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First Sunday of Lent, February 18, 2018

Today’s readings

First Sunday in Lent! The paraments will be purple until Easter (April 1), and we have put away our Alleluias until Easter Sunday morning. You’ll notice a few changes to the liturgy, too, as it becomes more penitent. Lent is a more somber version of Advent, a time of preparation and reflection. Instead of the arrival of a king, though, we prepare our hearts for Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. This is a time to consider the human condition, and the condition of each of us, that required the tremendous sacrifice of Good Friday. Whatever you choose to do during Lent is to enable you to grasp that in a more meaningful way. It isn’t to “earn” your right to salvation. Often I think of this as taking on a discipline to make room in my life, fasting from something, rather than just denying something without a specific reason.

Incidentally, the forty days of Lent mirror the forty days of Jesus testing because we get a “day off” from Lenten fasting on Sundays. Just FYI.

Gospel:  Mark 1:9-15

The first reading during Lent is always Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Actually, the word “temptation” is better translated as testing. We are familiar with the beginning and end pieces of today’s reading since we just read them a few weeks ago, but we had skipped the wilderness. (Don’t ever skip the wilderness! Things happen there!)

In this passage, Mark moves very quickly through several scenes. Jesus is baptized, where God pronounces him “My Beloved Son.” That beloved Son is then promptly sent out to the wilderness where he encounters the Devil and his testing. So much for not getting tested if you are in God’s good grace. If anyone ever says that to you, this is the passage you can point to to show them how wrong they are! Jesus had God’s confidence, not His guarantee of an easy life.

Next, John is arrested and Jesus begins his earthly ministry. “Repent and believe, for the Kingdom of God is at hand.” I’m really glad we came back to this because I’ve been thinking about the dual command—“Repent AND believe.” We’re commanded to do both. Do you remember a couple of weeks ago when Jesus cast out the demon from the man in the synagogue? The demon had identified Jesus as the Son of God. That demon KNEW who Jesus was—he believed. But he doesn’t repent. (I’ve thought about this and I don’t know if he even could repent. At any rate, he only believes.)

On the other hand, it’s possible to truly turn from bad behavior on your own willpower. But without believing that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Kingdom of God is breaking through, it is just an act of will. It’s useless to God.

I encourage you to use the testing time of Lent to help you repent from something.

Old Testament:  Genesis 9:8-17

This is the end of the Noah flood story, where God lays out his covenant with all flesh of the world. The Old Testament tells the story of a series of covenants with God:

Noah—God with “all flesh”

Abraham—God creating a “great people”

Moses—God choosing the Hebrew people in particular

David—God promising a kingly line which will never go away

Jesus—God’s promise of salvation to individual people

This is the only covenant that God makes that is completely one-sided. We read earlier in Genesis that God has been grieved by the sinfulness of humans, but also by the destruction of his beautiful creation by the flood, and has decided to change his relationship with all living creatures to create a new way to handle the brokenness of the world.

It is shocking to think that God’s heart can be grieved, I think. It speaks to a sense of regret, and to think that the creator of the universe can feel regret is shocking. It is, however, Biblical. Take advantage of this passage to read the entire Noah story.

The science nerd in me likes to reflect on God’s choice of the rainbow as his sign. He created the laws of the universe. Rainbows were just a by-product of how he created light and water. But he looked on that beautiful reflection and chose it as the sign. He didn’t create a rainbow for the first time and say here it is. He said when this happens, think of Me and this promise.

Psalm 25:1-10

This passage could well serve as a theme for Lent!

In verse 1, “Lift up” is the verb used for actually putting the sacrifice on an altar. Think of this verse as saying “I will sacrifice to You, O Lord, the most precious thing I could possibly offer.”

In verse 9, the Hebrew word for “way” and “lead” are the same, just as noun or verb. This verse makes the humble the object of the entire verse. “Lead the humble, give the humble His leading.”

Verse 10, where our reading ends, makes it sound like this is only available to those who are perfectly obedient. But read verse 11! The writer knows his failings and still asks to be included. And we know that God will be faithful to that request.

New Testament:  1 Peter 3:18-22

The beginning of this chapter is very familiar. Peter gives instructions for how wives should treat husbands, and how husbands should treat wives. (Lots has been written on this, but it just occurs to me: we know Peter was married. His advice is remarkably similar to that given by Paul, the lifelong bachelor.) Then Peter extends the argument and says, in fact, that we should all live together in humility and love. And then we come to this passage.

This passage is just flat-out strange. I spent a long time reading about it until I found out that Martin Luther himself considered this to be the most challenging passage to interpret in the entire New Testament! I’m off the hook.

The passage does reference the covenant with Noah. Ancient church fathers Tertullian and Clement used these verses to develop the idea that Jesus descended to Hell to rescue those who had died before Jesus’ earthly ministry. Since they were writing just a few years after Peter wrote these words, I think they were able to hear something in these references that has been somewhat lost to us in the 2000 years since.

There is evidence that these verses also directly reference Genesis 6:1-4, a time before the flood when evil increased greatly in the world. Go back and read those verses if you have a minute this week.

I would LOVE to hear what you think about these verses.

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Fourth Sunday after Epiphany, January 28, 2018

babettesfeast
Is the food or your friend’s salvation more important? (photo from the movie Babette’s Feast)

Today’s readings

Gospel: Mark 1:21-28

Last week, Jesus called His first disciples. Today, He makes His first public appearance in the book of Mark.

Jesus is with His disciples in Capernaum, a mid-sized town of about 10,000, significantly larger than Nazareth. This is Jesus’ adult hometown, and He would have been known here. It’s the Sabbath and the men of the town have gathered to hear the Torah read and discussed as usual. But today isn’t usual. We see a demon-possessed man accuse Jesus, and we watch Jesus cast that demon out. But let’s back up a little.

Jesus and His disciples entered the synagogue. This is a word we haven’t encountered in a while. How is it different from the Temple in Jerusalem? Synagogues originated during the Babylonian exile around 500 B.C. Jews in Babylon began gathering to read and discuss the Torah. The word “synagogue” actually comes from the Greek words for “gather together.” Over time, the habit became using the Sabbath to gather to listen to the Torah. (Yes, the Sabbath went from REST to “go-to-church-day.” Which is why you still need to REST on the Sabbath!) Eventually, every town with at least ten Jewish men would have their own synagogue.

At the synagogue, scribes and rabbis would read from and the expound on the Torah. Important for our lesson today is the manner in which they taught. Scribes and rabbis always relied on the authority of others. “Rabbi So-and-so said…” would have been typical. In Mark, we don’t know what exactly Jesus said, but he definitely said it on his own authority, so that alone would have been remarkable.

Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus typically prefaces teachings with, “Truly I tell you” or “I say to you.” These are very different than teaching based on another person’s interpretation. This difference would have been truly shocking in the tradition-bound teaching method of the synagogue.

Also note the use of the word “authority.” In English, the word can sometimes be used to mean “expert,” as in “the world’s leading authority on coffee bean roasting.” But the Greek word used here refers to “having power over another.” This authority extended to having power over the demon who started speaking, power to cast him out of his victim.

