JUNE 25, 2015
Worth It All
What
you sow is not made alive unless it dies. —1 Corinthians 15:36
Read:
1 Corinthians 15:30-38
By the end of the 4th
century, followers of Christ were no longer being fed to the lions for the entertainment
of Roman citizens. But the games of death continued until the day one man
jumped out of the crowd in a bold attempt to keep two gladiators from killing
each other.
His name was Telemachus. As a desert monk, he had come to Rome
for the holidays only to find himself unable to tolerate the bloodlust of this
popular pastime. According to the 5th-century bishop and church historian
Theodoret, Telemachus cried out for the violence to stop but was stoned to
death by the crowd. The Emperor Honorius heard about his courageous act and
ordered an end to the games.
Some may question Telemachus. Was his action the only way to
protest a tragic blood sport? The apostle Paul asked a similar question of
himself: “Why do we stand in jeopardy every hour?” (1 Cor. 15:30). In 2
Corinthians 11:22-33, he chronicled some of his travails for the love of
Christ, many of which could have killed him. Had it all been worth it?
In Paul’s mind the matter was settled. Trading things that will
soon come to an end for honor that will last forever is a good investment. In
the resurrection, a life that has been lived in behalf of Christ and others is
seed for an eternity we will never regret.
Give us courage, Father, to make and live by choices that show
the difference the love of Jesus makes in our lives. Help us not to trade away
eternal values for convenience and comfort.
Now is the time to invest in eternity.
INSIGHT:
First Corinthians 15
is known by many as the resurrection chapter, for it is a key passage that
defends the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and the believer’s hope of a future
resurrection, after which we will live forever with Christ. Other accounts in
the Bible of people who were raised from the dead include the widow’s son in
Zarephath (1 Kings 17), Jairus’s daughter (Mark 5), a widow’s son (Luke 7), and
Lazarus (John 11). In these instances, however, those raised from the dead
would later die of natural causes.
Source: Our Daily Bread 2015
