Sunday, December 27, 2015

As a City Set on a Hill

“A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.” This is Jesus’ plan for his disciples. They are to be on display, unavoidably on display. This makes the introverts among us very uncomfortable. And, as the experts tell us that our society is split just about down the middle between introverts and extroverts, that means that there’s a good chance 50% of Jesus’ disciples are not thrilled with his plan. But this is the Master’s plan, so everyone needs to be “on board.”

One thing that will help is to understand that being on display for Jesus is not the same as being on display for Macy's. Jesus doesn’t place you like a mannequin in a window, inviting people to stop and stare. His interests run much deeper than marketing. What he displays are the new lives of those whom he has brought to God through the reconciling power of his cross. These are lives that are being shaped by the will of God. Lives, therefore, that are full of wisdom and understanding, bearing fruit to his glory. 

Since this is the case, it doesn’t matter whether you are an introvert or an extrovert. What’s going to make the difference is your knowledge and love of God’s will and your desire to have it mold you. The person you will become will be one who will stand out not because you feel comfortable telling jokes in a crowd, or are able to walk up to strangers and easily engage in small talk. You will stand out, whether extrovert or introvert, because “in the sight of the peoples” you will possess wisdom and understanding that comes from knowing and doing the will of God (Deuteronomy 4:6-7)

When Jesus speaks as he does about his disciples being a very visible city there is no “might be” about it. It is what we are. If Moses is correct, being faithful to pursue the will of God in our lives will make us a city that is to be envied, a place where people want to live. 

Thursday, December 24, 2015

Wilt Thou Love God, as He Thee?

Wilt thou love God, as he thee? Then digest,
My soul, this wholesome meditation,
How God the Spirit, by angels waited on
In heaven, doth make his Temple in thy breast.
The Father having begot a Son most blest,
And still begetting -- for he ne'er begun --
Hath deigned to choose thee by adoption,
Co-heir t' his glory, and Sabbath' endless rest.
And as a robbed man, which by search doth find
His stol'n stuff sold, must lose or buy 't again:
The Son of glory came down, and was slain,
Us whom he'd made, and Satan stol'n, to unbind.
'Twas much that man was made like God before,
But, that God should be made like man, much more.
— John Donne (1572-1631)

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

A Christmas Primer: Lesson 4, The Mystery and Mercy of Christmas

We know from personal experience the outrage felt when laws are wantonly disobeyed and the disobedience is met with a shrug. It roils the soul. We instinctively know that lawbreaking should not go unpunished otherwise laws would be meaningless. What is true in earthly justice, is true in the heavenly. From the beginning human beings have been breaking God’s law, and to allow such lawbreaking to go unpunished would make a mockery of the law and of the One who established it.

Though everyone from the first has been receiving the just penalty for lawbreaking, death, there is yet a day when the full force of the sentence will be carried out. When will that be? On the Day of Judgment. On that Day all lawbreaking will be brought before the Judge and dealt with according to the rule of His law. Every person will have to give an answer, to make a defense, and none will be found righteous, “no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Unless . . . unless they are found to be “in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

God has acted to provide evidence that the guilty can present to the Judge to escape condemnation. He has sent His Son to fulfill the law and allow those who place their trust in the Him to have His fulfillment of the law put on their account, therefore wiping out their record of lawbreaking (Romans 8:3). This representative accomplishment of the law’s demands is a gift of God’s mercy.

But what kind of person could this be who could actually accomplish all righteousness and so stand in our place on the Day? It would have to be one, as the Heidelberg Catechism teaches, who is “a true and righteous man and yet more powerful than all creatures, that is, one who is at the same time true God” (Q. 15). This is the mystery and mercy of Christmas. The baby born in Bethlehem had been sent to be Immanuel (God with us) so that he might be Jesus (Yahweh saves). God seeing our lost condition fully enters into our existence to do for us what we could not do for ourselves. In this, God is shown to be “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). May we give thanks this Christmas for his grace.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

A Christmas Primer: Lesson 3, Rejoice? or Reject?

The reactions recorded in the Gospels to the news that the time for the appearance of the long-awaited Messiah had arrived tell us much about the meaning of Christmas. They fall out in one of two ways: joy or dread. There is no middle ground. The strength of the responses suggests that the people involved knew what was at stake. The coming of the King meant that the status quo could no longer stand. For some, that prospect was thrilling; for others, deeply troubling. 