In verse 24, the demon in the man identifies Jesus as the “Holy One of God.” This is the second identification of Jesus in Mark–the first was in verse 11, when the voice of God identifies Jesus as His Son.  Also remember that John the Baptist identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29). Also, even though the demon properly identifies Jesus, he does not FOLLOW Jesus. It is entirely possible to know exactly who Jesus is without claiming Him as your own Savior. (James also tells us that.)

It’s significant that one of Jesus’ first acts of public ministry is to be of service, in this case to the possessed man. And He refuses to negotiate with the demon in any way. This is definitely a sign of Jesus’ authority: you don’t negotiate with someone who isn’t at least your equal.

Finally, a note about that demon possession. Many, many modern commentaries cast doubt on whether this is an actual demon possession or merely an illness of some sort. Personally, I come down on the side of actual possession. Jesus had plenty of opportunities to heal sick people, and we are told about them. I think that it’s very possible that the demon was attracted to Jesus in some way, which is why demons often seem to show up in His presence.  More importantly, though, I think to discount the reality of demon possession is dangerous.

Old Testament: Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Remember that Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Pentateuch, written by Moses. The book is essentially one long sermon about how the Israelites wandered in the dessert and have come to the edge of possessing the Promised Land.

In this passage, Moses is speaking. He is saying that God will raise up someone in the future like himself. After this prophecy was given, it was common to regard the line of Old Testament prophets as one prophet for purposes of this prophecy. After Jesus, though, it seems plain that this passage is directly talking about Jesus. Note the similarities between Jesus and Moses that don’t exist with other prophets:

  • Both were spared death as a baby (Moses in his basket, Jesus avoiding the slaughter of the innocents)
  • Both were offered royal life but didn’t choose it
  • Both looked at the people who surrounded them with compassion
  • Both made intercession with God the Father on behalf of these people
  • Both spoke with God the Father face-to-face
  • Both were mediators of a covenant with God

All of these aren’t true of any other prophet.

Note in this passage that Mount Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai. God had revealed Himself to the Israelites through fire and it had terrified them so much that they begged for it never to happen again. We need an intermediary for God. Thanks be to God that we have that in Jesus.

Psalm 111

This is a good Psalm to read out loud, several times if necessary, when you really don’t feel like praising God AT ALL. Proverbs tells us that our feelings can follow our actions–praising God when times are difficult leads to a grateful and glad heart.

This Psalm is the first of the “Hallel” psalms. They start with “Praise the Lord”–in Hebrew, Hallel Yahweh. This is where the word Hallelujah comes from!

New Testament: 1 Corinthians Chapter 8

This chapter reads as if Paul is continuing to respond to questions on a point-by-point basis. It’s apparent that in the city of Corinth, it’s hard to eat meat unless it’s one from one of the sacrifices to an idol. Some people regarded eating that meat as an endorsement of idol worship, and others said, “It’s just meat and I’m hungry.” So who was right?

Paul gets to the larger issue, one of the heart. If something isn’t prohibited, does it make it your right? And is holding fast to your right more important than your brother’s salvation?

In our age of rights to everything, this is an incredible message. How much do you love your neighbor? Are you willing to forego something that God is silent on anyway, so that you can help your neighbor along in his faith? I don’t think Paul is talking about deciding that something is no longer prohibited that once was. I think he is talking about areas where the Bible is actually silent, especially the New Testament.

And I think he is also talking about looking at the spirit in which the thing is offered. If they are talking about participating in the actual ceremony of sacrifice, that’s a different matter. But to try to come together in love is the most important idea.

I’ve had a little time to reflect on this passage, even since Sunday (since this post is a little late). Paul is definitely not talking about differences in belief here. He directly addresses doctrinal issues throughout all of his epistles. I think the difference here is that he is speaking to the more experienced Christians about their friends who haven’t yet come to a full understanding. He says in verse 7:

Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they STILL think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. (emphasis mine)

It seems that Paul is just saying to accommodate a fellow believer’s naivete, their newness in belief, and to be patient. I think he is NOT talking about someone developing a “new understanding” of part of God’s word and then forcing it on other people. I’m talking here about worshipping God under multiple names, not all of which are male, or deciding that there is a new understanding of how marriage works, for example. The Bible is already explicit about these. It isn’t explicit about eating food offered to a (nonexistent) idol.

I read a great review of the movie “Babette’s Feast,” and how it could be viewed as an expression of this chapter in 1 Corinthians. I haven’t seen the movie but intend to this week. If you know the movie I’d love a comment on your view of it as it relates to this passage!

We can do far worse than the idea that Paul lays out in this sweet chapter of 1 Corinthians. What are you holding on to more tightly than your love for your neighbor? Unless it is Jesus, you may need to consider putting it down.

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Third Sunday after Epiphany, January 21, 2018

Today’s readings

Huge apologies for the lateness of this lesson. I hope you are having a good week!

Gospel: Mark 1:14-20

This week seems to overlap with last week’s reading in John, where Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael. Remember that we went back and looked at the verses that preceded last week’s reading, meeting Andrew, Peter and John. This week is about the call of Andrew, Simon Peter, James and John.

Immediately before this passage, Jesus has been baptized by John the Baptist. He then, in verses 12 and 13, retreats to the wilderness for a period of testing. That brings us to today’s reading, which actually has two pieces. The first, verses 14 and 15, tells us about Jesus’ preaching in Galilee. We then move to the Sea of Galilee and watch Jesus call disciples. In fact, both of these passages were very important to Martin Luther, and we’ll discuss that later.

We find that John has already been arrested when this passage starts. Then in verse 15, Jesus says “The time has come. The Kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” First, there are a couple of interesting language notes in this passage:

  • The word for “arrested” that describes John is a Greek word for “detained and held until death.” It’s an unusual Greek word and is only used to describe John and Jesus in the book of Mark.
  • There are two words for “time” in Greek: “chronos” and “kairos.” Chronos is a specific time on the clock; for instance, “What time are you going to school?” Kairos denotes a time in which something happens. In early Christian writing it specifically refers to a time that God breaks into human history. Jesus uses “kairos” here to indicate that God is breaking in.
  • Note the use of the word “immediately” throughout the passage. Remember that Mark is all about quick action.

Then we get to the very important phrase “Repent and believe…” For Martin Luther, and us, this is an incredibly important command. We can’t merely acknowledge our sin. We must repent–acknowledge and turn from it. You can think of it as a “U-turn” from your previous behavior. The result of repentance is righteous living.

A great example of repentance is found in 1 Thessalonians 1:9:

For the people of those regions report…how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.

The people of Thessalonica had been doing one thing (serving idols), but when they were convicted by the Law (by Paul’s preaching and the Holy Spirit) they turned from the wrong thing to do the right thing (serving God), and they believed.

The two-part command of “repent and believe” is also seen by Luther as containing the intersection of Law and Gospel, and we require both to be saved. The Law convicts us. It shows us where we fall short and where we need to repent. But the good news which we are to believe is the saving news of the Gospel. We will always, always fall short of the Law. But the good news–truly the GOSPEL good news–is that Jesus covered it all. We merely have to turn from our sin and believe.

