Raised Up to Look Up


Raised Up to Look Up

February 7, 2017


I guess it's understandable.  After all, we are basically a sponge at birth - soaking up the stimuli afforded by the world around us.  We learn how to trust those around us to guide our way in the first years of life.  Then we spend the remainder of our lives learning how to distrust others.  This life is often contradictory in that manner.  Love is often the field upon which we battle with trust.  We learn to love and speak highly of it, yet as much as is written about love is equally testified to broken love, betrayal and withdrawal of trust. Still, we pursue love.  In the same way we pursue heroes to save us, kings to lead us and idols to inspire us.  Yet the same cycle exists, we discover or heroes have torn capes, our kings often lead where we are unwilling to go, and our idols are tarnished and brittle.  So, as trust is destroyed, we discover a new casualty in humanity's pursuit to create paradise on earth - truth. 

For this reason, Paul's wisdom to the Colossians is profound - we are raised up to look up.  Just two chapters earlier, Paul had gone to great lengths to outline the divinity of Christ.  Here is a man who is more than man.  He is not of this earth, but He came here to rescue us.  He is the ONLY candidate for hero, the only candidate for King to be worthy of worship.  He is not an idol capable of failure, but God worthy of worship.  Furthermore, He leads beyond this place to Paradise untouched by human hands.  To re-establish trust and truth, He is a hero bearing bruises, tattered rags, affliction, curses and failures - ours.  He has defeated our greatest enemy - death.

So, do not be dismayed by the things of this earth.  Do not be overcome by the wayward ways of man.  Do not long for what cannot be.  Rather, rise up to look up and pursue the things above.

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