Though the implications of the advent of the Messiah have been layered over with all manner of cultural and religious practices, to the extent that many are not even aware of his arrival let alone the implications of his coming, the initial reactions remain appropriate. His name is Jesus, a name given to him because he came to save people from their sins. This salvation is not just to release people from the futility they might feel about their lives, but to provide them with a righteousness that will allow them to stand on the Day of Judgment. Without that righteousness no one will be able to bear the scrutiny of the holy judge. And the subsequent sentencing will be devastating. That is why the response to the coming of Jesus is just as vital today as when the Messianic age dawned.

Of all the people who rejoiced at the news, Mary is central and most compelling. Though a young woman (she is believed to have been in her teens), she exhibits a mature knowledge of Scripture, a discerning spirit, a humble heart, and extraordinary faith. At every turn she responds with a readiness to bear the cross laid upon her. “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord . . .” She will receive a great reward on that Day.

On the other hand, Herod is the prime example of those who felt threatened. Firmly ensconced as the ruler of a small patch of the Roman Empire, he desired to remain such, even if it meant killing members of his own family. Upon hearing of the Messiah’s birth, his only thought was to destroy him. He will have much to answer for on that Day.

The Messiah has come. As Simeon prophesied, he is “appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed.” This was fulfilled then, and continues to be now. But it’s ultimate fulfillment will come on the Day when all will stand before him and be compelled to declare him King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

A Christmas Primer: Lesson 2, Who? What? Where?

In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul reveals what motivated God to act as he did when he sent his Son to die on the cross: “God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). This teaching, offered to a church that was infected with a destructive pride, has tremendous resonance with the events surrounding the birth of Jesus.

Every aspect of what took place appears to have been designed by God to undercut humanity’s bent toward pride and power. The divinely sent conqueror arrives not in a chariot but a young maiden’s womb. His palace, a stable; his throne, a manger. His first earthly messengers are shepherds, considered unclean and unscrupulous by their neighbors. His herald, a child of barrenness. His presence, a provocation to the powerful. His future, an ignominious death. 

If anything is lost in the clutter of the season, it’s this: the humble, and humbling, origins of Christmas. With the deluge of festivities, bright lights, parties, and gift-giving, these realities tend to get swamped. But they are important to bring to the surface. It’s in them that the reason why the child came, to save his people from their sins, find their first expression. In order to accomplish his task, he will have to yield to the world’s pride. He will have to become foolish, weak, despised. But by his obedience to the divine will he will bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.

It all begins in Bethlehem, in the backyard of an inn, with a baby born into an unknown family from a town of ill-repute. It’s the way God works.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

A Christmas Primer: Lesson 1, The Biblical Foundations

Trees, decorations, lights, giving of gifts, parties, family gatherings, cards, television specials, and the occasional creche or performance of the Messiah, these are the trappings of the season. In and of themselves, they are not bad things. But they do have the power to obscure the biblical foundation of Christmas. Consider the following words from an oft-sung carol heard at this time of year:

God rest you merry, gentlemen,
let nothing you dismay,
remember Christ our Savior
was born on Christmas day,
to save us all from Satan's pow'r
when we were gone astray;
O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy,
O tidings of comfort and joy.

There’s a lot of important information in that verse that has been lost in the clutter of all the goings-on of the “holiday season.” Alas, the tune is no longer a celebration of salvation. Instead, it has become part of the shopping mall playlist or rendered background music for a trip up the elevator.

I’m not griping. I’m grieving.

The Bible relates that the birth of Jesus signals the fulfillment of God’s word. “As it is written,” “this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken,” “for so it is written by the prophet,” all point to the reality that God had planned this redemption long before, from before the foundation of the world, in fact. He purposed that he would “save his people from their sins” and sent his son to accomplish the task. Those with eyes to see and ears to hear understood that the one born in Bethlehem was the substance of God’s promises.

I may be deluded, but it seems that generations past were aware of these basic facts. I have a feeling that when they sang Christmas carols they knew enough of the story to know what the words spoke of, even if they didn’t believe them.

A lot of ground has been lost. Our neighbors are ignorant. That’s why we need to be educated and to educate. Pray that our Christmas Primer will go some distance in helping us to make the biblical foundation of the season known.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Is It Worth It?

It is not an uncommon experience for a Christian to weigh the wisdom of holding fast to the faith when there are so many pressures placed upon the believer to abandon it: a family member or neighbor scoffs, what we have to say consistently fall on deaf ears, all the power and influence appears to reside in the hands of those who oppose the church and its mission, or, as has recently been the case, the persecutor’s sword is at the throat. In the face of such opposition, it’s not unusual for enervating thoughts to creep into one’s head, “Is this worth it? Is there any reason for me to keep confessing this stuff? Do I really want to continue being associated with such an impotent and irrelevant institution as the church?” Assuredly there is, for the faith we confess rests not in the effectiveness or faithfulness of church, but in the God who makes and keeps covenant. It’s because of who he is and what he purposes that we should “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering” (Hebrews 10:23). The following is a brief catechism based upon Micah 7 (with a couple of other portions of Micah thrown in) that I hope will convince you of this truth:

What is God’s goal?
To bring glory to his name (4:1-5)

How has he done this?
By creating for himself a people who declare his glory (7:8-10, 18; 4:1-7)

What kind of people has he created?
A holy people (7:7)

What does it mean for a people to be holy?
It means that they are set apart, possessed by God from all other peoples, and their lives reflect the fact that they have been set apart, possessed by God (7:16-19)

What has he done to meet his goal?
Entered into covenant with them (7:20)

How does this accomplish his goal?
It binds the entire weight of his character and attributes to the accomplishing of the goal (7:15, 20)

Will that prove sufficient to accomplish the goal?
Certainly, for he is not only capable of accomplishing the task, he delights in it (7:15, 18)

Why does he delight in accomplishing this goal?
Because it brings him glory (7:18a)

What in particular has he done, or is doing, to have for himself a holy people?
He has dealt with their past sins and is working on their present sins (7:18-19)

How has he dealt with their past sins, and how does he work on their present sins?
By sending his Son, the promised Messiah, to accomplish in the flesh what his people could not, namely all righteousness, both in his obedience to the law and his atoning death; and in the sending of his Holy Spirit to abide in his people by whose power he is transforming them to walk in the holiness that marks his people (5:2-6, 10-14; cf., Romans 8:1-4, 31-39)

Does this bring him glory?
Yes, for it is all a product of his mercy, grace, and love, and makes a mockery of false gods and the dire predictions of foolish, boastful people (7:18-20; 7:10).

What should we do as we wait for God to accomplish his goal?
Remain steadfast and patient, praying with faith (7:7)

Friday, March 20, 2015

"O My People"

“My forebears came over on the Mayflower.” I’ve met a couple of people who’ve made this claim. In this country, that’s about as far back (nearly 400 years) as anyone can lay claim to some sort of discernible relationship with previous generations of their family (well, at least for those who emigrated from Europe -- it may very well be that some descended from the native population at the time of the Pilgrims’ landing might claim a longer lineage). But I think it’s safe to say that few, if any, consider in a lively manner how the realities of an older generation affect their own. That was then, this is now. Biblically, however, it’s a different matter.

In chapter 6, Micah summons God’s people to hear the Lord’s indictment against them. Yahweh asks, “O my people, what have I done to you? How have I wearied you? Answer me!” They have no cause to abandon the Lord; he has been faithful. The proof? In verses 4-5 Yahweh asks that they “remember” his delivering of them from Egypt, his provision and protection as they journeyed, as well as their crossing over the Jordan to take possession of the land promised to their forefathers. “There’s your proof!” What we are likely to miss in this exchange, however, is how chronologically far removed Micah’s generation is from the events Yahweh cites. Moses lived circa 1400 BC, Micah circa 700 BC.Yet the Lord speaks as though it was they that he had shepherded into Canaan. Why does he do this? How can he do this? It’s because “my people” are covenant people.

More than any other factor, what defines God’s people as God’s people is that they are in covenant with him. From Abraham to Micah, succeeding generations had this constant: Yahweh was their God by reason of the covenant that he made with them. This is why Zechariah, prophesying over John the Baptist some 700 years after Micah, exults in God’s remembering “his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham.” Importantly, this why the apostle Paul can speak of non-Jewish believers in Jesus as the “offspring of Abraham,” “the circumcision,” and “the Israel of God.” Additionally, this is why God can put to the side circumcision and dietary and ceremonial laws, things identified with God’s people for a time, because these were not what ultimately defined them.

What does this mean? As in Micah’s day, so now, we are to remember God’s faithfulness in keeping covenant, which calls for faithfulness from his people, no matter the circumstance or century.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Preservation, Purification, Protection

Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5, concerning the church, that God "has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation" (v. 9). This is the gospel stated in its most succinct form. Those who are in union with Christ are saved from the dreadful day of judgment. And as is evident in God's dealings with Israel, he keeps his word. He preserves for himself a people who will experience the fullness of his mercy. But as is also evident in his dealings with Israel, the blissful destination doesn't guarantee a blissful journey. A lot of divine effort goes into protecting and preserving God's elect. The closing verses of Micah 5 give insight into the process, a process that's focused on fulfilling the 1st command, "You shall have no other gods before me," a process that roots out the enemy within and defeats the enemies without. 

First he attacks "horses," "chariots" and "strongholds." These were entities in which Israel trusted to keep the enemies at bay and their future secure. Then he purposes to "cut off sorceries," false sources of discernment and insight. Next he intends to destroy "carved images . . . pillars . . . cities," objects and centers of idolatry. All of these work to undermine the singular devotion and trust that God's people should have in him as the one who redeemed them from slavery and made of them a kingdom of priests. 

His protection also includes dealing with the external enemies of his people. The people of God have always been under threat. As I write, there is significant persecution being perpetrated against the elect in parts of the world. Nevertheless, God will not allow any nation to have the final say about their destiny. He states that "in anger and wrath" he will "execute vengeance on the nations that did not obey." Dictators may flex their nationalistic muscles or pious murderers may wield their sacred swords, but they will not prevail over God's intention to have for himself a people who will enjoy his presence eternally. 

Of course, the one shepherding this process is the Bethlehem-born Messiah who stands "in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God." And because of the protection he affords, "they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth" (5:4). 

As Paul urges, let's "encourage one another and build one another up" as we consider Yahweh's gracious goal for his people (1 Thess. 5:11).

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Restoration Project

Did you see Skyfall, the last installment of the James Bond series? Do you remember the culminating fight at Bond’s family estate in Scotland? Do you remember the vintage Aston Martin being destroyed? I must admit, I winced some when that happened. I wondered for a moment if that was a real Aston Martin. Then I assumed it was a mock-up, model, or CGI creation. It would be hard to fathom, at least for me, a beautifully restored Aston Martin being blown up. Of course, others could care less if it was real and obliterated. “What’s so special about a car that you concern yourself with whether or not it’s blown to bits?” 

Perhaps Micah was similarly incredulous when God gave a word of hope to Israel after having excoriated them for their idolatry and social depravity (chapter 3). Yahweh had, for all intents and purposes, consigned them to the junk yard (3:12). But now he was promising that he would fully restore them, bringing them back to their former glory (chapter 4). Why? What’s so special about them?

The love that God had for Israel is undeniable. He acted again and again to keep them from being utterly removed from the face of the earth. The reason? He had a purpose for them that reached beyond their borders and bloodline. From Israel he would bring the Redeemer who would preside over a kingdom marked by truth, justice, and peace, a kingdom of restored humanity that would shine bright and beautiful like some remade vintage sports car.

The knowledge of God’s determined end affected Micah. He understood that if God resolved to bring this about (4:4), then all who “walked in the name of the LORD our God,” would have a place in that glorious kingdom (4:5). And knowing that that is what will be, then that is what should be, even now. 

By the power of the Holy Spirit, covetousness, greed, injustice, falsehood, indeed, all that brings the judgment of God upon his creation, must be put far away from his elect. We’re not yet fully restored, but the rust, decayed upholstery, and faded paint are continually being removed until in the new heavens and earth we will be a thing of beauty, a testimony to his mercy, grace, and life-giving power.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Speaking Truth to Power

Paul exhorts his young protégé, Timothy, to “preach the word . . . reprove, rebuke, and exhort . . . For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions . . .” (2 Timothy 4:2-4). Perhaps Paul had the prophet Micah in mind when he wrote Timothy, for his exhortation describes the context and content of the prophet’s ministry “to a T”. The days were evil in the last half of 8th century BC Israel and biblical preaching was not welcome, however much it was needed. 

Micah’s was a stern word. After shooting down the wealthy (Chapter 2), he turned both barrels on the failed leadership of God’s people (Chapter 3). In vivid, even grotesque, language he delivers God’s verdict. In so many words Yahweh warns, “You’re all on the take and your appetite for gain is eating my people alive. The law courts are a despicable den of thieves, and your prophecies, conditioned by graft, are so much BS. Because you will not listen to the cries of the oppressed, I will be deaf to your pleadings when the Assyrians come calling. And because you offer words that I have never spoken, I will speak to you no more. You are a stench in my nostrils and I will blow you out like so much snot.”

Have I taken liberties in my characterization of the word that “came to Micah”? I’ll stand by it. God did not -- does not -- take kindly to people abusing his generosity. The authority that magistrates are supposed to wield is his authority; the wisdom that prophets are supposed to offer is his wisdom. To rule without justice and to prophesy without truth is an offense to the one who is the source of all justice and truth. 

Yet, who is responsible for maintaining God’s justice and truth in our midst? Those who, in God’s generous dealings, are placed in positions of power and influence. It is they who, in the words of the prophet, have the power to lead “people astray”. It is their abandoning of their God-given responsibilities that will cause any nation, as was Israel, to be “plowed as a field.”

Truthfully, we shouldn’t think that our nation will fare any better than did Israel if our nation resolutely displaces Yahweh’s will with it’s own. Let’s purpose to daily pray for those who seek to lead our nation, whether in government, religion, academia, or media. And let’s pray that the church offers God’s word to them for they take on a weighty responsibility to which God will hold them accountable.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Living in the Fear of God

John Adams, the second President of the United States, stated, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” The historical context of Adams’ observation allows us to assert that by “moral” Adams means informed by the ethics of the Bible, and by “religious” he means having a belief in and reverence for the God of the Bible. These were the personal and public commitments of John Adams. I believe the reason Adams felt as he did is due to the fact that our form of government allows for a great deal of personal freedom (particularly as conceived and practiced by the framers of the Constitution), and personal freedom demands personal responsibility. Adams believed that one was ultimately answerable to God and it is that truth that keeps a soul in check, even when no one is watching, so that government need not track or control every action of its citizens.

What happens when a people loses their fear of God, when the rightness of their actions are determined by an ethical standard that has no teeth in it, no ultimate consequences? Israel of the prophet Micah’s day provides a vivid example. Israel had abandoned singular devotion of Yahweh for a polytheistic religion that lowered the status of the one, true, and living God from the heights of creator, redeemer, and heavenly judge, to just one more deity in the panoply of pagan prospects. As a result, they began to violate the ethical expectations of God’s law and lived by the law of ardent and aggressive accumulation. Fueled by an insatiable covetousness, the wealthy and powerful schemed for more wealth and power because it was “in the power of their hand” (Micah 2:1). Since they could do it, and they wanted to do it, why not do it, who was to stop them?

A reverence for the holiness (unique otherness) of Yahweh brings with it a healthy fear of his power and ability to judge all wickedness and consign the impenitent to the torments of hell. The loss of that reverence unleashes a multitude of evils that brings with it nothing but sorrow. Not a good situation for the people of God; not a good situation for the people of the United States. If Adams is correct, then we should be praying for a revival of godly fear that the wicked impulses of the powerful will be checked not just by government regulations, but by an inborn reverence of God.

Yahweh Speaks

Our church’s Confession of Faith includes the following: “. . . God the Holy Spirit has fully revealed the doctrine of Christ and will of God in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, which are the Word of God, the perfect, perpetual and only rule of our faith and obedience.” Why do we give the Bible such authority in determining what we believe and do as a church? The first assertion in the statement gives the answer. We believe the Bible is the product of Divine determination. This is hard for most people to accept. Some might find the Bible interesting, or recognize its cultural and historical importance. Some might consider its writings elevating, even profound. But there are relatively few who would give the Bible the kind of “buck-stops-here” authority that the above statement claims. What makes a Christian think that the Bible is God’s word? Two principle reasons are often given: the Bible’s witness to itself, and the Holy Spirit’s witness to the Bible. 

The apostle Paul asserts that “all Scripture is breathed out by God” (2 Timothy 3:16). As such, Peter can say that Scripture was not “produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21). This process is evident in the opening words of the prophet Micah: “The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth . . .” Over and over again, the Bible witnesses to itself that it is of divine origin, not human. But the second of the two reasons offered above is what causes the Christian to trust that the Bible is uniquely God’s word. The Holy Spirit is tasked with teaching God’s people “all things,” and with guiding us “into all truth” (John 14:26;16:13). His agency is necessary for without his intervention we cannot receive the word of God. For, as Paul teaches, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14). But with the Spirit’s help we experience in our encounters with the Bible the reality of Hebrews 4:12: “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

God has spoken. He continues to speak. Praise God for ears to hear.

