For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to men (1 Corinthians 4:9).

The image Paul  uses here is of a victory parade. The triumphant army returns home, marching through the city to the cheers and adulation of the crowd.  At the end of the procession are the captives taken in battle. You know, the defeated soldiers.

The losers

They are mocked and jeered at, a laughingstock to amuse the masses.

That’s what Paul is describing, and how he feels as an apostle of Christ.

Do you ever feel that way, Beloved? You may not be an apostle (sorry), but as a follower of Christ. Do you ever feel like the world thinks you’re a joke, an amusement, one who has been defeated and is no longer to be taken seriously?

If so, remember that you are in very good company.

And remember that this image, though it may feel true sometimes, is not. Our journey will not end in the arena, but at the wedding banquet of the Lamb. Our destiny is not slavery and death, but joyful service and peace and joy and life.

Delicious, eternal life

Happy Thursday, Beloved.