Good Friday morning! As the 2nd Century philosopher Knukelhedicus said: Waking up is the start of mourning. Words of wisdom for your Friday. How did your first NCAA bracket picks go yesterday? I like to make out my bracket each year, but I haven't gotten any better at picking the winners. I think I missed at least 6 games yesterday and my final four may already be wrong. So far no latent talent in foretelling has emerged in my bracket picks. You can see why I don't bet on the NCAA tournament. Casinos don't need a donation from me anyway.
Greetings of love, joy, and peace to you from the Lord God Almighty today! Whatever you may be suffering, the Lord wants to send his greetings to you on this day. In reading Jude the other day, I thought that we don't give greetings and benedictions like they used to back in the apostle's day. If you take a few minutes to read the greetings at the start of each letter in the New Testament, you get an idea of what encouragement means. Our greetings today are more neutral like the "How are ya?" we get in the hallways at work that means nothing and doesn't really want an accurate answer. We then sign off the letter or e-mail with an insincere 'sincerely' or an untruthful 'truly yours' or even just a name with no 'cordially'. In the apostle's epistles we get good greetings.
Paul to the Romans: To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul to the Corinthians: To the church of God that is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints together with all those who in every place call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, both their Lord and ours: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Greetings to the Thessalonians: Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peter to several churches: Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
"May grace and peace be multiplied to you." What a great thing to ask for someone. In the letters Paul wrote, he also gave a greeting of grace and peace in his introduction. Matters of grave concern could wait while Paul poured out a greeting of love and encouragement to those waiting for his next words. I wonder if we have become too rushed in our lives when we forget to give a powerful and biblical greeting to each other. How about that greeting to the church in Thessaloniki? How would you feel if you knew that someone thanked God for you in prayer always? We might remember to thank God for many things, but do we remember to thank God for the people he has sent into our lives?
The Scriptures provide a wonderful example for us in these dark times. We should look to our Bibles often to learn how to greet each other and take our leave. Perhaps some of the things we have lost to the past should be revived near the end.
May grace and peace be given to you by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and God the Father as you go through this day!
Bucky
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