into this new chapter of your life. Who am I to think I can do this new job? Do you ever have to pinch yourself because you think it must be a dream? Are you sitting with people around a table and wonder ‘why am I here, I don’t have anything to contribute?’ When people are going through a tough time and they say you wouldn’t understand because you have never gone through it, what do you say? Do we have to experience everything before we can speak in to the situation?

Paul had never been to Colossae but he writes to them as an apostle.

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To God’s holy people in Colossae, the faithful brothers and sisters in Christ: Grace and peace to you from God our Father” Colossians 1 v 1-2

It is not where you are going but where you have been that counts.

It is not who you are speaking to but who has spoken to you that is important.

Where you have come from and who you have been with qualifies you.

Paul says I know who I am, I know who is with me and I know who I am writing to. However, more importantly than all that, I know whose I am.

Christ has sent me.

It matters not where Paul is writing this letter though he is obviously in prison and like his letter to the Ephesians, Tychicus, will deliver it (maybe he takes both letters on the journey). What does matter is who Paul writes about? That is Christ. The Colossians letter is very similar to the Ephesians one but perhaps the purpose is different. The Ephesians has the focus of the Church whereas Colossians has the focus of Christ.

This letter is still important today. Especially during this pandemic when we are restricted and locked down. When Church has become different than we have ever experienced. There is one constant. Jesus Christ. He is not first among equals He is supreme above and beyond all. He is not one of the ways to the Father He is the only way.

One of the most beautiful and well known paintings in the world is ‘The Last Supper’. But what is strikingly important in that picture is what is missing from it. In 1498 Leonardo Da Vinci sat back having completed the masterpiece. He invited a friend to comment on the work. The friend pointed out how the most beautiful part of the picture was the cup in the hand of Jesus. The friend believed the cup was truly worthy to touch the lips of Jesus. Da Vinci said goodbye to his friend and then painted out the cup and later responded by saying, “Nothing must distract from the figure of Christ.”

In the many voices of opinions and comments and there are many church guru’s offering help to get us through this pandemic. Experts telling us how things will be when we get back to ‘normal’. Further experts telling us what the new normal will be. Please let us not forget that however it looks like, whoever is with us and whatever the Church has become, it is not as important as making sure we have been with Christ.

Christ has sent me. I don’t know you but I know Christ. I am not that important. Timothy is not that important. I am writing to you because I want you to have every good thing from God. However, I write because of Christ. He is all in all.