Colossions 3:12-14 for Sunday, May 6, 2007

As we prepare to hear the sermon on "love relationships" this Sunday, I invite you to take a closer look at the text with me. Together, we may uncover some things that will open your heart and mind to the message you will hear Sunday morning. Leave your comments and we can have some discussion!

Translation:
Therefore, as the chosen of God, holy and beloved, you may clothe yourself with deep seated compassion, kindness, humility, obedience, patience. Put up with each other and if someone has a complaint against someone else, forgive each other, just as the Lord forgave you, so you also forgive. But that which binds all these things perfectly is love.

These two often quoted verses are really a command. It is not easily conveyed in English, but what verse 12 is trying to say is that if you are to be the chosen of God, holy and beloved, you must have these characteristics: compassion, kindness, humility, obedience, patience. The verb "to clothe" actually has an element of possibility: you might clothe yourself this way, or you could possibly choose another way.

Each of these characteristics has its own nuance. In the Greek world, "deep seated compassion" is literally "compassion of the bowels." In Greek, deep emotions are described as being in the bowels, much in the same way we talk about the heart and love. It is the type of compassion that makes your stomach do flip-flops. The kindness expressed here is a real do-ers kindness. It is the type of kindness expressed in attitude and deed, the kindness that seeks to meet the needs of others. Humility is a recognition of one's own limitations and weaknesses, particularly in comparison with God's greatness. Obedience is obedience unto God, faithful, submissiveness to God.

The real crux of the matter comes in verse 13. "Put up with each other." We live all these characteristics in community, where we are sometimes annoyed, and frustrated with our partners in ministry. This reaction is normal, but we are still admonished to "Put up with each other" and even forgive each other as the Lord has forgiven us. In fact, the way it is conveyed in Greek is continuous--you should always put up with each other (today, tomorrow, next week, next month). It's a radical way to live in community and a huge commitment to make in our relationships to always put up with each other.

When anyone has a complaint, forgiveness should be the rule. What kind of complaint? The word commonly refers to an error of omission, or something should have been done but wasn't. This is different than an error of commission. An error of commission is something that was done, but really shouldn't have been done. Perhaps the things that irritate us most about our relationships with others are the errors of omission: not taking the trash out, not walking the dog, not washing the car.

Above all of these things (compassion, kindness, humility, obedience, patience), love is the most important thing of all. Love is the thing that binds this all together. You put up with your friends and family when they irritate and annoy you because you love them.