Readings

Jeremiah 1:4-10

Psalm 71:1-6

1 Corinthians 13:1-14

Luke 4:21-30

Devotion

Peace be with you!

There are certain days that are supposed to be all about you – your birthday, your wedding day, your graduation day, and so on. These are the days when people are supposed to celebrate what you have achieved and new beginnings. What happens when other individuals take over the spot light?

The Jews had their ideas of what the Messiah would do and how he would speak. The Jews were looking for a Messiah who would free them from the Roman Empire and would take them back to the Promise Land. The Jews thought Jesus would lead them into the “Promise Land” where they would be free of the Roman Empire.

Jesus is in his hometown, Nazareth, where he just taught in the synagogue from the book of Isaiah. We discussed last week how Jesus reads the job description of the Messiah: to release captives, to give the blind sight, and to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18b). The Jews do not agree with this job description.

Jesus goes on to explain how Elijah was not sent for everyone but a few chosen people. God sent Elijah to widow at Zarephath in Sidon and a leper named Naaman the Syrian who he helped through difficult times (Luke 4:26-27). There was a select few who Elijah was lead by God the Father to help and heal. This exclamation outraged the Jews who were listening, and they plotted against Jesus to kill him (Luke 4:28-29). How could Jesus speak out against Elijah? Elijah is our prophet who the Lord sent to us to save us.

Jesus escapes the angry crowd (Luke 4:30) by going on his way. However, Jesus chose to lift up the widow and the leper to tell the people God sent him into the world for the outsiders – the ones who are not welcomed in town and live on the outskirts. Jesus is not in the world who have faith in the Lord – he is but his ministry is for more people than God’s chosen people. Jesus comes into the world for the broken hearted – the ones left behind.

When Jesus preaches this message, the Jews, his neighbors, reject his teaching. His neighbors had high hopes for Jesus as a preacher, but this message goes against everything they believe. The Jews are God’s chosen people. In their mind, no way is God opening his arms to the non-Jews, the Gentiles, the Samaritans, and the other outsiders. The Lord would never want impure people mixed with his chosen ones. The Jews cannot accept Jesus’ teachings about welcoming the stranger.

Yet this does not stop Jesus from going into the world and preaching the good news: the stranger is welcome in the Kingdom of God. His hometown neighbors may not be able to accept the good news, but the world will hear it and the stranger will be invited. Jesus will go out into the world and have conversations with the Samaritan woman, the Gentiles, the blind, the lepers, the crippled, the hungry, the poor, the prostitutes,  and so on, because they are welcomed into the Kingdom of God.

The good news is for us today as much as it was for the people two thousand years ago. We, the Gentiles, are welcomed into the Kingdom of God. By “we”, I mean the sinners, the unbelievers, the poor, the lost, the blind, the crippled, the drug addicts, the strippers, the bullies, the confused, and so on. We are all welcomed into the Kingdom of God, not because we have earned it by any means but because God loves us so much that he wants to be in a relationship with each one of us.

At different times in my life, people have asked me, “How can you hang out with that person?”  The reason is simple: Jesus did and would hang with those people. I may not be the most comfortable around some people, but Jesus calls me to share the good news with all people, not just those like myself.

A few months ago I talked about my friend, Geoff, with tattoos covering his whole body. When I first met him, I did not want my mom to meet Geoff because of his colorful language and different views of the world. Given the chance now, I would be happy to introduce Geoff to my mom, because he is a child of God who Jesus would not ignore.  Why should I ignore him or hide him from my world? The world is filled with individuals who make us uncomfortable, but Jesus calls us to share the good news with anyone who is willing to listen because it is for everyone.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for exceeding the Jews’ expectations by inviting us, the Gentiles, into your kingdom. Help us to understand that the good news is not for a select few but for all people. Show us the way to continue to invite the stranger into a relationship with you and into your kingdom. Push us out of our comfort zone, so we can share the good news with all people.  Thank you for sharing the good news with us. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What do you expect to be all about you?

