Blessing â Understanding it and Praying for it - The London Institute ...

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Deuteronomy 28 as if they were timeless principles is to confuse the covenant God made with the nation of Israel in that particular time and place in salvation history with the unconditional promise to Abraham now carried forward and fulfilled in Christ. (b) Blessing invoked Echoing the language of Exodus 19:3-6 (in calling Israel to be a priestly kingdom, a holy nation, for the sake of nations), Peter is likewise clear that God was finally fulfilling his promise to bring the Gentiles into the blessing too (1 Pet. 2:9-10). That blessing gives them the privileges – and responsibilities – that went with the covenant. Hence, Israel’s call – their identity and role with respect to the world – is now taken up by the church, by all followers of Christ. God’s mission to bless all nations continues to be worked out through us, his chosen people – wherever we may find ourselves ‘scattered’ (1 Pet. 1:1). We are able to bless others because we ourselves have been blessed. Blessing of Christ The language of blessing is found in the early chapters of Luke’s gospel (1:42, 68-69; 2:28-32) woven in with promises of God’s redemptive presence in the coming of Christ. Then, at the end of the gospel, in words that are reminiscent of the priestly blessing in Leviticus 9:22, Christ blesses his disciples: ‘When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.’ (Luke 24:50-53) Somewhat ironically, Luke starts with a priest, Zechariah, unable to complete his service in the temple (1:21-22) and ends with Jesus giving a priestly benediction. He has made the sacrifice which brings about the forgiveness of sins to be preached to all nations (24:46); now, as he departs in order to send the Spirit to be with them and equip the disciples, he blesses them for the mission that lies ahead. Blessing through Christ It’s possible that an echo of the priestly benediction might be heard at the start of Paul’s letters, in the regular greeting – with the ‘grace and peace to you’ reminiscent of the final sentence of the priestly prayer, ‘And be gracious to you... and give you peace’ (Num. 6:25-26). If this is the case, Paul’s frequently-added words ‘from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ’ in his greetings reinforce the source of the blessing. Grace and peace provide more than just a convenient greeting, but summarise the blessings of the gospel – which come through Christ. Even if this is too much of a stretch, the benedictions or doxologies at the end of some of the New Testament letters function as blessings (e.g., Rom. 16:25-27; 1 Cor. 16:23; 2 Cor. 13:14; Gal. 6:16, 18; Eph. 6:23-24; Phil. 4:23; Col. 4:18; 1 Thess. 5:28; 2 Thess. 3:18; 1 Tim. 6:21; 2 Tim. 4:22; Titus 3:15; Philm. 25; Heb. 13:20-21, 25; 1 Pet. 5:14; Jude 24-25). 2 Corinthians 13:14 is perhaps the most well known of these: ‘May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.’ LICC • St Peter’s • Vere St • London • W1G 0DQ • 020 7399 9555 • mail@licc.org.uk • www.licc.org.uk
This is instructive in itself, reminding us, like Ephesians 1:3, that grace is available only through Jesus Christ, is grounded in the love of God, and is mediated to us by the Holy Spirit. Hence, blessing is to be understood not only in theological terms (its source in the creator-covenant God), but in christological terms, coming to us as a result of Christ’s work. It is only in Christ that we understand what it means to blessed by God, and it is only because of Christ that we can bring to others his blessing (Rom. 15:29) and are able to bless, rather than curse, even those who persecute us (Luke 6:27-28; Rom. 12:14; 1 Peter 3:9). 3. Blessing enlivens our praying The topic of ‘blessing’ is not always included in treatments of prayer. This is arguably an oversight, as an appropriate understanding of blessing might inform and enliven our prayer life – as individual Christians and as local churches – in different ways. (a) Words of petition Blessing one another in prayer is a way of acknowledging that all good things, which build us up and make us fruitful, come from God. In blessing, we are expressing trust in God’s character and his love, not presuming on it, but asking him to continue to demonstrate his power in our lives and the lives of others, whether in the ongoing ‘mundane’ events of life or for the more ‘extraordinary’ needs of healing, rescue, provision, and direction. This involves the recognition that God, in his grace, allows us to be the instruments of his blessing on others. Invoking God’s blessing on someone else thus serves as a particular kind of petition, with the implication that we are praying for the Lord to bless that person. In keeping with examples from Scripture, such prayers may be addressed to the person rather than God, but we are nonetheless asking for God’s blessing on them. It might be particularly appropriate to bless someone at special times, perhaps of pastoral need, or during sickness, or in the context of a commissioning – but not exclusively so. We will want to seek God’s blessing on others in line with God’s creative and life-giving purposes, in a way that exercises trust in his ongoing provision for us. This means we will be cautious about identifying his blessing solely with the ‘spectacular’ – the miraculous and special interventions – rather than with his constant presence within which the whole of life is lived, the ordinary as much as the extraordinary, the routine as much as the remarkable. Moreover, since Jesus is now the focal point of God’s blessing, our prayers of blessing for others will take their cue from him – his commandments, his call, his love. And so we may pray for others the blessing that comes with participating in his death (1 Cor. 10:16; cf. Mark 10:38-39), for empowerment to bless those who persecute us (Luke 6:28; Rom. 12:14; 1 Pet. 3:9), for the joy and confidence that comes through knowing that every spiritual blessing comes from him (Eph. 1:3). (b) Words of power We know from personal experience that words are powerful. Positive, affirming words build up, while negative words tear down. The power of speech to shape someone’s self-perception – a child, a spouse, a friend, a colleague – for good or for ill, is enormous. A recognition of the power of words can, however, lead to a mistaken view of blessing which suggests that to say something is to make it happen, the presupposition being that the person who utters a blessing has the authority to do so effectively. But we should be clear that blessing is not a magical formula for victorious living, still less a guarantee of material prosperity; nor is it about twisting God’s arm into doing something. LICC • St Peter’s • Vere St • London • W1G 0DQ • 020 7399 9555 • mail@licc.org.uk • www.licc.org.uk
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