“Put On Christ Daily!”

“Put On Christ Daily!”
The other day we mentioned that Noah’s drunkenness was the reason why he laid a curse on Canaan who incidentally was not the person who saw Noah naked. His father Ham ate sour grapes and Canaan’s teeth was on edge. Our concern here is how this text and some others were used to justify slavery; worst still to say that the black race are the descendants of Canaan and it is not sin to enslave them.
The other group whose voices have been silenced for long are the women. Feminist theologians are justified to consider that the Bible is a patriarchal document produced by a patriarchal society. And that in Africa it has been enforced by African patriarchalism. The other divide is the superiority of some nations on the basis of religion etc.: like Israel claiming to be the chosen of God thereby seeing Gentile nations as inferior.
Today Paul reminds us that baptism diminishes all those barriers which see some people as less humans. Through baptism in Christ we are all one. This is also not to say there shouldn’t be class distinctions.
In Christ Jesus we are all children of God through faith. As many as we were baptized into Christ we have put on Christ. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to the promise” (Gal.3:26-29).
A true African will raise the worrisome question whether one can be your ancestor without consanguinuity? The answer is in the affirmative. As long as we have adopted Abraham’s religion without questioning, we have become “heirs by adoption.” If we are heirs, no-one can hold any superior claim over us!
Focal point here is that by baptism into Christ we have put on Christ. But he is not a dress that we can put on. To put on Christ is to see the image of Christ in everybody around us.
Is the image of Christ you see in your househelp the same image of Christ you see in your child? Is the image of Christ you see in your employee the same image of Christ you see in your relatives? Is the image of Christ you see in those who agree with your every word and move the same image you see in those who challenge you? Do you try to live by every word of Christ; despite your human frailties?
My friend, in these things any person is her/his own teacher. Where your answer is in the affirmative, then well done! Where the answer is negative, do your revision until you have put on Christ fully.
Weekend prayer: Holy Spirit help me to put on Christ daily as I see his image in everybody I interact with. Amen!
Have a blessed weekend! Peace be with you!