When Luther wrote the Smalcald articles in 1537, he spent a lot of time talking about repentance. One of his chief objections to the Catholic Church was the selling of indulgences for the forgiveness of sins. This was the difference between being penitent–acknowledging your wrongdoing– and being repentant–acknowledging the behavior and changing. Luther maintained that the “papists” did not believe we are sinful to begin with; rather, we only need to do penance for actual sins. But this isn’t true. We need to repent, as Jesus said, because the Law convicts us on every count.

Thankfully, though, we aren’t left there. Jesus tells us to “believe in the good news.” This is the “consoling promise of grace through the Gospel.” It is the powerful combination of the Law and infinite grace of the Gospel which save us.

And that is just the first two verses for today!

Next we come to the “Fishers of Men” account of Jesus calling His disciples. This can be a little confusing, because last week’s lectionary reading was the call to Philip and Nathanael. But we had read some of the earlier verses about Andrew, Simon and John. So how does this passage fit with that one?

In John 1, John the Baptist is still on the scene. He has pointed out to Andrew and (probably) John that Jesus is the Lamb of God. Now in Mark, John has already been arrested, so we know this takes place some time later. It seems not unreasonable that John’s disciples had gone back to their trade after John’s arrest. One reason it seems likely is that they do exactly the same thing in John 21, after Jesus’ resurrection!

I also think that having some time for Andrew, Simon, James and John to mull over the fact that Jesus is the Lamb of God makes the idea that they would drop everything when Jesus issues his invitation far more convincing. They had had time to consider what had happened–Jesus’ baptism and all the accompanying miracles (like the dove and the voice), John’s remarks about Jesus, John’s arrest–and to decide what they would do if offered the chance. When Jesus appeared, they were READY.

This leads us to another one of Luther’s favorite ideas: vocation. What are you called to do?

At the time Luther was writing, vocations were seen to be largely a “within-the-church” idea. If you weren’t called to be a priest, monk or nun, well, you didn’t have a vocation. And you were definitely a step below those who served the church. Luther said that this was completely wrong. So many who performed “good works” inside the church were only performing those works for themselves. Our neighbors need our good works, and God needs us to perform them. The grace of the Gospel should propel us outward into the world, to love and serve our neighbors through our vocations.

The vocation is a call on our life. Jesus decided that James and John, Andrew and Peter would better serve their neighbors by following Him, so He called. Others he left there, fishing, so that they would serve their neighbors by catching fish. This is also why God doesn’t call all of us to be pastors! Rather, our neighbors need so many different good works, and we do, too. Therefore God will call each of us and we need to be ready.

Old Testament: Jonah 3:1-5, 10

This is a short reading from a short book. I highly recommend reading all of Jonah! This book was likely written in the 8th century B.C., before Assyria threatened Judah directly.

Jonah is a prophet who God directs to go to Ninevah. He is supposed to tell them that they are so evil that God is going to destroy them. But Jonah hates Ninevah! So he runs the other way, getting on a boat and sailing away. Even the sea isn’t far enough for Jonah to hide from God. A storm comes up, during which the other sailors discern that a God is after Jonah, so they toss him overboard. Jonah is then swallowed by a large fish which keeps him safe until he’s spit up on dry land three days later. For Jonah, the terribly unpleasant experience of the fish’s stomach becomes the place that saves him from drowning.

Then we get to today’s reading. God repeats his call to Jonah, and this time Jonah goes to Ninevah. He certainly isn’t very generous with his preaching: “Forty days more, and Ninevah shall be overthrown!” In Hebrew this was only five words. (I have to admit that right now, I’m wondering why he would have been preaching to Ninevah in Hebrew at all! At any rate, it’s a short sermon.)

The news of this Jew preaching throughout Ninevah reached the king, who ordered the entire city including animals to repent. And verse 10 tells us that God changed His mind. Nineveh was spared, if only for the time being. This makes Jonah the most successful prophet in the Old Testament! Of course, it wasn’t satisfying to him. He did what God asked, but grudgingly, and when Ninevah had the nerve to take him seriously, he retreated to a hillside to pout. This is outside of our reading today, but be sure to read the last chapter of Jonah so you can see how the story ends.

Think for a moment about the call God gave to Jonah. Did Jonah hear it? YES! But he didn’t submit to it, and he ended up in a pretty disgusting place. He got another chance, and this time he did what God was calling him to do. It wasn’t a fun job, but Jonah did do it. Actually, it wasn’t even a very difficult job. I think we can consider the attitude of the person called towards their calling here. If God has a job picked out, it WILL get done, with you or without you. But how much better to be with God? Also, read Jonah 4:10, 11. Who missed out on salvation by Jonah’s not obeying God right away? There is an immediacy to each call that God gives. Remember that once Jesus called, the disciples responded “immediately.”

New Testament:  1 Corinthians 7:29-31

This is a good example of the translation being very important. I happen to really love the Message Bible for today’s reading and I’ll quote it here in it’s entirety:

I do want to point out, friends, that time is of the essence. There is no time to waste, so don’t complicate your lives unnecessarily. Keep it simple–in marriage, grief, joy, whatever. Even in ordinary things–your daily routines of shopping, and so on. Deal as sparingly as possible with the things the world thrusts on you. This world as you see it is on its way out.

This small passage comes within a larger part of 1 Corinthians where Paul answers specific questions that the church there has had. Their questions boiled down to “How should we live? Married, single? Working, not working? What?” Paul tells them that they are seeing the trees. Look at the forest. What will allow you to serve Jesus best? If relentlessly pursuing marriage detracts from following Jesus, stop. If loneliness from being single consumes you, then get married. But follow Jesus.

Paul is reminding the Corinthians, and us, to be ready to respond. The disciples weren’t encumbered when Jesus calls. We shouldn’t be, either. This is a good time to consider–what are you holding so tightly that you can’t answer God’s call?

 

 

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Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 14, 2018

Samuel telling Eli about the Lord's word.
Samuel telling Eli about the Lord’s word.

Today’s readings

Green on the altar today, a little respite of Ordinary Time before Lent starts next month. During this period we will learn about Jesus’ ministry, kind of the “nuts and bolts” parts, like His baptism last week, ending with the Transfiguration in a couple of weeks. Today we will look at His calling the first disciples.

Gospel: John 1:43-51

Today’s reading is a great example of our really needing to examine a much longer passage to get the full benefit. This piece is really more informative if we go back and read from verse 29.

Don’t you love it when a passage opens with “The next day…” That automatically makes me go back and see what happened earlier. We see that three times in John Chapter 1: verse 29, verse 35 and 43.

Before verse 29, John had been talking with the Pharisees about his baptism, and what exactly he was doing. The actual baptism of Jesus isn’t discussed, but is mentioned later, so I think we can assume that this took place in the days following Jesus’ baptism. Verse 28 locates a lot of the action Bethany, near Jerusalem.

Verses 29-34 form the next section. The day after being questioned by the Pharisees, John sees Jesus and decides to testify to the events at Jesus’ baptism. He reiterates his declaration that Jesus is the Son of God. I want to make a note that last week, we briefly mentioned that immediately after Jesus’ baptism, Jesus went into the wilderness for 40 days of temptation. Since we will see Jesus “the next day,” this obviously is well after Jesus’ actual baptism. John is testifying to what he saw.

