CORONAM VITAE VS. CORONA VIRUS

“The Crown of our Family in Christ”

Philippians 4:1 “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

1 Thessalonians 2:19 “For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you?”

If you read all of Paul’s letters you’ll notice a pattern emerging. He’s always telling people that he wishes he could be with them. It’s almost as if he desires that he could be in Rome, Ephesus, Philippi, Thessalonica, and everywhere else all at once. And he wasn’t meaning that he wanted to do a big group chat online and through his phone. He’s longing for that great heavenly reunion where we can be all together permanently.

He calls his brothers and sisters in Christ his crown. He loves and longs for them. Paul knows that Jesus doesn’t ultimately concern Himself with buildings and institutions and programs—but with people. Jesus came to save people and to bring us together into His one family.

Do we not then feel Paul’s pain right now? We wish the body of Christ could all be together. We want to be together with people. But remember that this separation of coronavirus is but one example of the separation that sin causes all the time in this world. And the ultimate answer to all separation is Jesus Christ. He is the Uniter—one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism.

I said that Paul wished he could be everywhere at once. But he knew that in Christ he was one with all Christians. And so are we. In Christ we are united together in this world even when we cannot physically be together. So I join Paul in saying to all of you, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”

Elect from ev’ry nation,
    Yet one o’er all the earth;
Her charter of salvation:
    One Lord, one faith, one birth.
One holy name she blesses,
    Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses
    With ev’ry grace endued.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have made us all one in Jesus Christ our Savior—one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism. Break the separation of sin in this world and unite us together in the bonds of faith and in the unity of the Spirit. We commend to You all the lonely and those who do not know Christ, that Your Word may work in their hearts and bring them into the joy of salvation; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

CORONAM VITAE VS. CORONA VIRUS

“Keep the Faith”

2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

If I take the beginning of 2 Timothy chapter 4 and just focus in on the verbs this is what it looks like:

“I charge you…preach…be ready…reprove, rebuke, and exhort…be sober-minded…endure…do the work…
I have fought…I have finished…I have kept.”

Does it sound like Paul expects Timothy to kick back and relax? Does it sound like Timothy is planning to live a nice, peaceful, cushy life? Or does it sound like it’s going to be a fight and a race to the finish?

These words fight and race aren’t chosen arbitrarily. Paul means that your life in this world is truly a fight and a race. The evil one is always at work in this world stirring up temptation, sin, unbelief, sickness, war, death, and more. Even now he is busy using the coronavirus to take away our hope and peace and joy and cause us to doubt God’s goodness. While this life is full of many joys and blessings, coronavirus is also reminding us that this life is full of sin, sickness, and death.

But in Christ we find the strength and the joy to fight and race. Jesus fought and raced for us and has won for us a crown of righteousness. Paul is picturing the great athletic competitions when the winners would receive a garland or “crown” on their head after winning the race. It’s not unlike the Olympic medal ceremonies today. Just like Paul, we thank God that our crown and medal is waiting for us. It’s “laid up” for us because Christ has won it for us.

In the meantime, we fight and we race.

Fight the good fight with all your might;
Christ is your strength, and Christ your right.
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Your joy and crown eternally.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near;
He changes not who holds you dear;
Only believe, and you will see
That Christ is all eternally. (LSB 664:1,4)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You have laid up for us a crown of righteousness which our Lord Jesus Christ won for us through His death and resurrection. Give us Your Holy Spirit that we may fight the good fight and keep the faith. We commend to You all who do not know You and do not believe in Jesus Christ that You would use this time of suffering to turn their hearts to Christ who suffered for us;  through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

CORONAM VITAE VS. CORONA VIRUS

“Why does God even care?”

Psalm 8:4-5 “What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor.”

Let’s put things in “perspective”. That word means how you are “seeing” or “looking” at something (from the same Latin root whence we get spectacles). So let’s examine how we’re seeing or looking at this time of coronavirus. Are we looking at it the right way? Do we have on the right spectacles?

Psalm 8 takes a perspective from the highest heavens and asks, “Who are we that God would even care about us at all?” He’s taking care of galaxies and planets and sun and moon and stars. He’s ruling over all the kingdoms and kings of the world. Does He really have time to be concerned about some nobodies in central Illinois? Does He really have time to concern Himself with one virus and its effects when He already deals with the 150,000+ deaths that happen every day in the world?

Yet the answer from God’s Word is a resounding “YES”. Even though we and our trials may seem infinitesimally small in the great scheme of time and space, God has “crowned us with glory and honor”. He has cared so deeply for you that He gave His best and precious gift—His very Son. You are in the palm of His hands. Your hairs are numbered. Your days are numbered. Your sins are not numbered but cancelled. And your eternal life is guaranteed.

Why does God even care about me at all? Good question. But He does! Jesus is the proof. He cares deeply. And He cares about your suffering during this time. Put all of it in perspective. God knows and He cares. And nothing, even coronavirus, can separate you from His love in Jesus Christ (Romans 8).

Through Jesus’ blood and merit
    I am at peace with God.
What, then, can daunt my spirit,
    However dark my road?
My courage shall not fail me,
    For God is on my side;
Though hell itself assail me,
    Its rage I may deride.

There’s nothing that can sever
    From this great love of God;
No want, no pain whatever,
    No famine, peril, flood.
Though thousand foes surround me,
    For slaughter mark His sheep,
They never shall confound me,
    The vict’ry I shall reap.

Prayer: Lord, what is man that you are mindful of him? Yet You have crowned us with glory and honor in Jesus Christ our Savior! Give us faith to see our lives and cares in the light of Your never-failing compassion, mercy, and love. Today we especially ask You to bless all schools, teachers, and students during this unique time of distance learning; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

CORONAM VITAE VS. CORONA VIRUS

“Testing and Blessing”

James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

This is the same phrase, coronam vitae (crown of life), that we started these devotions with from Revelation 2:10. The crown of life is God’s promise to us in the end. It’s the best of life in heaven that is beyond anything we can compare it to (2 Corinthians 4:17). But the crown of life comes after the trials of this life. The blessing comes after the testing.

But don’t misunderstand. This isn’t a test like you take in school – pass/fail. This is testing like when you’re training your body for the Olympics. You’re testing in order to strengthen. In this case, God is testing us in order to strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and give us steadfastness.

James 1:3, “For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” Friends, I don’t like this testing any more than anyone else does. I will forthrightly confess that I have had many moments during this quarantine that I haven’t feared, loved, and trusted God above all things. (Lord, have mercy!) At the same time, however, I know that God is doing His work on all of us to strengthen our faith and produce steadfastness in us.

If we remain in Jesus Christ and in His promises, we will come out of this time stronger than when we entered it. And ultimately, there is a life awaiting us after this test where there are no viruses, no deaths, no separations, and no sorrow. To God then we commend ourselves during this test. He’s working steadfastness in you. Praise God!

Here’s a great verse of comfort from the hymn “Who Trusts in God a Strong Abode”:

In all the strife
    Of mortal life
Our feet will stand securely;
    Temptation’s hour
    Will lose its pow’r,
For You will guard us surely.
    O God, renew
    With heav’nly dew
Our body, soul, and spirit
    Until we stand
    At Your right hand
Through Jesus’ saving merit. (LSB 714:3)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, You promise the crown of life to those who remain steadfast in Jesus Christ throughout this life. Forgive us when we doubt Your goodness and use the trials of this life to produce steadfastness in us. Direct and defend our President and all in authority as they make decisions to protect the people of our nation from this virus;  through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.