Thoughts for the Day

For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Can you remember walking on a pavement and avoiding the cracks? I was doing this with one of my grandsons and suddenly the pavement slabs became broken slabs with dozens of cracks. We tried very hard not to tread on the cracks but it became impossible.

Paul's letter to the Galatians reminds me of this. His letter is to a whole area, not just one church, but to southern Galatia (with its cities of Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe) which he visited on his First Missionary Journey and possibly northern Galatia which he passed through on his Second and Third Missionary Journeys. Jews who had become Christians were insisting that non-Jews (ie Gentiles) converts should be circumcised first and accept all the draconian laws imposed on Jews afterwards. But, as we have seen before, it was impossible to obey all these laws. It was like walking on cracks - you simply couldn't do it, it was impossible.

Paul insists that the only thing that matters is "faith working through love". The essence of Christianity is to have a relationship with Jesus Christ based on faith and love. Through faith and love we admit our mistakes, and we are forgiven. Through faith and love we are upheld when life is hard. Through faith and love we are brought closer to Christ and to the Father.

Lord Jesus Christ,
You have called us to be Your people,
and we have drawn near
in faith and love.
When we fail You,
forgive us,
increase our faith
and help us to start again.
Amen.