Verses 35-42 form the second section. They begin with the words “the next day…” There’s quite a bit of action here. Andrew and another person are disciples of John as this passage opens. (There is very good reason to believe this unnamed disciple is John, the writer of this Gospel.) John sees Jesus and says, “Hey, look, it’s the Lamb of God.” Andrew and the other disciple decide to follow Jesus so they can learn more. When they ask Jesus where they are going, He says, “Come and see.” And so they do.

Later in the afternoon, Andrew must have been convinced. He ran to get his brother Simon, whom we know far better as Peter. Imagine how breathless Andrew must have been, finding his brother, telling him that the Messiah has been FOUND! Of course Simon and Andrew race back to Jesus–who, upon seeing Simon, renames him “Peter.” These three men are the first disciples of Jesus.

Guess what words open our reading today? Yes, this third section starts with “the next day…” and we see that Jesus has decided to leave Bethany and travel to Galilee, a journey of a couple of days. Jesus found Philip, telling him, “Follow me.” And Philip does!

And then Philip finds his friend Nathanael so he can share the exciting news of locating the Messiah. Nathanael is definitely a skeptic–he will believe it when HE sees it. Of course that is what Philip had suggested, telling Nathanael to “come and see.” I love Jesus response, too, saying “Here is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!” An honest Jew, so to speak. Then Jesus reveals some things to Nathanael which convince him on the spot that Jesus is the Messiah.

Jesus is a little surprised at the low bar for Nathanael’s belief, I think. You can hear it: “Oh, THAT was all it took? Oh, trust me, you ain’t seen NOTHING yet!”

These three sections really set us up to see the full picture of Jesus’ calling his disciples and, in turn, calling us. First, consider the seeking and the finding that takes place in these passages. I think we can list the seekers: John, Andrew, John the disciple, Jesus, Philip. And then the sought: Jesus, Peter, Philip and Nathanael. Look how some of those sought become seekers themselves.

Second, consider how Jesus especially does not try to convince others of his status with words. John is the only one who “testifies” in this whole section, and he is only telling what he himself saw. He isn’t arguing or debating, merely telling. But everyone else goes further. They don’t try to show, they just want the other person to come see for themselves, and then make up their mind. It reminds me a little of being pulled along by one of my kids when they were little. When one of them had something exciting to show me, mere words were never enough. They would grab my hand and pull me to whatever it was they were thrilled about. They needed to SHOW.

Finally, I think it is worthwhile to see that every single person WENT. No one said, “Later, I’m busy.” (Like a certain mom might have said to her kids.) This was important and every person had space in their life to actually find out if Jesus was the real deal. Imagine if Nathanael had looked at Jesus and said, “That sounds super-interesting, but I have this meeting I really need to get to right now. Can I catch you later?” Imagine what he would have missed out on!

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-20

We will look at the entire passage here as well. I think we gain so much by looking at a complete story.

First Samuel opens at the end of the period of the Judges in the Old Testament. Israel has full possession of the Promised Land, but things have spiraled out of control. A man named Eli is the priest. I think we can assume that Eli has near-judge status. He was a good priest but, as we shall see, a lousy father with good-for-nothing sons.

Samuel is the long-prayed-for son of a woman named Hannah and her husband Elkanah. Hannah promised God that her son, were God to grant her one, would be dedicated to the Lord as a nazarite. That little boy was Samuel, and when he was old enough Hannah took him up to Shiloh to help Eli and work with the sacrifices. Samuel was only three when Hannah took him to Eli, so our reading takes place when Samuel is a young boy.

Samuel may have been young, but he must have been quite responsible. Our story opens with him sleeping next to the Ark of the Covenant when God calls him. Three times God calls, and three times Samuel responds by running to Eli to see what he wants. Samuel has mistaken God’s voice for Eli calling him!

Finally on the third try, Eli realizes what is going on. Eli is wise and give Samuel good advice. Can you imagine being little Samuel, laying back down next to the Ark, knowing that if you hear a voice again you need to speak to GOD Himself?

The words that God gives Samuel are hard to hear, and even harder to say. Samuel, though, is a model of obedience as he relates this tough prophecy to Eli. Eli, bless him, accepts the words humbly, and in this way is an amazing example. “It is the Lord; let Him do what seems good to Him.” Those are words of incredible faith.

New Testament: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

These are TOUGH words from Paul this week. In his first letter to the Corinthians he writes to a variety of different groups at the church. The group he’s talking to in this passage seems to think they can do ANYTHING they want since they are forgiven anyway. Paul sets out to correct that.

This passage is problematic in the current atmosphere of the church as regards sexuality. It is in fact one of the passages that I found compelling when I was trying to decide if I was okay with the changes that were happening within my denomination (ELCA) and congregation. The changes were to liberalize the treatment of homosexuality in particular, and civil unions and marriages. In reading Scripture over the years, I’ve found it useful to incorporate Martin Luther’s admonition to “let Scripture interpret Scripture.” In other words, the straightforward interpretation is usually correct, and contortions usually lead to bad theology.

Paul is pretty clear here. Yes, you CAN do anything–but why would you want to?! That body of yours, that’s for God! How can you defile that? Are you seriously going to hold on to your “right” to act any way you like? Even your body is God’s. Use it to glorify Him!

To be honest, these words could also apply to gluttony and sloth as well. Yes, you could not take care of yourself. But God is glorified through your body–so treat it well.

I read these words from C.S. Lewis late this week: “St. Augustine said, “God gives where He finds empty hands.” A man whose hands are full of parcels can’t receive a gift.”

These readings have been very difficult for me to put together in a way that the lectionary usually calls for. The OT and Gospel really do fit together, all about seeking and finding and being ready to hear. But the Corinthians reading was just so hard to add. I’m probably not alone–I couldn’t find one single sermon that addressed all three readings together.

This C.S. Lewis quote helps me put these together, though. How can you respond to God’s call if you are holding things tightly? How can you answer if you are too busy claiming your right to do something because you are free? How can you follow if you have an overstuffed schedule? Is there any way that God can break in there, if you have things so tightly put together?

I am very, very good at filling every moment with “useful” things, and for those moments that I don’t fill, the Internet or (less often) a good book are happy to fill the rest. I’m afraid I haven’t left much room for answering should God decide to call me. What a loss that would be.

This week I will think about building in time to answer. Not in a “Okay, God, talk to me RIGHT NOW while I’ve got five minutes” way, but more in a “Holding my schedule loosely” way. Maybe that should be a “Being less important” way! Becoming interruptible. Because, truly, aren’t the interruptions from God what we should be looking for?

 

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Baptism of the Lord, January 7, 2018

John Baptizing at the Jordan River

Today’s Readings

Wow! Christmas is over, and we are in Ordinary Time. This is the moment to catch your breath before Lent next month. I hope you had a good Christmas season. As I’m writing this, my tree is undecorated but our other Christmas decorations are still up, since I wanted to keep them up through Epiphany (which is January 6).

I have really loved using the ideas of the seasons of the church to affect what our home life looks like. It will be interesting to see how Lent goes. But today we ease into Ordinary Time, time to examine the life and ministry of Jesus. We have white on the altar yet again today, though, because the Baptism of Jesus is a major feast day.

Until Pentecost, all the readings will relate to the Gospel lesson, so I will begin there.

