by Rev Douglas Brauner

Three is even better

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him– a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” 
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 English Standard Version

We really don’t know what the Preacher meant by a threefold cord, however, a rope of three cords is obviously stronger than one of two cords.

Deerwood Ranch Wild Horse Sanctuary, Wyoming

I’ve often used this passage as a wedding text. I don’t believe it’s wrong to use this scripture for weddings, but it’s not helpful to limit its use to marriage. There is strength in community, whether that community is made up of two, three, four or more.

When someone falls, it is the community that picks up this person.

When people are out in the cold, separated from others, the community welcomes them into their fellowship that they might know the love of humans.

Picking people up and helping them experience love isn’t cornered by the Christian market. People experience community apart from Christ.

However, we have been baptized into a unique community. The third cord that holds our community together is Jesus Christ. He picked us up when we had fallen into sin. He keeps us warm when others abandon us. It’s important for us to remember that this love of Christ is experienced in the context of his community.

We are all on equal footing. Having been broken by sin, we are forgiven in the blood of Christ; equally redeemed, equally loved, equally cared for. As such, we ought to understand that it is in the community of God’s people that we deal with the brokenness of the world.

People experience Christ when they experience Christians being the community God has called them to be.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado