αποκαταλλασσο - Reconciling all things!

This week has been difficult.  I don’t want get into all the details here, but there have been a number of things that just didn’t go right.  However, today we are looking at a powerful scripture passage:

Through Christ God, was pleased to reconcile all things to God’s own self, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

-Colossians 1:20

The words “reconcile all things” comes from a very complex Greek word:  αποκαταλλασσο.  In English we pronounce it:  ap-ok-at-al-las'-so.  It looks like a pretty big word, but I think its meaning is even bigger.  It refers to bringing all things, the good and the bad, together in Christ.  God seeks to take what is evil and reconcile it into something new.  This word doesn’t deny that evil exists, because it most certainly does!  However, this verse does say that evil can be changed through Christ.  Two thousand years ago, this would have meant that God was making something new out of the corrupt Roman Empire, oppression within the church, and even death itself.  Those ancient people could have hope that God was working within them… I think we can have the same hope today.

When life is a mess, and we don’t have the answers, God is reconciling all these things to bring wholeness and peace.  There is always a way to move forward.  There is always a way to grow.  Evil does exist, but new life is even more powerful than the chaos that we see!

Blessings!

Brian