Gospel:  Mark 1:4-11

We saw a portion of this reading back during Advent when we met John the Baptist. That reading went through verse 8. Remember that John was Jesus’ cousin, and he was baptizing Jews who had confessed their sins. This was not a normal practice for Jews. They were accustomed to the periodic, ritual baths of purification. Gentiles who desired to follow Yahweh had a one-time purification bath as a way of renouncing their old lives, but that was for Gentiles only.

Today, Jesus makes his first appearance in Mark by presenting Himself for baptism. John had said that someone else was coming, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit, and who was much more important than John. That makes the note in v. 9 of Jesus’ hometown interesting. Back then, Nazareth was pretty much the bottom of the totem pole. Judeans looked down on people from Galilee–they were hicks. And the people from Galilee? They thought that the people who lived in Nazareth were the WORST. (Philip even says so in the first chapter of John!) A Messiah from Hicksville is just not who the Pharisees and Sadducees would be looking for.

In the account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew (3:14), John says that Jesus should be baptizing him. John’s baptism was for repentance–Jesus had nothing to repent of. So why in the world would Jesus need to be baptized? Jesus tells John that is it to “fulfill all righteousness.” There are several reasons why Jesus submitted to this:

  • God the Father wanted him to. In every baptism account in the Gospels we hear of God expressing his pleasure with Jesus over this act. Verse 11:  “And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” Look at Psalm 2:7 to hear echoes of God’s pleasure.
  • This baptism by John is Jesus’ anointing ritual. Ancient kings were anointed with oil by someone recognized to be a priest. This baptism with water by John serves the purpose of identifying Jesus as a person of tremendous authority, blessed by God. The heavens breaking open and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove also identify the blessing and magnify it.
  • Jesus identifies with all sinners, including us, by being baptized. He asks us to follow Him–He means for us to be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.

We will discuss baptism a little more after we finish with the other texts from today.

Before we leave Mark, note the language. Verse 10, “just as.” Verse 12, “immediately.” Mark is already using bullet-like language to get everything down quickly, to make us feel the urgency of his Gospel.

Just after this reading, Jesus departs the crowds and spends forty days in the wilderness. We won’t cover this event for a while, but it’s good to know where it fits in the timeline.

Old Testament: Genesis 1:1-5

Genesis is the first book of the Bible, and the first book of the Pentateuch. It was written by Moses and contains not one but two creation stories. Here we have the first creation story, but only a part. How does this correspond to the Gospel reading?

First, Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of His ministry. Our Genesis reading marks the beginning of God’s work in the world.

Second, consider the role of water in both readings. In Genesis God’s spirit sweeps over the water which covers the earth. In Mark the waters part as Jesus comes up from His baptism, and God’s spirit descends.

This is a really beautiful prose poem that the Bible opens up with. Take time to read the entire creation story, through 2:3, and listen to the way the language is used and repeated. There are so many things to talk about with regard to language and this passage but I’ll only bring up a couple. First, we see the verb for “create” or “made” in the very first verse. In the Bible, the only time this word (“bara” in Hebrew) is used, God is the only subject. God is the ONLY creator in the Bible! While He invites us to be creative with Him, He alone is the source of creation.

Among many others, the Hebrew words for “formless void” and “darkness” rhyme: “tohu va-vohu.” We definitely lose the poetry part of this passage by only being able to read it in English.

Finally, some translations have “In the beginning, God…” while others have “In the beginning, WHEN God…” Because of the way Hebrew works, either is a legitimate translation, but they have very different implications. The first indicates God created something out of nothing, “ex nihilo.” The second implies that God took what was already in front of him and made something new. I think I am more accustomed to thinking of God doing the first, ex nihilo, and there is support for an ex nihilo creation in other passages in the Bible. Just know that either translation is okay.

Psalm 29

Read this Psalm knowing we have already heard God speak twice already today, once over Jesus as He was baptized, and once to create the earth. This Psalm describes his powerful voice! The voice, all powerful and capable of creating the entire universe by speaking, praises Jesus.

New Testament: Acts 19:1-7

Luke wrote the book of Acts as an account of the early Apostles, and in this reading we encounter Apollos and Paul. This passage shows the importance of understanding baptism properly.

In Acts 18, we meet a man named Apollos. He is from Alexandria (Egypt) but “well-versed in Scriptures.” (18:24) That means we know he had been raised in or around a Jewish community. He has been instructed in the baptism of John, not Jesus, and while he is smart and passionate and loves God, he doesn’t fully understand what Jesus was offering. So he was preaching and teaching in Ephesus, but he was teaching an incomplete Gospel. I think it would be appropriate to think of him as a “redeemed OT believer.”

Two of Paul’s students, Priscilla and Aquila, heard him teaching. They took him aside to tell him about Jesus, and to properly instruct him about baptism. Apollos took all this to heart, and gladly learned it, and then departed Ephesus to teach in Corinth. That brings us to Chapter 19.

Paul arrives in Ephesus after Apollos has departed, and he finds some of Apollos’ students who still haven’t learned all of the Gospel. (I think it’s likely that Apollos wasn’t able to find everyone he had been teaching, to correct them.) Paul sets about correcting these disciples and he baptizes them into Jesus’ baptism.

You can see the difference that Jesus’ baptism had on these people. Being baptized into Jesus’ baptism included baptism with the Holy Spirit, outwardly manifested by the speaking in tongues and prophecies. (v. 6)

Later we learn that Paul spends two more years in Ephesus preaching and teaching the baptism of Jesus.

Baptism

This is a major feast day in our calendar, so obviously it’s an important topic. Baptizing is one of the things we were commanded to do by Jesus in the Great Commission. But what is it? Why does our Lutheran baptism look nothing like Jesus’ immersion in the Jordan River?

To be honest, I have just opened up a huge topic. I’m pretty sure that you spend at least a semester discussing it in seminary. So this is a very surface-level discussion of the theological view of baptism. I will not even be touching the history of how we evolved from the Jordan River to our current sacrament.

We know from our passages today that baptism is approved of by God and commanded by Jesus. It includes anointing with the Holy Spirit. In his Small Catechism, Martin Luther wrote this about Baptism:

Concerning Baptism, our churches teach that Baptism is necessary for salvation and that God’s grace is offered through Baptism. They teach that children are to be baptized. Being offered to God through Baptism, they are received into God’s grace.

It is a free gift of God, which is why we are able to baptize even infants. Luther’s view (and others) was that requiring waiting until adulthood transformed this free gift into an act of will, which is explicitly what baptism is not.

Luther also called baptism the “unspeakable treasure.” I love this phrase so much. Luther uses it when talking about the transformation of the water by God’s Holy Spirit. Of course he knew that the water was “just” water. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit that transforms the water into something special where we meet God. (This is from the Large Catechism.)

N.T. Wright delivered a speech on baptism to Calvin College several years ago. In spite of Dr. Wright being Anglican and speaking at a Presbyterian college, his words are incredibly powerful and informative. He talks about how baptism is a way of bringing us into God’s family, and how, like our earthly families, we can’t renounce our membership. We can wander but we will never not be marked by the Cross of Christ. To a layperson like me, I have a hard time seeing where Luther would disagree!  It is well worth your time to read his words and not mine here.

