What is Comfort?

When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. He named him Noah and said, "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed" (Genesis 5:28-29). September often has new beginnings, so it's appropriate to begin something new with Wilderness Wonderings. You will continue receiving it 3 times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The new thing will take place on the Wednesday edition. The mid-week will feature a reflection on the Heidelberg Catechism. This document is a series of questions and answers written during the days of the Protestant Reformation as an effort to unite the various Christian groups. Since Wilderness Wanderings are short meditations, expect more than one on most answers. The Catechism begins with the question, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" To appreciate the answer, we must first understand the question. How does comfort function in the life of the Christian? What is the gift that it brings to us? This brings us to Noah, the man famous for his ship building. But it's the explanation given to his name that interests us here. "He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed." Noah will not take away the labour and painful toil, nor the curse of God but bring comfort so those things could be endured. A couple of occasions from the life of Jesus are enlightening. Both Matthew and Luke record a series of temptations with which Satan attempted to divert Jesus from his task. Luke concludes his account with, "When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time" (4:13). So, we expect the devil to make another attempt at derailing Jesus. Matthew offers this, "Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him" (Matthew 4:11). Later, Luke offers this accounting of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus prayed, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:42-44). Twice, angels appeared to Jesus to attend and strengthen him, to comfort him. The appearance of Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration was at least in part, to strengthen and comfort the Son of God. Thus, comfort is not about removing difficulties but rather, a form of strengthening to help us persevere. This is the journey the Catechism invites us into: to know the comfort given by God so that we can endure the struggles of the Christian life well. It is this kind of comfort we need, so that we can say with the apostle, I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" (2 Timothy 4:7). Join me as we explore this comfort. As you journey on, go with his blessing: May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever he may send you. May he guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May your day end with rejoicing at the wonders he has shown you. May you rest in his provision as he brings night, and then new dawn.