Colossians 3:14 “Cloth yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in
perfect unity.”
I was blessed to be invited to speak just recently at a combined women’s ministry event. The theme for the day was “Faithful women unite”. I love this. My journey with faithfulness has been threaded with challenges that I still weep over and incredible joys that I have been blessed by. Hardships and situations often taken out of my hand, but for which I am now grateful for. A life I love and a family, friends and church I am super happy to have around me. I recently did one of those church survey things – where the answers show you your gifts. My first gift was faithfulness. Its funny to me because my faithfulness has often looked like crying on my knees in the garden or in the car, wondering what God is actually doing and when He will show up in my circumstance. My faithfulness has been little about me and all about Him.
The verse we have been looking at is from the book of Colossians.
"Cloth yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in
perfect unity.”
The verse comes from the book of Colossians, a letter sent to the Colossian church by Paul after he heard that they had begun heading the wrong way but with all the best intentions for living correctly.
Paul had never visited this place but it was clearly important to him.
Pauls letter to them clearly shows how much he cared for the church in Colossae because in verse 2 he recognises them as faithful and holy and calls them brothers and sisters. He goes on to tell them that he always gives thanks for them, that he knows they are a people who love Gods people and are faithful.
However as we read on, we see in chapter 2 that perhaps some sketchy outside influences were being let in. People were coming to the church with ideas that challenged the beliefs that the Colossian church was founded in – Jesus Christ dead, buried and resurrected.
For me, it seems similar to what we sometimes may have heard or even said ourselves….along the lines of “surely God doesn’t mind if we do that” or “well I’ll just ask forgiveness – its all sweet! …Everything will be ok, as long as I’m in church on Sunday!”
Often, I know for myself, life gets so busy. We get distracted every where we turn. Its messy, challenging, hectic and full.
But, Paul reaches out and reminds this church, and us, just how beautiful life can be in relationship with Jesus. He reminds them that they have been chosen by God. That they are loved. Set apart, given new life. And because of this, they should hold themselves to a different standard.
So, for us, living in a world where there are so many influences and thoughts and even theologies, what does that look like?
Well….Paul says “above all” in verse 14. Above all! The main thing – the most important takeaway line!
Above all!
Clothe yourself in love.
Clothe yourself
Clothe…..
Get dressed.
Put it on.
Wear it.
I enjoy breaking down imagery and getting through the layers…so lets look at the image of clothing for a bit…
To say that clothes are a massive part of our lives is an understatement. Even if you are not a fashion victim, or generally put much thought into what you put on, unless you arrived here naked today, clothes play a pretty big part of our lives.
The first thing we do when a baby is born, most likely before it is here, is choose its first outfit. Our mums and nans likely spent 9 months knitting and crocheting little sets for the expectant bub.
If you have a wedding invitation magnetted to your fridge, depending on how close you are to the bride and groom, you likely have spent valuable time considering your outfit.
And in the times most difficult, when we have to say goodbye to a loved one, we may have had to make the difficult decision of what clothes to send to the funeral home.
You see, at the fall, way back in the garden after Adam and Eve literally did the walk of shame and made a poor attempt at fig leaf fashion, God the Father clothed them in animal skins.
Our clothing defines us. I don’t know about you, but I can generally pick what someone does by the clothes you may see them wearing. You can pick a tradie, or someone who works on the land, you can generally pick a solicitor or an accountant, and loads of people are now defined by the logo sewn directly onto their garments.
A teacher may be able to be spotted by the lanyard with a bunch of keys on the end. A miner by the hard hat with a lamp on the front.
I have 2 daughters. One a vet nurse, the other a makeup artist. I guarantee you, if they walked into the room in what they wore to work each day and did nothing else to introduce themselves, you could pick out which one was which.
Our clothing has function….comfort, protection, practicality. But it also provides an outlet for creativity, individuality.
So, Paul is asking the Colossian church, and us to wear love.
Well, rito…what does that look like?
