01-14-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 14, 2024 
Have you ever felt like something occurred at the absolute right time? I’m pretty sure we can all name a time or two when something happened at the absolute worst time. In those good moments, we often say things like, “It’s like the stars aligned” or “God was guiding every step.” There are a lot of theological questions that come to mind in those moments, as there have been times when I thought all was good, but it ended up not so good. And other times, when it appeared to be the worst of situations, in the end, it turned out really well for someone else. It’s complicated, and often we are only looking at things through a very narrow and limited lens. With that said, I am going to be looking at a couple of passages this morning in worship; one of them is from Galatians 4:4, where we read: “But when the time was right, God sent his Son…” The Greek word translated here as “right” is pléróma, which ‘right’ is probably the least helpful translation. Fullness is a better translation, but what fascinates me is that we find that word in Mark 2:21, where we read:

No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak; otherwise, the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made.

The word pléróma is translated here as “patch.” The time described in Galatians 4:4 is a time that is about bridging, about bringing together, or mending. It comes from the Greek word pletho, which is where we get our English word plethora—an abundance. When God took on flesh in Jesus, it was a moment in time when there was such an abundance that every division and every separation was made one. You can see how, in my opinion, simply translating as “right time” sort of falls short.

Thank you, Gracious God, for those amazing moments that are truly filled to overflowing with your love, mercy, and kindness. In such moments, even when the world cannot fathom how anything can change, you provide more than enough of what will make a moment the right moment for transformation. Amen.