“Coming into our own”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Tuesday, August 15, 2023
Galatians 4:4-7 (Forward, p. 17) CEV p. 1218
The apostle Paul has a rather descriptive way of talking about our newly attained position as believers in Jesus Christ. He uses an image that is quite foreign to the spirit of our age, where children often ‘throw their weight around’ and act as if they indeed are the people in charge—over against their parents, teaches, guardians and other adults.
Paul harkens to an old time and an older way of doing things. He suggests that prior to coming to Christ, we were like immature children, children before the age of majority, minors, people who had no control over our own lives and no real clout or say. Indeed, during the Roman Empire, that age was set at 30, meaning that even twenty somethings were still under the firm control and direction of their parents.
So, Paul suggests that prior to our coming of age—which he equates as our coming to faith in Jesus Christ—we were no better than slaves as far as the household of God was concerned. We were under the control and tutelage of guardians and teachers. And what is worse, we were like children ruled ‘by the powers of this world’, which is usually, in Paul’s writings, taken to be evil, spiritual forces outside and contrary to God’s rule. Any way you put it, it wasn’t exactly the best or the pleasant way to be. Essentially, he is saying that these things ruled our lives and used the Jewish Law to control us during the time of our minority. And all this, in spite of the fact that we would, as the children, one day inherit all that belongs to our parents.
However, all this changed with our coming to Christ. Now we are set free, set free from the confines and restrictions of the Law, and free to be who are to be in Christ Jesus. We have ‘come into our own’ and have now entered into the complete privileges, the full inheritance, and the pure joy of being God’s own children. And, indeed, should we ever forget this, we have the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to remind us of this fact. God has sent the Holy Spirit into our hearts to affirm to us that we are indeed His very own children. Here, indeed, we come into our own. So, what a glory that is, something that we should never forget, or take for granted.
Forward notes: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his son, born of a woman…so that we might receive adoption as children” (vs 4-5).
Commemoration: Saint Mary the Virgin
“I never thought she would get old, my mama. Even when she died, six months shy of 100, I never thought of her as old. She is the one who carried me into this world, knew me before I was born, guided my steps in life, and rejoiced and mourned with me through 71 years.
“Today we celebrate the Mama of the world, Mary. Episcopalians have always harboured more affection for Mary than devotion. This day in August is called ‘Assumption’ for Roman Catholics, the ‘falling asleep’ of Mary for the Orthodox. For Episcopalians, it is simply the feast of our mama.
“Mary must have been a tough mama, with enough love and grit to bear Jesus into the world, guide his steps, cover him with love and purpose, and enough sorrow to mourn his death and gather with his followers to move forward.
“I don’t know where Mary should be places among the firmament of saints. It is enough that she was the mama when a mama was needed, when God sent his son, born of a woman. There’s not higher praise than that.”
Moving Forward: “Today, let us remember all mamas, and especially Mary.”