Revelation 1:4b-8
Catacombe di Commodilla, Rome, 4th c.
When All Is Said and Done
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” he says,
a phrase not in common usage anymore,
so let’s imagine what he might say these days:
“I’m A to Z.”
Or, he might try this:
“I am the start of it all, and the living end.”
“the be all and end all,
“the real McCoy,
“the genuine article,
“the real deal.”
Or how about this?
“I am the whole nine yards,
“the whole enchilada,
“the whole shebang,
“the whole bailiwick.
“the whole ball of wax,
“the whole shootin’ match,” and,
“the whole kit and caboodle.”
“I am the unvarnished truth,
“the honest truth,
“the naked truth,
“the full monty,
“the inside track,
“the whole story,” and of course,
“the gospel truth.”
There must be no end to the ways he might put it.
Get it?
Personally, today I like, “I am the cat’s meow.”
Scott L. Barton
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you
and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven
spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who
loves us and freed us from our sins by his blood, and made us to be a kingdom,
priests serving his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and
ever. Amen. Look! He is coming with the clouds; every eye will see him, even
those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will
wail. So it is to be. Amen. “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God,
who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.
+ + +
John 18:33-37
Christ the King statue, Świebodzin, Poland
"Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my
voice.”
or
And in the End (reflection on the last Sunday of the church
year)
I think it's funny that
it's not the other way around:
Like, “All who hear my voice
belong to truth;” I think that sounds
religious! Yet, he still confounds
what we expect to hear.
The truth is that it's all a gift,
and everyone is dear;
Those living thus, will love as much -
he could not be more clear!
Still, list'ning to this king
is never easy - any year!
Scott L. Barton
(revised from 2015)
Then Pilate entered the headquarters again, summoned Jesus,
and asked him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you ask this
on your own, or did others tell you about me?” Pilate replied, “I am not a Jew,
am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What
have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not from this world. If my
kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from
being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”
Pilate asked him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a
king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to
the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”
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