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

A Persistent Issue

Tomorrow, January 22, is the 42nd year since the Supreme Court opened the doors for unlimited access to abortion. In the succeeding years restrictions have been put in place in some states, but the fateful decision effectively rendered null and void laws that were on the books that treated abortion, in almost all cases, as a crime. Since that time over 56,000,000 abortions have been executed. It’s important to realize that surveys conducted by the Guttmacher Institute report that out of that number only 1% were in response to pregnancies caused by rape, and less than .5% in response to pregnancies caused by incest, and 7% of the respondents cited health reasons of either the mother or possible problem with the baby. The percentages for these particular reasons have remained consistent since 1987. If we assume that that is the case for the years 1972-1987, then we are left with a very heart-breaking number: 51,240,000 children died for reasons other than the oft cited “hard cases,” the ones given as a rationale for why abortion must remain available. 51,240,000 . . .

What should govern the Church's response to such a tragic reality? Historically, the Church looks to the Bible. There is no explicit biblical text that addresses the subject, but there are three (at least) strong pointers that help direct our response. First, we are told that life, each life, is created by God and given to human beings. Life, therefore, is not ours to destroy but rather, like stewards, to nurture. Second, untimely or unexpected pregnancies should be met with sacrifice and service not dismissed as an intrusion. This is not to be borne by the mother alone, however. The father, and community in which she and this new life lives, must be ready to come along side, Good Samaritan-like, to do their part. Third, given the fact that the Savior saw fit to begin his humanity saving mission as a fertilized egg in the womb of a woman, we cannot think of the developing child as anything less than human. As such, he or she deserves to be respected and protected with the same care as others who bear the "image of God."

Can we expect the world outside of the church to be governed by these biblical truths? 56,000,000 abortions says that we cannot. But within the Church, at least, we can be shaped by these realties to create a culture of life that witnesses to our neighbors and communicates that we stand ready to serve them when the presence of new life brings with it profound responsibilities.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Epiphany

The magi were men who studied the stars, poured over ancient manuscripts, and interpreted dreams. They were seers who were influential figures in their own cultures. While they were not kings (popular misconception, and there might have been more than three), they served kings. It's not inappropriate, however, to refer to them as wise men, as they represented the wisdom of their people. Additionally, they were Gentiles, non-Jews. These two facts are important for us to appreciate.

In his telling of the events it appears that Matthew wants his readers to understand the presence of the magi as signaling primarily two things. The first is the superiority and truthfulness of God’s wisdom to any other supposed wisdom. These men had come to some conclusions as a result of their research. Their likely familiarity with Hebrew writings, such as Psalm 72, led them to look for the coming of the one who would usher in a reign of universal peace and prosperity. And when they saw the star rise that heralded his birth they sought him out to pay him homage (wise men, indeed!). When they bow before him, it's as if they are laying down all of the world's wisdom at his feet. The second is the long-prophesied inclusion of Gentiles among those who benefit from the coming of the Messiah. From the very beginning, the coming of the promised one was “good news of a great joy . . . for all the people.” Salvation is not just for the Jews but for all who place their hopes in the one who was born of the virgin. 

Is it any wonder that when the magi entered the house “they fell down and worshiped him” and “offered him gifts”? Whether they were fully cognizant of what the coming of this child meant, their actions were appropriate. He was the King of Kings, the Savior of the World.

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

The Revealer of Hearts

Nearly all of us will pass through life unheralded. Our sojourn, while important to those with whom we have shared life, will likely not make it into the pages of history books. But there are those few who come into the world who go on to play a kind of super-human role in the destiny of their fellow human beings. And among such people there are those whose influence is so significant that they define categories by which we judge not only them but those who agree or disagree with them.  For instance, if Martin Luther King, Jr., is mentioned in a discussion one would likely discover what people think about him and, in turn, a lot about those involved in the discussion. The same could be said about Marx, Hitler, or Mandela. Such people become a benchmark, for good or evil, and their existence demands an opinion. As such, these oversized people have the power to reveal hearts.

To whatever extent this might be said of any particular person, it takes on eternal significance when it comes to Jesus. Simeon prophesied (Luke 2:25) that Jesus “was appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed” so that “thoughts from many hearts maybe revealed”. This is clearly demonstrated in an encounter at the house of Simon the Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). Jesus had been invited to dine and from the moment he arrived and took his place at the table a woman, described as “a sinner” (a prostitute?), wiped, kissed, and anointed his feet. This extraordinary display of love and gratitude for Jesus laid bare, as Simeon had prophesied, the hard heart of Simon: “[W]hen the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, ‘If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.’”

Jesus is on a mission to save people. For those who receive him he gives “the right to become children of God” (John 1:12), for those who reject him he becomes “a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense” (1 Peter 2:8). The sinful woman was grateful, the Pharisee, scornful. As a result they were an eternity apart in their understanding of what his presence meant. That staggering consequence is still in play when Jesus is made known to people today.