The Daily — Downtown Hope

Zach Sarver

Before the Jordan [Joshua 3.1-8]

In today’s reading, we find the Israelites finally arriving at the banks of the Jordan, the last thing stopping them from crossing into the Promised Land. In Exodus when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt the Red Sea blocked their escape, but God performed a miracle, parted the seas, and led them out. Now their descendants (for everyone who was in Egypt has died except Joshua and Hebron), are barred from the Promised Land by another body of water. Joshua tells the people to get ready, God is about to do wonders again. He’s about to fulfill the promise he made to Abraham hundreds of years prior when He told Abraham his descendants would inherit the land of Cannan. It might take a while, but God always fulfills His promises.

Zach Sarver

Forgiven Debts [Philemon 1.15-21]

Forgiven Debts [Philemon 1.15-21]

In today's passage, Paul is imploring Philemon to accept back Onesimus (who we heard about in Colossians) who was Philemon's bondservant (slave) and has run away. Back in Philemon's time and location that was something that incurred severe punishments. But Paul is asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus and to accept him back as a brother. Not only is he asking Philemon to accept him back as a brother, but Paul says he is willing to pay Onesimus's debts. This is something that strikes at the very heart of what it means to be a Christ-follower. We are forgiven because someone else was willing to pay our debt for us.

Zach Sarver

For the Grace of God [Titus 2.11-14]

For the Grace of God [Titus 2.11-14]

And then there’s hope. Paul says “waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ”. We know the current age is not what God’s kingdom on earth is going to look like. We know that living our lives according to Christ will many times put us counter to society. When it gets hard to look around at how the world isn’t what it's supposed to be, we look forward to the time that the glory of God and Savior Jesus Christ will appear to make all things whole and right, as promised.

Zach Sarver

Bricks of the Church [Colossians 4.7-15]

Bricks of the Church [Colossians 4.7-15]

Today’s passage is part of the closing remarks by Paul in his letter. In it, he names and says something about several people who are working with him. Tychicus, Onesimus (the same as you’ll see in Philemon) Aristarchus, Mark, Jesus (the one called Justus), Epaphras, Luke, and Demas. For us 2,000 years later these are just names we may breeze over, but for Paul and the Church of Colossae, they were real people with real stories. For instance, Onesimus is an enslaved man that we’ll see again in Philemon. These names are important not because they may have done something grand that everyone will remember, but because they are what makes up the body of Christ, the Church. In this, Paul takes care to not only mention them but to tell the Colossians about them. For me, this was a reminder that while we care for the collective body, for the letter to the Colossians was written to a collective body, it’s important not to forget and to care about the individuals who make up the body and their stories.

Zach Sarver

The Substance Belongs to Christ [Colossians 2:16-19]

The Substance Belongs to Christ [Colossians 2:16-19]

The danger to the Colossians’ faith easily echoes two thousand years later to us. Who Jesus is and what He’s done can be confused by the inundation of ideas from the noise around us. We, just as they are, and probably just as every Christian, are always in danger of being drawn from the Way by these ideas and creating an image of Jesus that isn’t Jesus. When in doubt, look to the Word, and there you will find the truth of Jesus.

Zach Sarver