An "All in" savior!
Welcome to “Word from the Center” MONDAY, a devotional word from the Center of our faith, Jesus Christ, with reflections on His Word, by Gregory Seltz. Today’s passage is Hebrews 2:14-15 and 17-18, where the Bible says,
“Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ₁₅ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death……. ₁₇ For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ₁₈ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
When I first came to Washington, D.C., in 2006 for a class in my PhD program, we were privileged to speak with many congressional leaders personally. Bill Hecht, a pastor-turned influential lobbyist in Washington, lined up various leaders from the House and the Senate to speak with us about the things that mattered to us as Christians in the politics of the day. I remember visiting with the head of the House Ways and Means Committee at the time. He talked about various legislation saying, “We’re trying to make sure that the Congress has to live by the same rules that they hoist on everyone else.” I remember my reaction. I was shocked. I never had thought about the fact that government officials often pass laws that we must follow, while living by another set of rules themselves. Incredible. Health care? While making rules so ridiculous that we citizens were getting less and less choice and worse and worse coverage, they had a separate “cadillac” version for themselves. I couldn’t believe that they didn’t have to live by the very rules they were legislating for everyone else. I learned then that often times our public “servants” aren’t “all in” when it comes to the challenges and solutions that we need in our lives. “All in.” That’s a phrase people utter when they commit their lives and their livelihoods to a cause. When someone tells you that they are “all in” concerning an issue or a challenge that you share together, you can count on them to give everything they have to make sure that whatever you face, you share together in both trial and victory. When someone tells you that they’re “all in” as your friend or confidant, you can rest assured that whatever you face, you don’t face it alone. Those examples are merely a glimpse of the kind of Savior we have in Jesus Christ. When the writer of Hebrews says that Jesus “too shared in their humanity,” he uses a word that describes a real “flesh and blood” partnership. It’s so close and so real; it’s an “all in” kind of thing. There is nothing stronger in the world than knowing that God took on your flesh and blood. On the cross He took upon himself your troubles and sins. His “all in” life, death, and resurrection means that you can count on the salvation that He offers you as His gift of grace to be exactly what you need. So, whatever is facing you today, you can face it. Why? Because your Savior has seen it all and experienced it all, and He alone offers you a victory that the world cannot take away. Because He’s “all in” for you, you can be “all in” for the one’s you love too, not as some “works righteous” religious ploy to show how good you are, but as one who’s been blessed by the power of God’s grace in Christ. That’s why you share it with others who need it too. An “all in” Savior with “all in” disciples for others -- that’s a message that can bless no matter what we face at the moment. With His help, we can truly help others as well.
PRAYER: Dear Lord Jesus, it’s a powerful thing to know that You are our “all in” Savior. Give us confidence to look to You in all things as we jump “all in” to bless the lives of those whom you place around us. AMEN.
