You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in
spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the
Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and
Achaia. The Lord’s message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and
Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere.
1 Thessalonians 1:6-8
Good
morning ladies. How great it is to dig deeply into the refreshing word of the
Lord. Glad you could join me. Today is a good day to look at Paul’s
enthusiastic commendation of his friends in Thessalonica. Their faith had
become a model to believers far and
wide. We’ll make it our aim this week to check out the world of the model.
Of
course, the model we women love to hate is the fashion model. Think of Twiggy,
or Elle Macpherson, or Kylie Bisutti; think tall, willowy, gorgeous. Each made
her mark in one way or another. Whereas Twiggy was naturally skinny, the envy
of the wannabes of the mid-60s initiated the anorexic craze. Elle, to make a
point, decided it appropriate to pose nude for Playboy. Thankfully, Kylie chose
the positive route this spring when she quit the Victoria Secret runway, quit
to honor God, husband and marriage.
But
I digress. Sorry. The model we wish to emulate is Jesus. He has left a mark of
a different kind. As the Holman Commentary explains: “In the first century the
word model referred to the mark left by a hammer or die as in the making
of a coin, leaving an impression like the original.”
The
folks in Thessalonica obviously had the mark of Jesus on them. How do we know? They
welcomed the message (of the gospel) with the joy given by the Holy Spirit
in spite of the severe suffering they were undergoing. The Lord’s message rang out from them loud and clear. Their faith in God became known everywhere.
Visualize
the minting of a coin in antiquity. Imagine troubling circumstances hammering
down upon you, not of your choosing. Now imagine, mid-strike, the hammer or die
in the hand of the Spirit, converting your outward suffering to inner joy so
others clearly see Jesus.
Whew,
I don’t know about you but that’s the impression I wish to bear, the model I’d
like to be. It begins with the imprint
of the MARK of Jesus on me.
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