Blessed and Broken

As I have been doing the daily office this year, I have been reading from Matthew. Yesterday, I read further along, to chapter 15, concerning the feeding of the thousands. Seven loaves and a few fish feed a multitude-- perhaps ten thousand people. Until the bread was blessed and broken, it did not fulfill its purpose. It had to be broken to be shared and to fill the people until they were full.

This is, I think, a symbol of our life in Christ. In answer to our brokenness, we have faith in God. It is that faith that leads us to the blessing of being aware of God's love for us. It is during "the long dark night of the soul" that we feel the presence of God resting with us, abiding with us. Contrary to those who think that God should fix all the problems of the world, if everything was wonderful, we would have no need for God. It is our brokenness that creates a bridge for us to abide in God's kingdom.

From this morning's epistle: What is this?

So in between yesterday's epistle reading from 1 Corinthians 15 and today's epistle reading, there is this verse caught in the middle (1 Corinthians 15:29):

"Else what shall they do that are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why then are they baptized for them?"

What in the world is that about? This is another of those Nephilim moments. That's the term I use for something in the Bible that makes NO sense whatsoever.

What does "baptized for the dead" mean?