What Could Be Big Enough?

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which translated means, “God with us.” Matthew 1:18-23

INTRO: If we’re not going to waste our time here this morning, the first thing we must do, is stop reading the Christmas story as fairy-tale

– it’s all too easy, with the familiar images
• angels, halos, and serene expressions on the faces of cows, donkey and sheep
• in our culture, the Santa myth is equated with the “baby Jesus myth”

It will help if we begin with Joseph’s shock and frustration over Mary’s pregnancy
– he lived in the real world, so his first thought wasn’t, “It’s a miracle! I’m such a lucky guy.”
• he still cared for Mary enough to not want to disgrace her
○ but they were through – it was over

This part of the story is most like our lives
– we have dreams, make plans, look forward to what lies ahead
• but then, it’s spoiled by an unforeseen complication
○ a job loss, health issue, a child gets in trouble
• perhaps the complication can be overcome, but life will be harder now – the future will come at price
– so the question this story has to answer:
• what could be big enough for Joseph to hang on?
• to not be afraid to take Mary as his wife? Continue reading →

The Advent Question

Now when John, while imprisoned heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.”
As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in king’s palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written,
‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of you,
Who will prepare Your way before You.’
Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  Matthew 11:2-11

INTRO: Today our meditation in scripture brings us to the Advent question

A point of tension enters Matthew’s story between John the Baptist and Jesus
– will it lead to conflict? a split? or can the tension be resolved?

There was a fundamental difference between Jesus and John (vv. 15-19)
– in mid-twentieth century, Richard Niebuhr published Christ and Culture
• in it, he explored the ways different Christian traditions have related to their surrounding culture
• the first he introduces is “Christ Against Culture” – a judgment and rejection of society
○ this is similar to John the Baptist’s position — it is to condemn society and those living in it
– the position Jesus took was to enter culture to transform people (rescue and heal them)
– the different perceptions of Jesus and John first came to light at Jesus’ baptism (Mt. 3:14-15)
• John was put off that Jesus would identify himself with sinners
• it ran contrary to his notion of who needed to be baptized Continue reading →

Second Sunday In Advent: Christmas Lights

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
And He will delight in the fear of the LORD,
And He will not judge by what His eyes see,
Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
But with righteousness He will judge the poor,
And decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth;
And He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth,
And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked.
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins,
And faithfulness the belt about His waist
And the wolf will dwell with the lamb,
And the leopard will lie down with the young goat,
And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together;
And a little boy will lead them.
Also the cow and the bear will graze,
Their young will lie down together,
And the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra,
And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s den.
They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain,
For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD
As the waters cover the sea.
Then in that day
The nations will resort to the root of Jesse,
Who will stand as a signal for the peoples;
And His resting place will be glorious.
Isaiah 11:1-10

INTRO: The scriptures designated for Advent reading are surprising

I expect passages typically associated with Christmas scenes
– angels and shepherds, wise men and the star, Mary and the baby
• instead we are taken to the political concerns of ancient Israel
• we come to this message from one of God’s prophets that was delivered to a distressed people
○ their nation on the verge of collapse
– what makes this passage a Christmas reading? Continue reading →

Advent 1: Connecting the Future With Now

Now it will come about that
In the last days
The mountain of the house of the LORD
Will be established as the chief of the mountains,
And will be raised above the hills;
And all the nations will stream to it.
And many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
To the house of the God of Jacob;
That He may teach us concerning His ways
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For the law will go forth from Zion
And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And He will judge between the nations,
And will render decisions for many peoples;
And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not lift up sword against nation,
And never again will they learn war.
Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:1-5

INTRO: Today is December first and we’re feeling the holiday snowball effect

The momentum of our entire culture is rushing toward Christmas
– it seems like everything about the season is designed to heighten the thrill of it
• the symbols of secular myths and religious faith are appearing everywhere,
○ banners and lights are hung around town,
○ there’s the tree, the wrappings–even the chill weather cooperates
• we’ve already passed the point of no return
– only a soul in deep despair or an old curmudgeon could not get excited about Christmas

But once the snowball crashes into Christmas day, it’s all over
– beginning the day after, we start cleaning up,
• take down everything that we’ve hung
• and we start worrying about how we’re going to pay for all of it
– in Christian tradition, Christmas begins at sunset on December 24 and goes until January 6 (or, for some, February 2)
• but prior to Christmastide, there’s Advent

It’s true that Advent is a time of spiritual preparation for Christmas
– but only half-true — the other half is preparing for Jesus’ return
• we relive the experience of Israel waiting for the Messiah

During the feasts celebrated by ancient Israel, families retold the stories from which the feasts derived their origins. As a result, the initial event became lodged in the memory of each generation as something they had experienced for themselves. Take Passover, for example, when God who is beyond time entered historical time to deliver his people from slavery and oppression. Through the re-enactment of that sacred night, future generations were enabled to share a connection with both the event and Israel’s God who visited his people in the event. At the same time, Passover looks to the future (which is why there is always an empty chair at the table reserved for Elijah, Mal.4:55-6). So the feast reminded Israel of a promise not yet fulfilled, a reality not yet actualized

The backdrop of Advent is darkness Continue reading →

The Paradoxical Life of Giving Thanks

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them, for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Romans 1:18-21
So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father Ephesians 5:17-20

INTRO: I am going off-topic today

In light of Thanksgiving this Thursday, it seemed appropriate to meditate on gratitude

WARNING: I will make reference to several people who are here this morning
– first names only – I don’t mean to embarrass anyone
• my intention is to make a point

I chose these excerpts of scripture because both mention giving thanks
– however, they come at this subject from two different directions
• in Romans, Paul explains what’s wrong with society and he tracks a downhill slide:
○ the truth God has revealed in nature has been suppressed
○ the result has been an intellectual, moral, and spiritual decline
○ at the lowest point of this descent, “they did not . . . give thanks” (no acknowledgement or reverence of God)
○ society, therefore, was left with a foolish, darkened heart
• in Ephesians, Paul explains how the Christian life works, and the movement is in the opposite direction:
○ beginning with foolishness, Paul says it’s time to leave it behind
○ believers express the truth of God — “in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”
○ at the epitome of this ascent, we are “always giving thanks for all things”
– so, the trajectory of society is from God to foolishness
– the trajectory of Christian faith is from foolishness to God
• and the primary symptom of the direction in which one is moving is gratitude

Last week Lee reminded me of a book I read last year Continue reading →

Sawing the Branch On Which We’re Sitting

Now Jacob lived in the land where his father had sojourned, in the land of Canaan. These are the records of the generations of Jacob.
Joseph, when seventeen years of age, was pasturing the flock with his brothers while he was still a youth, along with the sons of Billhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father’s wives. And Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father.
Now Israel loved Jacob more than all his sons, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a varicolored tunic. His brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers; and so they hated him and could not speak to him on friendly terms. Genesis 37:1-4

INTRO: We have seen that genealogies (“generations”) mark the major divisions of Genesis

Now we have come to the last division of the book
– it moves from the story of Jacob to Joseph’s story
• this becomes immediately clear in verse 2, “Joseph, when seventeen . . . etc.”

The story

Joseph behaves like the spoiled, favored child
– these children feel they have a privileged relationship with the parent
• closer to mom and dad than the other siblings
• they stand more on the side of the parents than with brothers or sisters
○ this is evidenced in Joseph bringing his father the “bad report” — tattling on his brothers
– rather than hide his favoritism, Jacob indulged it
• he had a special robe made for Joseph
○ later, this type of garment would signify royalty — status and wealth
• my two-year old grandson, Indy, was given a Spider-Man costume last spring
○ he wore it everywhere and all the time — and when he wore it, he was Spider-Man
○ no doubt, Joseph did the same with his high-class robe
Jacob’s excessive love evoked the opposite feeling toward Joseph in his sons Continue reading →

Snapshots of the Spiritual Journey

Then God said to Jacob, “Arise, go up to Bethel and live there, and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from your brother Esau.” So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods which are among you, and purify yourselves and change your garments; and let us arise and go up to Bethel, and I will make an altar there to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and has been with me wherever I have gone.” So they gave to Jacob all the foreign gods which they had and the rings which were in their ears, and Jacob hid them under the oak which was near Shechem. Genesis 35::1-4

INTRO: A half-century ago, Daniel Boorstin wrote The Image

He argued that we (North Americans) have used wealth and literacy to fabricate an unreal world
– we have moved from the experience of reality to images of reality
– he devotes one chapter to describing how we’ve gone from travelers to tourists

Boorstin, “The traveler, then was working at something; the tourist was a pleasure-seeker. The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes ‘sight-seeing.’ . . . He expects everything to be done to him and for him.”

• travel went from being a dangerous challenge to a commodity
○ tour companies “insulate” tourists from the real worlds they visit
• he referred to a flight he took from the States to Amsterdam in the climate-controlled cabin, not as movement through space (the scenery did not change the entire flight), but through time

Boorstin, “The tourist gets there without the experience of having gone. For him it is all the same; going to one place or to another.”

I think this is how a lot of people approach spirituality
– we want the benefits without the hard experience of reality
– we find this to be the case with many Christians
• they want the benefits that come from the spiritual journey without the travail

In Jacob’s story we see the rigors and epiphanies of the spiritual journey Continue reading →

Faith For Living In the Real World

Then Jacob lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau was coming, and four hundred men with him. So he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two maids. He put the maids and their children in front, and Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph last. But he himself passed on ahead of them and bowed down to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. Genesis 33:1-3

INTRO: Jacob’s arrangement of his caravan reveals an obvious bias

He put those most precious to him behind everyone else
– but he does one thing that I find honorable
• he takes “point” — a military term for soldiers in the field
• the soldier, unit, or vehicle that is positioned ahead of the others
○ the first to encounter the enemy or, if ambushed, the first to draw enemy fire
– to me, this is a healthy expression of manliness
• we have plenty of examples of pseudo-manliness

The remainder of chapter is not exactly an anticlimax

But it doesn’t lead to a “big” ending either
– no swords were drawn, no blood was spilled,
• but the peace between Jacob and Esau was tenuous at best
• although Esau says, “my brother” (v. 9) Jacob still refers to him as “my lord”

We sense an awkwardness in their conversation (vv. 5-15)
– Esau asked a couple of legitimate questions
• Jacob gave him short, guarded answers
– Esau, it seems felt compelled to justify coming all this way with 400 men
• so he made a couple of offers to assist
○ Jacob declined both offers and finally ended their conversation with, “Why?”
○ Jacob obviously did not trust Esau
○ he said he would catch up to him in Seir, but then he travelled west — Mt. Seir was east of the Jordan River Continue reading →

Jacob’s Two God-Encounters

Now as Jacob went on his way, the angels of God met him. Jacob said when he saw them, “This is God’s camp.” So he named that place Mahanaim.
Then Jacob sent messengers before him to his brother Esau in the land of Seir, the country of Edom. He also commanded them saying, “Thus you shall say to my lord Esau: ‘Thus says your servant Jacob, “I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now; I have oxen and donkeys and flocks and male and female servants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find favor in your sight.”‘”
The messengers returned to Jacob, saying, “We came to your brother Esau, and furthermore he is coming to meet you, and four hundred men are with him.” Genesis 32:1-6

INTRO: We don’t see it immediately, but  this is an elaborate story

It develops through four distinct and  clearly marked units
– each unit is framed by the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning and end
• 1-8, “two companies” (this is the meaning of the Hebrew word Mahanaim)
• 9-12, “I will prosper you”
• 13-21, “he spent the night there”
• 22-31, “crossed the Jabbok”
– Esau’s approach with four hundred men creates an urgency that builds suspense, driving the story forward
• yet at two points the storyteller intentionally slows the pace of the action
• these are moments when Jacob encountered God

Jacob again arrived at a border crossing

When he made this trip previously (going other direction), he saw a vision of angels
– the same Hebrew word is translated angel and messenger
– in his first vision, they were crossing a bridge between earth and heaven — messengers or mediators
• here they are more like escorts
• this vision is an indication of the ominous nature of what is coming Continue reading →

Genesis 31

The Story

Jacob had worked hard for several years, but all-in-all, things had gone well for him. Then one day, he noticed a change. He began hearing things and seeing things. He heard his brothers-in-law talking about him, “Jacob has made himself rich by taking everything that belonged to Dad.” When Jacob looked at Laban, his face mirrored his son’s suspicion and hostility. Simply put, Jacob’s father-in-law no longer liked him.

This change was inevitable and it is every con-artist’s greatest fear; that one day his scheme will be uncovered and he will be exposed.

No words were spoken directly–the new cold front was never addressed, but there were looks, there were facial expressions in unguarded moments. Laban’s attitude was different. The son-in-law who had arrived as a wonder-worker was now treated as an intruder. Overnight Jacob was no longer safe with his in-laws.

Then God spoke to Jacob–or perhaps God had been speaking for awhile, but finally Jacob heard him. “Go home,” God said, “return to your own family.” Then, as if God anticipated Jacob’s worry and fear, he added, “I will be with you.”

Leaving Mesopotamia and Laban’s home would be a huge project. Jacob’s first challenge was to convince his wives that this was the right thing to do. So he sent for them to meet him in the open fields where he pastured the livestock and where no one could hear their conversation.

“Your father has turned against me,” Jacob began, “but he hasn’t been able to hurt me, because the God of my father has been with me. The whole time I’ve been here, I’ve worked hard for your father, but in return for my labor he has cheated me repeatedly. All along, I’ve played by your dad’s rules, but every time he changed the rules, God worked it out in my favor, so I’m the one who wound up getting richer.

“I had a dream in which I was like a spectator, watching God take your father’s property and give it to me. Then God spoke to me in the dream. ‘I am the God of Bethel,’ he said, and reminded me of the encounter I had with him on the journey that brought me to your home. After he appeared to me in Bethel, I worshiped him and swore a vow to serve him. He told me that it’s time to go home.”

Until now, there had been all sorts of secret manipulations and maneuvering, but here Jacob brings this to the surface and puts a label to it–he had been “cheated.” Of course, he had done his share of cheating also, but why bring that up? Continue reading →