I think first we need to know what love looks like. It surely doesn’t mean we have to wear red all the time, or be covered in hearts.
Well… love is Jesus.
How do we define that? How do we explain that to someone who has never heard of this concept before? A new believer, someone who has spent little time in church?
It’s the bible.
Its knowing who Jesus is through the Word.
The Colossian church had allowed some different ideas to set in, and maybe the water was a little murky. They had kind of forgotten their first love with Jesus.
I believe for the church, and women to truly come together in a world where things seem like its all falling apart and we don’t know what weird or frightening thing is going to pop up next, if we get back to learning about Jesus, we will be ok.
Remember when I said that God made clothes for Adam and Eve out of skins of animals? Well, this was God exampling that a sacrifice to cover our sins was expected.
In other words, God the Father was already weaving Jesus into the story. The gospel message was already being proclaimed while God had his singer sewing machine out.
Jesus was already on His way.
To know Jesus, is to know the way he walked.
The way He related to people.
To be able to clothe ourselves in love, we have to peel back the religious and really take a good look at Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus did not go out into public ministry until the time was right. He stayed at home, crafted his carpentry skills and waited patiently. We don’t know, but he very well could have been an uncle by this time, had friends in the homes around him, and we can presume, led a pretty quiet but productive life
But then he was called, and that’s when we see the person who we are told to clothe ourselves in.
Unlike John the Baptist, we are not given a description of what Jesus wore as clothing except that we know he wore a shawl or a mantle.
So, we can’t imitate him in this way. We aren’t asked to go around wearing the actual clothes of Jesus. Although there was a bad period of time where Jesus Sandals were a thing….lets not go back there!
After Jesus had been baptised and spent time in the wilderness with the devil himself, he made his way back to his hometown of Nazareth.
He heads to the synagogue on the Sabbath and starts to teach.
“The Lord has put his spirit in me, because he has appointed me to tell the Good News to the poor. He has sent me to tell the captives they are free and to tell the blind that they can see again. God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly and to announce the time when the Lord will show his kindness.
Luke 4: 18-19
Words from the book of Isaiah.
Jesus was announcing the beginning of his ministry, his intention to do the work that God had sent him to do.
Jesus’ ministry was literally at a walking pace and the ones who walked with him witnessed incredible things.
People flocked to Jesus as word spread about him and what he was doing for people. Hope rose in the world around Jesus.
How long has it been since our world experienced real hope?
Vunerable people came. People who had tried it all. Had given up. Who were cast out by the world around them, in fact for some discarded by the laws of the Old Testament that Jesus proclaimed He was here to fulfill.
The new has come.
Solutions had been tried and had failed. Promises perhaps made and broken.
But then word came…..Jesus.
Have you heard of the artist Banksi?
For those who havn't, he is a British street artist for want of a better explanation.
His work is done in secret and pops up in places like brick walls on very average residential streets with no one knowing how it got there.
His works are sold for hundred of thousands of dollars.
Yet no one has seen him! His reputation has made him famous. His work is recognisable by those who are keeping their eye out for it, but they could possibly walk past him on the street and not know who he was.
We often say “his or her reputation preceeds them”
Jesus’ was quickly gaining a reputation.
As word of Jesus’ ministry spread, and the more controversy with the Pharisees and Saducees he gained, people became curious and wanted to see this man called Jesus.
One such man had an incredible group of friends, who believed in the reputation of Jesus so much, they were prepared to break into a persons house via the roof to get their friends need seen to.
This man, paralysed and lying on a mat – remember they didn’t have wheel chairs – was carried around by friends. The crowd that had gathered to see Jesus was large and there was no way they were getting through to have their friend seen to.
So…up they went.
Onto the roof.
Roofs were flat and often had stairs leading up to it and families would sleep up there on warm nights.
So this roof was not going to be easy to break through. It was structurally sound enough to hold people. In Luke, he mentions tiles. These friends removed tiles and made a hole large enough to lower their friend on his mat through and down to the floor where Jesus was.