2. What expectations do you have about the Messiah?

3. CHALLENGE: Talk to someone who makes you a little uncomfortable. What are your expectations of the conversation? What really happened?

Readings

Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10

Psalm 19

1 Corinthians 12:12-31a

Luke 4:14-21

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Have you ever had someone find out who you are before meeting you and expect you to behave a certain way? If there is one thing I hate, it is when individuals come up to whomever I am with and say, “Bless your soul. It is so good that you take her out and about.” Instead of seeing me as an individual, people see the electric wheelchair and hear someone who is not able to speak clearly (they hear static), and therefore  assume I am a burden on society. My brassy friends will come back with, “Oh, she is getting me out. She goes all over the country visiting friends and family. I am just glad she has time to visit me.” The unexpected individual will go silence usually and walks away as if a nun slapped them on the wrist. My dad usually says as he drops me off at the airport, “She is the traveler of the family. She was just home between trips. She is very independent.” People tend to think an electric wheelchair causes an individual to not be able to perform tasks that “normal” individuals do or that all individuals in wheelchairs do not have the mental capacity  to think for themselves.

Jesus goes to the synagogue and teaches out of Isaiah.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed go free,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19 NRSV)

As the Messiah, Jesus is filled with the Holy Spirit from his baptism (Luke 3:21-22). Jesus has come into the world to sent God’s people free: to release captives, to give the blind sight, and to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18b). The list of Messianic duties does not sound glorious.

Society has an image of what individuals should look like and how they should act. The Messiah is not supposed to care about the lonely and weak. As God’s son, Jesus should be willing to fight against the enemies of the Jews and give them the “Promise Land” as the Lord gave it to the Israelites when he led them out of Egypt. The Jews are expecting Jesus to physically free them from the Roman Empire. Instead Jesus is going to psychosocially and spiritually free the Jews from the darkness and their sins

By reading Isaiah, Jesus is reading his job description: to release captives, to give the blind sight, and to set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18b). Jesus understands what the Jews expect of him, but God the Father has other plans for him. Jesus will set the Jews (and anyone else who follows him – more on that next week) free by releasing them of their sins through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Jesus has a hefty job to do. He has to turns the hearts of the Jews towards God the Father.

Leviticus 25:8-17 instructs the Israelites of the year of Jubilee where individuals are released of their debts and slaves are released every seven years. The Jubilee year is a year of deliverance. Jesus brings the spirit of the Jubilee year into the world by delivering us of our past, present, and future sins through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection.

The Jews do not understand how Jesus, the Messiah, will deliver them from their sins and allow them to be in a relationship with God the Father again.  The bonds the world has on the Jews will be broken, and they will be lifted up to be with God the Father. Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection will free the Jews beyond their imaginations. He will bring light into the darkness, feed the hungry, and find the lost.

We may not always understand how much we need Jesus deliver us from us, how much we need to be in a relationship with God the Father, and how much God loves us for who we are. God does not expect us to be anything less or more than who we are today. We do not have to prove anything to God the Father. All God asks of us is that we love him, believe in him, and let him lead us.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for loving us so deeply to give us what we need, not what we want. Help us to understand Jesus came to redeem us of our sins through his crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Remind us that we need your love when we are in the wilderness, especially when we are lost and confused. Thank you for redeeming us of our sins. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How do people view you as an individual?

2. How do you view Jesus as an individual?

3. How does Jesus continue to redeem you from your sins?

Readings

Isaiah 62:1-6

Psalm 36:5-10

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

John 2:1-11

Devotion

Peace be with you!

As adult children, we learn to swallow the words: “You were right, Mom.” There are times when we bow our heads and say those words with shame and a plea for forgiveness. Sometimes, we say those words because we are wise to see the positive influence that moms have.  My mom has a way of foreseeing the long-term effects of a decision beyond anyone else. When I was a young child, my mom was viewed as a mean parent.  She forced her daughter with Cerebral Palsy to get up earlier than most children to get dress and ready for school instead of letting her sleep and just dress her quickly. During my summer breaks, I got in and out of the pool independently. My mom built in extra time into our routine, so I could do as much as possible myself. Now as an adult, I am flying all over the country visiting friends and family and networking with colleagues. I even live in my own house with four dogs that I built and designed with my mom to meet my needs. My mom was right: I could be independent.