Finally, one last note. We don’t have any record of anyone Jesus baptized! So if Jesus didn’t baptized anyone, and we are supposed to follow Him, why do we baptize?

We do have a record of the disciples baptizing under Jesus’ authority (John 4:2). And then Jesus tells us to in Matthew in His closing comments to the disciples, the Great Commission. My favorite idea for why we have no record of Jesus baptizing anyone is that it would have been really easy to get caught up in WHO you were baptized by, and then maybe you wouldn’t have wanted to associate with someone baptized by a “lesser” apostle. In 1 Corinthians Paul talks about different factions arising because some were baptized by Apollos and others by Paul. So there is a good reason to think it was to combat factions. This is something I’d like to read further on, though.

I hope this lesson lets you think about your own baptism and the work that the Holy Spirit was able to begin in your life because of it.

 

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Epiphany, January 6, 2018

Rubens' Adoration of the Magi. One of my favorite paintings. The original is more than ten feet tall!
Rubens’ Adoration of the Magi. One of my favorite paintings. The original is more than ten feet tall!

Today’s Readings

I wanted to include a short discussion of Epiphany, even though we won’t be holding Sunday School today. This marks the end of the Christmas season. Traditionally it is the day that the Wise Men came to visit the baby Jesus. That is what our Gospel reading, from Matthew, tells us the story of.

Interestingly, the Magi only appear in this one Gospel. (“Magi” was a term used to describe the Near East Magicians, and it ended up sticking to this group of men.) We don’t actually know how many “Wise Men” there were. Estimates range from three, because of the three gifts, to twelve.

It’s interesting to note that the most Jewish-oriented Gospel, Matthew, is the one that records the visit from these Eastern men. They were plainly outsiders in that world, but Matthew goes out of his way to record these visitors.

Finally, think about what the Wise Men were doing when they discovered Jesus. They were searching the stars. In their culture it was common to look for signs in the stars. God spoke to them in a language they could hear, creating a celestial alignment so amazing these men would leave home to search for this king. God will always speak to us in a language we can hear, as he told us in Jeremiah 29:13:

If you seek Me with your whole heart, I will let you find Me.

We have Gospels written from different points of view, so that we can hear God. We have books of the Bible that are written by people from various times, telling the history of so many kinds of people, rich and poor, men and women, young and old. The Bible even tells us that the beautiful sky and trees and mountains were created to declare the Glory of God. God continues to speak to us in such a variety of languages, because He wants to return our hearts to Him.

But these Wise Men–they were wise enough to know that when they had found their answer, their only response was to kneel and present their gifts. They didn’t argue or question, or scoff. No one recalculated the star movement when they found a baby. They asked, God answered, and they said, “Okay.”

How do you seek God? How many different ways is God speaking to you today?

Have a great day, and take a minute to reflect on the Christmas season that comes to an end today.

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First Sunday of Christmas, December 31, 2017

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The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple

Today’s readings

Merry Christmas! I hope you are enjoying twelve days of feasting and fun, taking some time out each day to relax and enjoy the season. Remember that Christmas lasts until Epiphany, next Saturday, January 6. The paraments on the altar should be white this week, in celebration of the season. On a personal note, I’m really focusing on Christmas lasting the full twelve days. For the first time in my life I’m not stressing about getting the tree down as fast as possible. We have enjoyed some fun family time and have made a point to schedule some things along the way. We will even celebrate Epiphany at the Atlanta Botanical Garden! The shift in mindset has been rewarding for me personally, and I hope for my family, too.

Also, before we dive into the lesson, have you thought about goals for 2018? Maybe that word “goals” is too ambitious. Have you considered how you might like to spend 2018, where you’d like to be next Christmas? You are invited to come along with me on a journey through the Bible! For the last several years I’ve listened to Daily Audio Bible, a podcast that takes you through the Bible in a year. Every day Brian Hardin reads from the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. It has been an incredible blessing in my life.

This year they are adding a second reading schedule, going through the Bible chronologically. This is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and I’m thrilled that DAB will be doing it. I would love it if you would join me on either reading plan this year. If you decide to do this, please leave me a comment so we can all know we are in this together!

On to the lesson…

Gospel:  Luke 2:22-40

We are in Luke again this week because Mark doesn’t really begin until Jesus’ adult ministry.

For our last reading (Christmas Eve/Christmas) we read through verse 20, and left Mary pondering everything she saw. We skip the naming of Jesus and his bris at eight days old in verse 21, and we pick the story back up in verse 22 with a trip to the Temple in Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph make the trip after Mary has purified herself for 40 days, and they present Jesus at the Temple as they are directed to do in Exodus 13:2.

Luke has tons of themes to look at, and we will consider three in our lesson today. The first is SHOWING versus TELLING. This is an important distinction, and one that can separate great writers from passable ones. What does Luke show us about the Holy Family and the Jewish community in general? What do those things tell us?

They obeyed the law by journeying to Jerusalem. This was a four-to-seven day journey from Nazareth to Jerusalem, depending on the route they took. Mary was around two months postpartum by the time they got to Jerusalem, not an especially easy time for a new mom! This tells us about the piety of Mary and Joseph, their devotion to raising their child in the faith of their fathers and their commitment to following the law and traditions.

They offered a pair of turtledoves as the sacrifice. A look back in Leviticus tells us that a lamb is typically offered for this sacrifice, unless the parents are too poor. Then a pair of turtledoves or pigeons will suffice. So now we know that Mary and Joseph are poor and pious. This journey itself was a sacrifice. Joseph had already had his job of carpentry disrupted for the trip to Bethlehem, and now was on a ten-day trip to Jerusalem. This could not have been easy for him to give up his work for that long.

Further on, we meet Simeon in the temple. Here is an old man who was told by God that he would meet the Messiah before he died. I think it’s safe to assume that many people knew of this old man and the promise God had made to him. He was known to be “righteous and devout.” We also meet Anna, a prophetess who meets the baby Jesus in the Temple. Both Simeon and Anna go on to declare that this baby is the one they have been waiting on. I think we can draw from this the charged atmosphere in the Temple, and among the Jewish community at large. They were looking and searching for deliverance.

Luke also uses pairs as a literary device. They help us to see each half of the pair more clearly than we might see them individually. Earlier we had the angel Gabriel appear to both Zechariah and Mary, and we were able to see their very different reactions to him. Here we meet the pair of prophets, Simeon and Anna. We know that Simeon was considered righteous and devout; he probably spent a lot of time in the Temple but didn’t spend all of his time there. (Luke says in verse 27 that the Holy Spirit guided Simeon into the Temple so that he was there when the Holy Family presented Jesus.) Interestingly, it doesn’t specifically say that Simeon was old, although we can infer from his language that he was probably pretty old. Simeon sees the baby and takes him from his parents. Imagine seeing this old man cradling a new baby, saying the beautiful (and very familiar) words of verses 29-32, and then warning Mary and Joseph of the pain they would also endure because of this child.