That is determination and that is friendship.
What did Jesus do? Recognised their faith and told him his sins were forgiven.
I cant help but wonder how the man and his friends felt at the time.
Sins forgiven?
Ummm…..we heard about the miracles though. People have been getting healed.
Remember Jesus’ words in the synagogue from the scrolls of Isaiah…sent to set the captives free.
Did they think that meant Jesus was here to literally open prison doors for people in jail.
Jesus perhaps was the only one who understood how desperately captive man is held by sin and needs a way back to the God who made the garments in the garden of eden. He knew the immediate need of this man was sin forgiveness.
However in his loving kindness and perhaps to make a point to the Pharisees who he overheard discussing his actions, he instructs the man to pick up his mat and walk.
God was praised that day.
God was praised on another day, after Jesus met a man called Bartemaeus.
He was a blind beggar on the road outside of Jericho.
He had also seemingly heard of Jesus and his ministry. This time, though that was all he had done…heard of the ministry. Being blind, he had no way of witnessing what he had heard about for himself. He was a beggar, so clearly his means of survival was dependant on the kindness of passers by. I cant imagine too many people were stopping to have a lengthy discussion with old Bart. He most likely picked up things as people went past him. They say our senses are increased if we lose one. I imagine Bartimaeus’ hearing was sharp. Perhaps as the traders came past from other towns….”did you hear about Jesus?”
One day, at first like all the rest, the atmosphere around Bartimaeus shifted. He could sense something big was happening around him. The gospels say a large crowd was leaving the city and Jesus and the disciples were the cause.
He calls out.
He is rebuked.
Nope – he wont have it.
He doesn’t have a group of friends like our paralysed man. He’s alone and usually forgotten. He’s a pest sitting at the town gate, an afterthought to those who come and go. Receiving scraps and leftovers.
But This is his chance to be heard.
“Son of David have mercy on me!”
He has no idea due to his blindness if Jesus is right next to him or 20 metres up the road. So he shouted.
The beggar begged.
Jesus is stopped in his tracks.
“Call him”.
The people tell Bartimeaus – Get on your feet – he’s calling you.
Bart jumps to his feet, tosses his cloak aside and runs to Jesus.
There is no mention of him getting any assistance from the crowd. A blind man who begs for his very survival hears Jesus call him and runs towards the voice.
Jesus asks him straight out – what do you want me to do for you?
“I want to see”
Go back to the synagogue – Jesus had said…..I will tell the blind that they can see.
Bartimaeus wanted to see Jesus in the flesh, the man he had heard so much about, Jesus wanted Bartimaeus to see heaven on earth.
Lastly, lets take a look at one of the women that Jesus encountered as he walked with his followers.
This woman in most biblical accounts is simply known as “the woman found in adultery”.
What a title!
She’s certainly no Esther or Ruth. Even Rahab kind of gets a better deal than this woman as far as the quick perception in the biblical narrative.
This woman did not choose to come to Jesus and she was not brought to him by caring friends.
She was dragged by the Pharisees.
In the message version it says she was led by them to Jesus. She was stood and accused in ‘Plain sight”.
Yet again, there was a crowd of people. Everyone was a witness to this woman’s plight.
We don’t know if she was naked – unclothed, completely stripped of any dignity.
I doubt there were many sympathisers. It wouldn’t be too hard a presumption to make that even those who walked closely to Jesus perhaps felt sorry for the way she had been brought to Jesus’ attention, but the acts that she was accused of, her sinful choices seemed obvious and there is no account of anyone in the crowd standing up for her.
Her very life was in peril. You see under OT law, she could be stoned to death for what they accused her of.
But Jesus.
“God sent me to free those who have been treated unfairly”
Jesus bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger. When they continued to ask Jesus their questions, he raised up and said “anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her. Then Jesus bent over again and wrote on the ground.