Jesus is having one of those moments with his mom, Mary, who understood his calling. Mary and Jesus are attending a wedding in Cana of Galilee where they run out of wine. Mary goes to Jesus and tells him to do something about it (John 2:3). She knows Jesus is meant to do wondrous things for the world, and it is time to show the world what God the Father has planned.

Jesus says it is not time (John 2:4). I wonder if Jesus was scared and confused to where he should begin his ministry for God the Father. Did Jesus not read the play (maybe rule) book? Whenever I have to start something new or stick my neck out, I am scared. Where do you even start?

I remember having that feeling when I was just beginning to outline my MA thesis. I knew the end product had to be fifty to eighty pages on something on the New Testament. It seemed like a hefty task. What I could possibly write of any worth to fill fifty to eighty pages? I image Jesus had a similar feeling.

A mother always knows when it is time for her child to spread his/her wings. Mary just tells the servants to do exactly what Jesus says (John 2:5). Can you see Jesus’ smirk as Mary walks away? Jesus has not said he would do anything, yet Mary leaves him to do the work. Jesus is in a bind: he is not ready to begin his ministry – he is still discerning – but Mary has suggested him to do something.

Jesus has no choice: he has to instruct the servants what to do. Jesus tells to fills the six empty jars with water to the brim (John 2:6-7), and then he said to draw some out and give it to the chief steward (John 2:8). Jesus puts his trust in God the Father to be used to show the world his glory.

When the servants take the wine to the chief steward to taste, he raved how the bridegroom saved the best wine for last (John 2:9-10). It may not have been Jesus’ plan to begin his ministry in the world this way, but God made his beginning glorious.

Sometimes you just need a shove to do something you keep putting off. Maybe you are not sure where to begin. Maybe you are afraid of failing or being a disappointment. I am going back to school to get my doctorate, which is something I wanted to do for four years. I have decided 2013 is my year to sink or swim. This means I have a lot of work ahead me, including research different programs, studying for the GRE, applying to a program or two, and more. And this is just the beginning. So here I go into the unknown.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for having Mary push Jesus to begin his ministry and for all of the mothers, mentors and important people who gently push their children to make their dreams a reality. Help us to step out of our comfort zone to accomplish your glory. Remind us you are always with us and you will guide us in the wilderness. Thank you for giving us confidence to show the world your glory. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Who tends to push you to begin something? How is the Holy Spirit leading you?

2. What do you keep putting off? Is it time for you to sink or swim?

Readings

Isaiah 43:1-7

Psalm 29

Acts 8:14-17

Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The world claims us as different people at different times. I am a daughter, a dog lover, a Christian, a biker, a skier, a writer, a leader, an artist, an individual with Cerebral Palsy, an advocate, a social justice poseur, a student, a mentor, a friend, a sister, an American, a thinker, a speaker, a listener, a teacher, a poet, a reader, a crazy girl in an electric wheelchair, and so much more. I wear different hats at different times. The person I am with and what we are doing determines what role claims me at the moment.

People have been traveling to see John the Baptist in the wilderness for some time now. They are beginning to wonder if he may be the Messiah (Luke 3:15) that is promised in Isaiah. The individuals are filled with expectation for the Messiah who will set  them free from the oppression  of the Roman government. The Jews hope they will be freed to rule themselves.

John the Baptist is said to be the Messiah by the crowd, which he rebukes. Someone more powerful than John the Baptist is who will baptize with the Holy Spirit, not water (Luke 3:16). John the Baptist is not the Messiah, and someone more powerful than him is coming and that person is the Messiah. The people must keep waiting for the Messiah to come.

