Live According to the Cross
This morning we’re going to revisit a text I’ve preached and taught from before here at Manchester. It’s one of my favorite places to turn when I want to see what it looks like to live like Jesus. Some of that may be because of my background as a history teacher. When I taught AP European History, I would try to help students learn how to read and interpret original source documents. That included things like diary entries, newspaper reports, advertisements, and other written records from long ago. We would try to verify the voracity of a written record by asking all sorts of questions about it and the person who wrote it. What was the motive? What was it saying and not saying? Who formed the intended audience? Was it private correspondence or meant for public information? What was the relationship between writer and recipient? These and other questions like them help us learn how to read historical documents.
The bible is a collection of historical documents. Even though all scripture is inspired by God (2 Tim. 3:16), it is still written by specific people to specific people in a specific context. And their motivations matter. So does their worldview. When we know those things about the author it can really help us understand more clearly what he or she is trying to accomplish.
As we work together to explore Paul’s letter to Philemon, we should gain a clearer idea of what it means to act sacrificially on behalf of another in order to bring about reconciliation and peace. To be a child of God is to be a peacemaker (Matthew 5:9), but that is not glamorous work shouted from the sidelines. It involves risk and faith and the trust that God will bring something glorious out of our humble sacrifice. He’s done it before. He’ll do it again. So let’s strive to remember to live according to the cross.
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