Anna is the second prophet we meet in the Temple. An old woman, devoted to working in the Temple, Luke tells us she never left.  At the moment that Simeon took the baby, she too began telling every around her who the baby was and what he was going to do for Israel. Imagine the commotion that these two must have caused! Both were familiar faces, possibly to the point of being ignored around the Temple and their neighborhoods. Both knew they were looking for something, someone. And here, on this day, a young Galilean couple appear in the Temple, and THIS IS IT. The ONE they have been looking for. That brings us to our last theme.

Longing. Have you ever longed for something? Truly, deeply, in the pit of your stomach known you were meant for something that hadn’t happened yet? I remember when Bill and I were dating. I longed to be his wife. I knew it would happen one day–we had talked about getting married. But I waited for a proposal. There were actually a couple of times before he did propose that I considered good opportunities (a birthday, my graduation…), but he passed on those. Finally on a very cold day in November he asked me. What a great moment! A time I had longed for, although only for a couple of years.

Now imagine Simeon. He had been told by the Holy Spirit that he would “not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah.” (This is way bigger than my story, and I’m not mean to equate them, merely to draw you to a time of your own longing.) He has lived a long time in a state of expectation, watching and waiting. He has remained faithful, perhaps in spite of being questioned by friends and family. He has probably outlived many of his friends while he waits to meet this Messiah. Day after day, no Messiah. Until, one day, prompted by the Holy Spirit, he makes his way to the Temple on familiar streets. He sees familiar faces, familiar tasks and sacrifices performed around the Temple. And then he sees someone new.

And God whispers, “This one.”

Imagine Simeon’s joy and relief. Here is the Messiah. God has been faithful. It is all true. And now, he can rest. He has been faithful, and his longing has been satisfied. NOW read Simeon’s prayer:

Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word;

for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.

Do you see this fulfillment? Can you hear Simeon’s gratitude, joy, relief in his prayer? As Lutherans we say this prayer almost every week in liturgy. This week, think of Simeon’s longing and relief as you sing this.

As we read the other sections of the lectionary this week, think of the longing of Israel for a Savior, for rest and for home. Think of how Jesus is the answer to their longing. Consider if you also long for these things. What do you long for?

Old Testament: Isaiah 61:10-62:3

We have spent considerable time in Isaiah 60-62 during Advent. Remember that these words were written during the Babylonian exile, waiting for deliverance. God has promised that a person WILL come to deliver Israel (Chapter 61) and that Yahweh himself will support this deliverance. In Luke 2:25 we are told that Simeon is looking for “the consolation of Israel.” Chapter 62 describes what the consolation of Israel looks like, when they are rescued by God.

I don’t want to give short shrift to Isaiah this week, but today the important thing is to hear the longing, not yet fulfilled. (But fulfilled in Luke.)

Psalm 148

Why praise God? “Because His name alone is exalted; His glory is above earth and Heaven.” Because God is God and we are not!

I love this Psalm for its simple call for everything–not just every ONE, every THING–in the universe to praise God. He does fulfill his promises. Just ask Simeon.

New Testament: Galatians 4:4-7

Paul’s letter to the Galatians talks a lot about the Law, and specifically how the Law and the Gospel relate to one another. This is the book that tells us “Christ has set us free…” but free to do anything? Free to follow the Law? They were confused and Paul was writing to explain how Jesus had indeed set them free. These mostly Gentile believers had taken up following the Law as part of following Jesus, and Paul needed to reassure them that Jesus had indeed sent them free.

Our passage today comes from the point in the letter where Paul is transitioning from talking about the Law, and its purpose in the promise of God, to the purpose of Jesus. Note the language in the v. 4: “when the fullness of time had come…” This is the time for the “consolation of Israel” that Simeon had been looking for. Read this as the release from the Law that it is.

Happy New Year! I pray for blessings in 2018 for all of us, that we can continue to grow in faith, and grow together. Thank you for the opportunity to teach this class.

I will probably prepare lessons for both the readings on Epiphany (Saturday) and the Baptism of the Lord (Sunday) for next week. Stay tuned!

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Nativity of the Lord, December 25, 2017

Today’s readings

Christmas! This is actually the reading at our church’s Christmas Eve service, but either way it works. Christmas marks the end of Advent and the beginning of the twelve days of Christmas. (The paraments should be white when we get to church tonight.) This is a time of feasting! All the preparation work you were doing in Advent? Relax and enjoy it. Here in the South it seems the tradition is to take your tree down before New Year’s, and I’ve always done that. This year, though, I think I’m going to leave a lot of decorations up until Epiphany, and I’m going to be intentional about celebrating Christmas for the whole twelve days. We have made plans to do fun Christmas-y things as a family next week. I’m looking forward to enjoying this time together.

We do have a couple of special days during this season. Today is the Nativity (birth) of Jesus, and then January 1 is Holy Name of Jesus day, celebrating Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, and finally Christmas ends with the visit of the Magi on Epiphany (January 5). The next day, a Sunday, marks the Holy Baptism of Jesus, so we have a lot to do in the next two weeks! Let’s get started.

Gospel: Luke 2:1-20

This is the most familiar of readings, isn’t it? First, though, let’s put it in context. Earlier (today, in fact), our passage from Luke was the announcement to Mary of her pregnancy and Jesus’ birth. We left Mary with Elizabeth, both pregnant.

The second half of Luke Chapter 1 is the birth of John the Baptist.Recall that because of Zechariah’s doubt, his mouth was closed for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Elizabeth went on to deliver a healthy baby boy and, as was tradition, presented him for naming and circumcision on his eighth day. It was upon Zechariah’s written insistence to name the baby John that he regained his voice. Zechariah then speaks a beautiful hymn of praise. And then the stage is set for Jesus in Chapter 2.

See if you can listen to the story with fresh ears. One thing I noticed this time is how very much the Luke story focuses on Mary. Joseph gets a mention hear and there because he is Mary’s fiance, but he figures less in this Gospel than in Matthew.

I also notice the almost comical understatement of this story. For example, just read verse 7:

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

First, birth is not fun, and it takes a while, and it is exhausting and even at times scary. (And that is in a hospital with nurses and doctors and epidurals.) I can’t imagine poor young Mary, far from home, without her mother or even a midwife, giving birth. But Luke says, oh, you know, she gave birth. So easy.

And then there was nowhere to put the baby! Plenty of people, my parents among them, brought a baby home to a bottom drawer in a dresser for a few weeks. But a MANGER? This is a feeding trough. Mangers contain hay, typically. Have you ever been on a hay ride? Hay is pointy and scratchy and not fun. I’m sure that Mary and Joseph did the best they could but can you see how this is just NOT normal? This was a tough way to get started in the world.

And then, she did all this because there was no room. NO ROOM. No room for a poor young girl who was obviously about to give birth? Who does that? What do you think was going through poor Joseph’s mind?

The story breaks to the shepherds who see angels. They were TERRIFIED. Of course the angels gave their standard first line–“Don’t be afraid!” And then the angels deliver the most shocking, wonderful news to these rough and tumble shepherds. They are so excited they rush back to town to see this miracle. And poor Mary! Exhausted, in a cave with animals, a new baby, and in walk these dirty shepherds who are telling them the craziest story of angels and a Savior.

