Although they are the object of the occasional sit-com joke, a hand knitted sweater can be very pretty. The intricate pattern of colors and designs require both discipline and great skill. It is a skill that I never acquired; but greatly admire. I'm not good with my hands -- at all! Fine-motor co-ordination has never been one of my strong suits.
One of my sons has a little outfit hand knitted by his grandmother when he was a newborn. It is a beautiful little yellow sweater and booties. I have saved it so that maybe someday one of his children will also be able to wear it. I also have a beautiful afghan/ blanket that my aunt made for me years ago. Keepsakes are special. They remind us of our loved ones.
Just as those memories are beautiful to us, so are the knitted items themselves. All the fibers threaded or knit together into one garment or blanket -- the individual strands becoming one beautiful "whole" or complete item. I've been thinking about this artistry for some time now. Our minister recently preached a wonderful lesson from the book of Colossians. It's amazing, isn't it? God's Word never gets old.
We can read and study and hear sermons two or three times a week and all of a sudden something we've studied or read a thousand times before hits us on the head like it's a brand new concept. The V8 commercials come to my mind. Sometimes when I hear or learn something from a new perspective, I feel like that - like popping myself on the forehead. The little bulb above me finally flips on, "Oh yeah .... I get that!" I love that feeling because it means I've learned something new about the scriptures and how I can apply them to my life.
Consider Colossians 2:1-5 with me.
"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ."(ESV)
I suppose you know by now the phrase "being knit together in love" is what caught my attention. When he quoted that passage my mind immediately jumped to hand-knitted items. In the New Testament scriptures, the church is compared to several things -- the kingdom of God, a building fitly framed together, and the body of Christ are the first three that come to mind. There are others - Jesus refers to His followers as branches in the book of John. Paul say in Ephesians 2 that we are Christ workmanship - His creation.
All of these mentioned are wonderful beautiful illustrations of what Christ wanted the church to be -- united in love for the purpose of glorifying the Father. We could learn many lessons from any of these analogies. Being knit together in love is the one I want to focus on right now.
We see a building as a whole and we know that in order for it to be a solid and secure structure each part of the building must be "fitly framed together." We also know how wonderfully our own bodies are made -- and we should be able to understand very easily the comparison of the church to Christ's body. And yes, even being a branch on the true vine shows that we must be totally connected to Christ in order to grow and thrive.
As we picture these comparisons in our minds, we can easily see the whole building, with a floor, walls and a ceiling. We can see the vine with branches sprouting from it. We can imagine a body with different parts all working together.
Now think of a blanket that has been knitted. Hold it up and what do you see? One blanket. You have to look very closely to see the intertwining individual threads all looped together into one piece. They individual threads have literally been connected together to make one blanket. They are fastened together so carefully, so skillfully -- they are one now.
That's what Paul means here ... we are supposed to be so closely bound to one another that we lose ourselves to become part of something much greater and much more beautiful than we could ever be alone. We are to be knit together -- fastened -- connected -- so closely that we are one.
Being knit together in love .. that's what Paul wanted the Colossian Christians to be. He wanted them to be one ... to give themselves over wholly to the Lord and to one another. Through this great unselfish love for another -- they would come "to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
It is through losing ourselves in the love for others that we reach full assurance of understanding .... how rich it is to have the full assurance of understanding .. and the knowledge of God's mystery. God's mystery is Christ ... the love of Christ toward us. The mystery is that God's Son would willingly give Himself to die on the cross for sinners like you and me. We didn't deserve it ... we were not - are not worthy of His love. This is a love that we can barely comprehend. But oh, how rich this love is! And what assurance we gain in our knowledge of this love!!
In Christ - in His word -- we come to know His love. Through our knowledge of His love -- His willingness to lose Himself -- we can understand that we must love this way. We must lose ourselves in each other -- caring so much for others they way He cared for us. We must be connected to one another. Then we are part of a beautiful blanket that can bring warmth and love to a cold, dark world!
Think about it -- are you ready to be "knit together in love" with your church family? Paul says it is through this love that our hearts are encouraged. Christ, our Savior had this kind of love for us. He wanted us to love one another as He has loved us.
The reward of losing ourselves to others in the name of Christ is the best reward ever!! For it is in the losing -- that we become the finders.
"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 16:25)
Christ above all things,
Robin
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