A WORD FOR TODAY, September 5, 2022
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 5, 2022
“Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace, above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:10-20, WEB
I am currently reading a historical fiction novel about the reign of Richard I of England, also known as Richard the Lionheart. He was a crusader who fought against Saladin and the Muslims who had taken over the Holy Land. He had many victories, and though he did not retake Jerusalem, he did finalize a peace treaty and ended the campaign. The crusaders left England in the summer of 1190, but it took him nearly a year to get there because ran into many other situations along the way. He accomplished the conquest of Cyprus and dealt with the island’s ruler Isaac Komnenos who did not cooperate. At one point Richard promised not to put the man in irons, but his rebellion led to his captivity. To keep his promise, Richard bound Isaac in silver chains.
A livery collar is a heavy metal chain often made of gold that is worn by people as a insignia of office often with a badge that denotes their authority and position. They have been in use since the fourteenth century for kings and mayors and other dignitaries, but there were similar marks of leadership for millennia. You will often see them in official portraits and carved into the stone effigies of tombs. These chains are meant to cause those who see them to give due respect for the authority of the person wearing it.
Despite the monetary value of these two sets of chains, they have a very different purpose. The chains Isaac wore may have been worth a lot of money, but they made him a prisoner. The livery chains made the wearer a person of importance and leadership.
Jesus is the focus of our faith and we tend to read the scriptures through His Jewish eyes. Paul was also a Jew, but he had a Roman point of view, so it is helpful to know and understand his letters. He often uses metaphors that are better understood considering Roman practices. Some of his ideas come from a more urban perspective. The sports of Rome often come through his train of thought. The attention to legal issues is more focused on Roman rather than Jewish law.
In today’s passage, Paul writes that he is an ambassador in chains. The Roman legatus or ambassadors probably wore some sort of identifying chain similar to a livery collar. It would have marked their authority before those to whom they were sent. Paul was sent to the Gentile world, to the people who were still lost, to represent the LORD and the salvation of Jesus Christ. He wore chains, although not the kind of chains we might expect of an ambassador. He wore irons, and his were certainly not made of silver. He was deemed a criminal, imprisoned. He suffered for the sake of Christ; but he did it prepared to face the consequences whatever they may be.
His letter to the people of Ephesus helps us today to realize that we have the authority to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but that the world might slap on the chains of bondage to keep us from doing what we are called to do because Satan does have a hold on this world. We need not worry because God has given us everything we need to do His work in the world. If we find ourselves in a place like Paul, we can continue to speak for God until the day when He calls us back home. We are just ambassadors here and He has a place prepared for us when we have done what He has called us to do.
We can fight Satan, by the power of God Almighty. He is our refuge, our strength. Satan tries to undermine the authority we have been given as His ambassadors, but he will fail because we wear the armor of God, and stand on the foundation of His Word.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org
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