Those who heard Jesus began to leave one by one, first the older ones and then the others. Jesus was left there all alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus raised up again and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one judged you guilty?”
She answered, “No one, sir”
Then Jesus said, “I also don’t judge you guilty. You may go now, but don’t sin any more’.
The only one in the crowd who had the authority to judge this woman did not.
He knew that soon, her sin, her guilt would be on him as he was stripped bare of his clothing, crowned with a thorny crown and hung to die.
The sins of the paralysed man, the blindness of Bartimaeus, the shame of the woman.
It’s always been his burden to carry. That is why he came.
How then, do we clothe ourselves in love. How do we wrap our whole selves in Jesus?
We learn from him.
We lean into him.
We love him.
Faithful women unite.
Cloth yourself in love. Love is what holds you all together in
perfect unity.
The love of Jesus will unite us. It is the thread woven through our differences.
Unity does not mean that we agree on everything. Remember clothing is individual, we all wear our clothes differently. My style is going to be different to yours. Remember I said I am one of 3 sisters?
I am the middle sister and we couldn’t be more different in style if we tried! All raised in the same house, went to the same schools and churches.
My oldest sister has a shaved hairdo, wears loads of bright colour, has a collection of glasses as big as an optometrist and wants to have glitter cannons at her funeral.
My youngest sister looks like she shops at Rodeo Drive. She looks like she has a personal stylist and her hair is so perfectly done each day I’ve asked her if its real! Then there’s me – I mix it up between boho style and farm style! I love oversized tops and ripped jeans. In the farm yard, fashion is tossed entirely out the window.
In the end none of that really matters - we love Jesus.
Life is like that.
We will all have different experiences with Jesus. I adore how God loves each of us equally the same and uniquely. Our relationship with Him mixed into our experiences through life will shape us and define us and resource us to be there for the next women.
It’s these differences IN CHRIST that ultimately unite us.
True unity might look like taking off the masks that we often wear, the covering up of hurts and the belief that we can walk this walk alone. As we cloth ourselves in truth, love, compassion, we actually start exposing the hard stuff. The stuff that’s too hard to wear alone.
Remember the people who came to Jesus were entirely broken.
Their need could not be met by judgement or even peoples “best offer of advice for their life”
Their greatest need was Jesus. The paralysed man’s friends knew it, Bartimaeus was desperate for it and the woman found in adultery may have left pondering what had just happened.
Everyone will come to Jesus in their own way and Jesus will be there waiting.
Does the love of Jesus encompass you? Can Jesus be seen in you as you walk into the room?
Judah Smith an American preacher said “Don't you know you are the only Jesus many people will ever see? In compromising your lifestyle, you forfeit your capacity to accurately reflect God's image and endanger an entire generation's understanding of Jesus.”
I don’t want to be responsible for risking the way someone else sees Jesus.
If you have a daughter or even if yourself enjoy fashion, you may have seen just last week the infamous stairs leading into the annual Met Gala. Now the tickets to this Hollywood event apparently start at about $75,000 but to have the privilege of attending, you have to be invited.
The stars and their designers walk this carpeted staircase and are shouted at by reporters and photographers “who are you wearing?” This one night can influence a designers whole career.
They are either going to wake up the next day with the phones ringing off the hook or they will be left wondering where it all went wrong.
When someone walks into a place where you have influence, your workplace, home or church are they curious to know “who you are wearing”.
Like an Armani suit or a Louis Vuitton gown, is Jesus instantly recognisable in you?
Can new people in church walk out saying they’ve never felt more welcome in a church service before or are they left wondering how to join “the click”?
As a church community we have loads of opportunities to unite together in love. To demonstrate the love of Jesus to those looking on – and to those right there with us – because we all need this.
No one likes to feel alone or isolated.
I am a practical person and have often sat in messages and thought – well that’s all great but whats that look like practically!
I am super blessed because I was raised in a home that this love and unity teaching was an every day thing. Like cloth it was woven into the threads of our lives.
