A Daily Dose of Good News
Monday, January 10, 2022
Pastor Steve’s devotional is available online at https://youtu.be/bGr3JcUhvgo
A printer-friendly version of this devotion is available at DDGN 20220110
You may dialog with Pastor Steve on this devotion at steve.wachtman@me.com
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our[a] struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-20)
A Change of Costume
A comedic reverse is when you begin a joke or story in a way
That leads the listener down one line of thinking,
Only to end it with an unexpected twist
That undermines, distorts, or contradicts the original setup.
Here’s an example of a comedic reversal by Woody Allen:
“I’m very proud of my gold pocket watch. My grandfather, on his deathbed, sold me this watch.”
And another by Rodney Dangerfield
“Last week my house was on fire. My wife told the kids, ‘Be quiet, you’ll wake up Daddy’.”
And another by Steve Martin:
“I gave my cat a bath the other day, and he love it. He sat there, he enjoyed it, if was fun for me. The fur would stick to my tongue, but other than that…”
While not purely a comedic reversal,
The author of Ephesians here at the end of his letter
Seems to maybe having a little fun with the powers that be in the day.
In his encouragement for believes to stand firm in their trust of Jesus
Even amid all the other powerful influences and allegiances all around them
He draws on the imagery of soldiers who would have been
Standing guard and carrying out the orders to crucify Jesus:
The attire of a Roman centurion.
Only this time the armor is not used being used
To carry out the orders of an oppressive governmentOr intimate innocent, unsuspecting civilians.
No forged from the steel of Jesus’ grace,
Believers are encouraged to put on …
The belt of truth
The breastplate of righteousness
Shoes to proclaim the gospel of peace.
The shield of faith,
Take the helmet of salvation, and
The sword of the Spirit.
Interestingly enough, the author has also selected
Those parts of the armor that would be defensive and protective.
Even the shield of faith at that time would have been soaked in water
To extinguish incoming arrows … in this case shot by the Evil One!
Even the supposed sword, in Greek,
Is actually a small side arm to keep around
for self-defense or surprise attack
With the same deftness of that which it represents:
The word of God.
The comedic reversal in this costume change
Is a good news reminder of the way
God turns the world upside-down
The powerless become powerful
The lonely become community
The forgotten are remembered
Those left for dead come alive again
With the armor of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation
And Spirit wielding the Word of God for all.
Amen.
