There is another truly wonderful bit to pull from that icon of Adam I like so much.
Just as the Ancient of Days calls Adam to life with His breath of life and gives him a name and vocation, standing by his side as he fulfills it, so too the Ancient of Days calls us to life in Baptism. We then are all “Little Christs,” growing from His vine going about our vocations with Him beside and in us. We are remade in His image as God’s own sons (Eph 1:5; Col 3:10).
Wherever there is such faith and assurance of grace in Christ, you can also confidently conclude with regard to your vocation and works that these are pleasing to God and are true and good Christian fruits. Furthermore, such temporal and physical works as governing a land and people, managing a house, rearing and teaching children, serving, toiling, etc., also develop into fruit that endures unto life everlasting. Thus the holy patriarch Abraham and our holy ancestress Sarah will be commended and praised on Judgment Day for their marital life. Although the married estate will come to an end and be no more, as will all the life and activity of this world, yet this holy Sarah, and others with her, will receive their little crowns because they were pious spouses and mothers, not by reason of their works per se—for these had to cease—but because they did these works in faith. In like manner, the works of all Christians are performed to God’s everlasting pleasure; they will not be despised, as will those of non-Christians, but will have their eternal reward also in yonder life, because they are works done in Christ and grow from the Vine. (LW, 24, 220-221)
2 comments:
Mrs. Carder,
Where did you get this icon? I like what you wrote about it very much.
I purchased this icon from skete.com. It is in their Festal Icons, Old Testament Themes section. The item number is F130. In the description it specifically identifies Christ as the Ancient of Days.
This is consistent with a number of the creation themed icons. Christ is depicted as the Agent of Creation. There is solid biblical reasoning behind this. He was with God in the beginning. John 1:3 tells us all thing were made through Him, and not a thing was made that was not made through Him. Paul tells us in Col 1:16 that by Him all things were created.
I had a professor who once told me he'd figured out why pastors were called "elders" so often in the Bible. He said it was because they represented the Ancient of Days. This particular icon really demonstrates that. The Second Person of the Trinity has existed from eternity. He is the Ancient of Days. Pastors represent Him in their work. In Baptism we are called to life by His breath, the Holy Spirit coming into us. Then we are sent forth to live in our vocations as new sons of the Father (Ep 2:1-10).
Cool icon.
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