Clothed in Christ
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:12–17 (NIVUK)
Introduction
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. On the First Sunday after Christmas, we reflect on the joy of Christmas that we have all just been reminded of and experienced. For many of us, it’s been a busy time filled with family and food. Today, before we celebrate the New Year and then the plateau of January that we all need to rest and recover, it’s good to acknowledge the challenge of bringing the joy of Christmas into the new year.
In the reading from Colossians today, St Paul calls us to “clothe” ourselves with the virtues of Christ, with love being singled out as the greatest and overarching virtue as it often is in the New Testament.
As people who have been clothed with the love of Christ in baptism, we are called to live in that love every day. Christmas is a great reminder of that love, but how can we carry the joy of Christmas into every day? That’s what we’re reflecting on today.
In Christ, we are clothed with compassion, freed by forgiveness, and we persevere in peace.
Clothed with Compassion (v. 12)
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.
Colossians 3:12 (NIVUK)
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These qualities reflect the character of Christ, and we all know that these are good things to put into practice. No arguments there. But, if you reflect on your past few days over Christmas, maybe there have been moments where you haven’t practiced one of these particularly well.
If you received a gift you didn’t really want, you might not have been all that humble about it. If you were a guest at someone’s house for a meal, patience might have been a bit short. Maybe gentleness is something you’ve struggled to show in your interactions.
Compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are all great virtues to practice, but sometimes they are not easy to practice. Particularly at a busy time of year, when schedules are tight and practical needs can be urgent, these virtues can go out the window for even just a minute or two.
The young boy, Samuel, is a great example of a faithful servant to God. His life in the temple reflects these virtues. He is particularly humble as he is shaped by Eli, the high priest, and patient as he lives this life for many years. But the result of his humility and patience is growth:
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with people.
1 Samuel 2:26 (NIVUK)
Without any one of these virtues, we won’t grow. Instead of humility, our pride thinks we don’t need to grow. Instead of patience, we want to take shortcuts. Instead of compassion, we prioritise our own needs or plans. Particularly when we’re under stress, our human nature gets in the way.
So, this week, as you continue to celebrate this festive season, clothe yourself with the compassion of Christ. Focus on these virtues in these days, and you’ll find that God will grow you into a holy and dearly loved member of His kingdom.
Freed by Forgiveness (v. 13-14)
13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Colossians 3:13–14 (NIVUK)
Forgiveness is often one option we can choose among many. The other options might be to deny the issue, to try to correct the issue in the other person, or simply to be angry at the other person and tell everyone how angry you are.
For Christians, forgiveness is not optional. It is rooted in our own experience of God’s forgiveness. When we have a choice between forgiveness, denial, pride, or rage, there is no choice. We forgive because God has forgiven us through Christ.
Love, Paul says, binds all virtues together in perfect unity. You can’t practice any of these virtues without love to bind them together. The same goes for forgiveness, too. To forgive someone, you need to love the person. To love them does not mean you need to like them or spend all your time with them. To love someone is to earnestly want what is best for them, as much as that is in your control.
When Mary and Joseph lost Jesus that day in Luke 2, they didn’t understand why Jesus would be in the temple of all places. Twelve-year-old Jesus responded, “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” He doesn’t tell them off or shut them out because of their misunderstanding. Jesus is patient with them and continues to honour them as His earthly parents.
As the Son of God, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature—as He grew up, He developed an understanding of His purpose in the world as His heavenly Father revealed it to Him. At some point, maybe even before He was 12, Jesus’ understanding overtook that of His parents. But He still recognised their authority and loved them. Even as He hung on the cross 20-odd years later, He took comfort from His mother being there.
Love, as Jesus shows us, goes deeper than just respect or honour because of some kind of hierarchical order. He had every right to dismiss Mary and Joseph as the Son of God, and probably would’ve been fine without them, but He was instead patient, loving, and forgiving. There is no option in Jesus’ mind, and there shouldn’t be in ours either.
In your interactions over these days, reflect the love of Jesus in your own relationships. You may have every right to be angry at a family member or disappointed with a friend, but we have no choice but to show the virtues of Christ in our relationships, with love to bind them all in perfect unity.
In Christ, we are clothed with compassion and we are freed by forgiveness.
Persevering in Peace (v. 15–17)
15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.
Colossians 3:15 (NIVUK)
We are forgiven. We are free. We have no need to make ourselves captive to anger, frustration, or worry. Paul invites believers to let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts and to live lives of gratitude. When we do that, certain things will flow out of us.
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Colossians 3:16 (NIVUK)
Worship, teaching, and mutual encouragement flow from the peace that we receive because of Jesus. Funnily enough, these are all things that reflect any local church community. These are the things we do week in, week out.
Our life as a congregation revolves around weekly worship, where we gather to receive His gifts of forgiveness and peace, and to sing to God with gratitude in our hearts.
We also teach and admonish one another in the Word. We spend time in the Word together on Sundays, privately, and in all our groups that gather.
As a church community, we also encourage one another and care for each other. Morning Tea and lunches after worship are an essential community-building thing we do, as well as any other events or gatherings we have that focus on what we call “fellowship”.
Psalm 148 calls all creation to “praise the Lord” in harmony, echoing the unity and gratitude Paul envisions for the church. When the message of Christ dwells in us richly, we will be moved to praise and singing because of the genuine gratitude in our hearts.
17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:17 (NIVUK)
We don’t save all our Christian love and praise to God for Sundays, though. Every relationship and every interaction is an opportunity to show gratitude to God. When we love other people, we do so out of the love we have received. When we forgive other people, we do so out of the forgiveness we have received. When we show any of Christ’s virtues toward others, we do so because Christ came to us and, by His Spirit, lives in us.
Living in the way Christ calls us to is not easy—it takes all of us, and we often have to act against our natural, sinful inclinations. But, with the Spirit’s help, we persevere in peace, knowing that Christ has come to be with us and remains with us always.
Conclusion
This festive season, “put on” the character of Christ. Allow Him to clothe you with compassion, free you by His forgiveness, and persevere in His peace.
“Whatever you do…do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”
Thanks be to God. Amen.
