Colossians 1:3-14
Thanksgiving that Flows from the Good News
We live in an age of irony, distancing from engagement in life. Early Christians (like Jesus) can put us off because of their lack of ironic distance. They live with a sense of joy and engagement with life even in the midst of suffering, persecution, and loss.
In the OT the word for “to thank” (yadah) means to confess/ praise – used only toward God. Recognizing God’s reality as source of life and good. Praising God in worship as in Ps.100.
In the NT, the common words for thanks and thanksgiving are closely related to the idea of “grace” – eucharistein. The experience of God’s grace announced in the Good News of Jesus’ Life-Death-Resurrection filled them with a sense of gratitude and courage for life.
Jesus was continually surrounded with human suffering and trouble – sickness, poverty, and oppression of the people; the doubt and fear of disciples.But he lived with great calm, seeing beauty, faith, hope, healing– God’s presence visible in all things and people.
Jesus’ ministry/grace climaxed in the Cross – God’s absolute love in the heart of suffering – calling disciples to life shaped by God’s self-giving love. The Cross was the end of irony. Such grace calls us a world of gratitude/charis – thanks to God in all circumstances.