My parents are amazing at demonstrating love to others and often to the vulnerable. The ones who life has forgotten.
When I was in Year 7, my cousin needed a place to crash. No questions…nect minute my dad had fashioned a bedroom out of curtains and sheets and he was told he could stay as long as he needed.
I have seen them open their home to many others that needed a place to stay, the most recent a young girl who needed a bed for a few nights and ended up staying 10 years. Last year we had the honour of watching my folks walk her down the aisle.
My dad often picks up his mate who is wheelchair bound and takes him for coffee and to church. My mum hugs the young identity seeking lawn mower who helps around the yard and drops plans to make sure a young mum has someone to pray with.
You remember how I said one of my “gifts” was faithfulness, well the next one was administration! Hahaha – not very “sexy” is it – its no worship or creative team leader! But – its me! So in the spirit of administration, I began a list of ideas on how we can do community together – demonstrating Jesus through love and unity.
Here are some examples I could think of…..
Have a group of people who are great at welcoming people and make sure they make the new single mum to church feel at home
Be the first to go up and say hi to the young guy with a neck tattoo. I guarantee you he will make you smile.
Older women, invite the young womens connect group to your place for a cuppa and scones – lay out the table cloth and bless them.
When the kids church team cries out for volunteers, thank God for your few years of a break and put your hand up to help. You will be blessed – I guarantee it.
Bake a cake and bikkies for the mum with 5 kids – and if you're the mum – say thank you and bless that person with a hug.
Wrap your arms around the woman who has experienced a marriage break down or lost a partner. Pray with her, don’t gossip about her and check in on her. Grief can be incredibly lonely.
Make a space at the table for the ones who may have special needs. Honour them with the choice to serve as well, even if it means making adjustments to do so.
to the “older” women in the room… we should count it an honour and privilege to be there for the younger generation. I feel like I am in the best stage of church life ever…I have some incredible relationships with women younger than myself. I get to watch how they raise kids in this crazy world, how passionate they are about teaching about Jesus in the midst of all the stuff they are negotiating.
To the younger women - get around the older ladies - they have paved the way, seen it all and can offer empathy, love, support and a shoulder to cry on, a friend to laugh with and a lifetime of wisdom
Be the shoulder to cry on and look for a good one to use when you need it - because you will
Will it all be easy? Nope
Will your feelings get crushed and your intentions misunderstood? Most likely.
Even Jesus faced that. Remember only 2 of the people we talked about today are mentioned giving glory to God.
Find your tribe…your family. Intentionally unite yourselves with others.
I have some quite simply, beautiful friendships with women who have paved the way ahead of me, teaching and guiding me. I feel like I have stripped away the “I can do it” attitude – the survival mode that we often fall into. I appreciate my friend who is my pastor, my mum and the older women around me more than ever before.
Jesus was demonstrating through his words and deeds how he wants us to live and therefore show the world;
John 13:35 says By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
During the ends of the drought and the pandemic, Jesus put a group of women in my life. Some I have been blessed to meet face to face, others I have only chatted to via messenger or email and I may only actually meet them in glory.
We knew a few things we had in common together when we first initially “met”
We were farm wives or daughters.
We had experienced the hardship of drought
And…
We knew Jesus.
Each of us had seen Jesus at work in our lives. Each story was completely different. But each was threaded with the kindness and love of Christ.
These women demonstrate to me what unity in Jesus looks like.
I pray that as you leave this place today, you might be encouraged to learn more, lean in closer and get curious about how being clothed in love can look for you.
Wrap yourself in Jesus. Be intentional about putting Him on each day.
Be mindful of the spaces you walk in.
Generous with how you share him. Put a smile on your face – no one likes a sullen Christian.
Cry when you need to, be a shoulder when someone else needs to.
Laugh loudly, pray earnestly and sing joyful songs to the One who sees you.
By this, they will know that you are my disciples…. That you have love for each other.
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts.
For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. 17 And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father
Blessings
xxx
Toni
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