What does Mary do? First, she doesn’t shrink back, or ask them to leave, or even argue with them. She listened, along with Joseph, and then verse 19:

Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

One thing that is really sweet to me about this is that it truly feels like the reaction of an introspective, thoughtful teenage girl. She is holding all these things in her heart, turning them over, praying about them and wondering. The word Luke uses here for “ponder” also carries the sense of “contending with.” Mary was not a passive observer. She wrestled with and worked with all the things she was seeing and hearing, trying to fit it all together with what Gabriel had told her.

Old Testament: Isaiah 62:6-12

God breaks his silence in Chapter 62 (see the 3rd Advent lesson) and tells how he will save Jerusalem. The most important verse here to tie the OT reading to the Gospel is 11:

“See, your salvation comes; his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”

Jesus is the salvation who has come into the world.

Psalm 97

This is a wonderful hymn of praise, naming God as King and calling the entire earth–the actual earth, not merely the people–to be glad.

New Testament: Titus 3:4-7

This short letter was written by Paul around the same time as his letters to Timothy and is considered one of Paul’s “Pastoral Letters,” letters written especially to other pastors. Some parts of Paul’s pastoral letters get a little bossy and even moralistic. However, this sweet passage reminds us, yet again, that Jesus did not come to earth because of anything we did. He didn’t even come because of anything Mary did. He came because of His infinite mercy.

Our response should be to live like we know this! We were saved out of His goodness. We are reminded to live remembering that this was an unmerited gift. An unmerited gift who came to us in the most unusual and humble way. Thanks be to God, and Merry Christmas!!

Finally, because I love it so much, Linus’ recitation of our Gospel:

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Fourth Sunday in Advent, December 24, 2017

Today’s Readings

Merry Christmas Eve! I will HOPEFULLY have two lessons up for today, this Advent lesson and then the lesson for the Nativity of Our Lord. It’s a busy church day. On to the lesson…

Gospel:  Luke 1:26-38

We are in Luke for today’s lesson. Remember that Mark really begins with Jesus’ ministry as an adult. The story of Jesus’ birth is told in Matthew and Luke.

To take a quick look at Luke, remember that this is the third of the Synoptic Gospels. Luke was apparently an assistant or student of Paul’s. Luke also wrote the book of Acts, which is where he makes his appearance in the action. Luke has a more distinctly Greek approach to language and action; for example, where he references Hebrew scripture, he does so quoting the Greek Septuagint. Of the three Synoptics, Luke is plainly writing for the more Gentile-oriented.

As a matter of fact, he is also writing for the marginalized. I tend to think of Matthew as the Gospel most oriented to Jewish life, and of Mark as the “just-the-facts-ma’am” Gospel. Luke spends far more time talking about the women (in particular) who were part of Jesus’ ministry. It’s in this Gosepl that we hear Mary’s song and then meet the women at Jesus’ tomb many years later.

The passage today is known as “The Anunciation,” the moment when the angel Gabriel came to Mary and told her what was about to happen.

Earlier in Chapter 1, Gabriel told Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth would, even at their advanced age, give birth to a son. He would be John the Baptist. Zechariah’s reaction? He pushed back: “How do I know this is so?” You might even say his reacting was to scoff. That lack of faith led him to lose his voice until John’s birth.

What a contrast with Mary! Think about this: she’s much, much younger than Zechariah, and she wasn’t married, and her news was vastly more shocking than Zechariah’s. But her reaction?

  • v. 34: “How can this be?” and then
  • v. 38: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be according to your word.”

WOW. That is dramatic submission to God! That is summed up very well in Gabriel’s response to Mary in v. 37: “For nothing is impossible with God.”

Verse 35 is a really interesting look at the triune God. In this one verse is it apparent that the Holy Sprit is only acting within the power of God the Father (“Most High”), and the child born is God’s Son. There are not many places in the Bible that succinctly reference all three persons of the Trinity. I think (but I’m not 100% sure) that this is the first to do so in such a direct manner.

Finally, remember that we have been talking about John the Baptist a lot in earlier weeks. This Gospel expressly links John the Baptist and Jesus even before they were born. And consider Elizabeth and Mary, cousins, both caught up with inconvenient pregnancies. Elizabeth was so mortified she had gone into seclusion for the previous five months. And Mary! Very young, unmarried, promised to a man who could have rejected her. How wonderful that God provided their relationship to them, to give them the support they would need. Imagine the conversations, the wonder between the two of them, as they knew that God was working something incredible in these two women in Palestine. What a precious friendship they must have had in those months they spent together.

Old Testament: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16

David? This doesn’t seem very Christmas-y…except that remember, of course, that this is Advent, and we are seeing the fulfillment through Jesus of the Davidic covenant. This passage lays out the covenant given by God to David.

We see David here as King of Israel and finally at rest, but 2 Samuel leading up to this has been action-packed. David had to defeat Saul and Saul’s allies. He moved the capital to the city of Jerusalem. He fought the Philistines (his former supporters) and defeated them. Finally, he moved the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, which proved to be extremely difficult. (Hint: don’t touch the Ark.)

Finally David is at rest. He looks around and says, “I think I’ll build God a Temple. Nathan [his prophet], what do you think?” And Nathan figures that since everything else that David has done is awesome, this will be too. Unfortunately, Nathan is wrong, and God informs him of that in a dream.

Ultimately the message is that while David might want to build God a temple, God wants to build David an everlasting dynasty. Do you see what God is doing here? David is wanting to put God in a building, however grand and beautiful, and however truly good his motivation. The Davidic covenant God makes tells David that God is so much bigger than that. David wanted to build a building for God; God wants to build an everlasting dynasty from David. “I will make you a house FOREVER…”

I wonder if God didn’t tell David that so he would remember that God wouldn’t and couldn’t be contained in a box. (Even a building-sized one?) I really believe that some of this was God telling David to remember where he came from–“Yes, you want to build me a building. But you can’t do this, a permanent dynasty. Only I can do that.”

Note that David’s kingship is not shaped by David. It’s shaped by God. And imagine this–God, at this time, knows that this is the family line that He will allow His Son to be born into.

Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26

Often the Psalm merely reiterates the ideas started in the Old Testament. This Psalm merits more attention. Psalm 89 is known as one of the “Royal” Psalms, a Psalm which points directly to the kingship of Jesus.

The Royal Psalms have five special emphases:

  • The Covenant
  • The crowning of David and his sons
  • High expectations of kingship
  • The special relationship between God and the kings
  • God’s unbreakable promise

The Psalm points to Jesus. The first few verses really describe David’s wonder and response to God’s generous covenant. But later parts of this Psalm are a lament following the destruction of Jerusalem.

The later verses of our Psalm today (v. 19-26) tell us a lot about God’s nature and how He will act. We see wonderful descriptions of faithfulness and steadfast love.

New Testament: Romans 16:25:27

A mystery. These verses talk about a mystery of Jesus that was secret but is now revealed. This reading is so cool to me–it is the link between the Old Testament reading and the Gospel.

In the OT reading, Nathan announces to David that God will do something. He will make the line of David an everlasting kingship. But how? Nathan doesn’t say, and it isn’t immediately apparent how this can come to pass.

But in the Gospel reading, Gabriel announces a new thing to Mary. He divulges the resolution to the secret that God had laid out so many years before his announcement to David.

This is it–the secret is out!