The lectionary leaves out Luke 3:18-20 where Herod puts John the Baptist in prison for speaking the truth about the good news. This piece of information is important to the Gospel of Luke, because it explains Herod’s jealousy and raises questions in the next verses. Herod’s jealousy becomes one of the reasons why Jesus will be crucified and killed. There cannot be two King of the Jews, and Herod came first. Jesus being called the Messiah, meaning King of the Jews, poses a threat to Herod’s kingship.

When Jesus comes to be baptized in the wilderness, the heavens open up and a voice says, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 NRSV). Based on our discussion on the fact that John the Baptist is prison, who baptizes Jesus? The other three gospels have John the Baptist baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River, but in Luke no one appears to be baptizing Jesus. A voice says, “You are my Son.” (Luke 3:22c). God the Father baptizes Jesus with the Holy Spirit.

God baptizes Jesus as his son with who he is well pleased with (Luke 3:22d). Baptizing is an action done by God the Father where he is claiming and confirming Jesus Christ as his only begotten son. The action belongs to God the Father alone.

When we are baptized, God is claiming and confirming us as his beloved children to the whole world. By claiming and confirming us as his children, the world cannot argue that we do not belong to God the Father. We belong to God no matter what happens.

No matter what the world claims me to be, I am always God’s child, which he claims and confirms daily through his love and grace. You are claimed and confirmed as a child of God.

Come, oh Lord, come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for claiming and confirming Jesus as your only begotten son and us as your children. Help us to understand that you claim us at our baptism. It is your loving action that welcomes us into the fellowship of disciples. Thank you for providing us with your love, forgiveness, and grace. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What does the world claim you to be?

2. How does God continue to claim and confirm us as his child?

Readings

Isaiah 60:1-6

Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14

Ephesians 3:1-12

Matthew 2:1-12

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The world is a dangerous place to live. There are individuals who do not like you and feel threatened by your minor presence in the world. These individuals will do anything to get rid of you, including destroying your career or ending your life. To these individuals, you stand in their way from a job promotion or someone special. You are a threat.

King Herod gets three visitors who inquirer about the Messiah: who is he? (Matthew 2:2). The three visitors are called magi or wise men and are scientists who study the stars. The wise men have observed a new star in the sky and have followed it to Jerusalem. Based on their question, the wise men had some knowledge of Numbers 24:17. Of course, King Herod has no idea who they are talking about and gathers the chief priests and scribes to find out about the Messiah. (Matthew 2:4).  The chief priests and scribes tell King Herod what the scripture says:

“In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;

for from you shall come a ruler

who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” (Matthew 2:5-6 NRSV)

This information poses a threat to King Herod, because the Messiah would lead the people of Israel away from his rule. King Herod is imaging a rebellion among his people in resistance to his rule. The Messiah is posing a real threat to King Herod who will do anything to stop the Messiah from causing a rebellion. Some Messiah will not out do King Herod.

King Herod sends the three wise men to find the Messiah to pay their respect and asks them to come back to tell him where they found the baby boy so he can do the same (Matthew 2:8).

The wise men go on their way to find and pay respect to the Messiah by following the star (Matthew 2:7, 9). When they find Mary with baby Jesus, the wise men are overcome with joy and give him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:10-11).

The wise men are warned through a dream not to go back to King Herod and go back home a different way (Matthew 2:12). Before he sent them on their way, King Herod asks the wise men when they first observe the star in the sky (Matthew 2:7b). This tells King Herod approximately how old the Messiah is. When the three wise men do not return to Jerusalem to inform him where the Messiah is, King Herod orders all boys under the age of two to be killed (Matthew 2:16). The cruelty of King Herod is aimed at the Messiah out of fear. King Herod views the Messiah as a threat who will be able to overthrow his kingship for he will be the true King of the Jews. However, kingship means sometime different to God and Jesus than the kings in the world. To the kings in the world, kingship means political power and riches, while God and Jesus think of kingship as the responsibility of tending to the needs of the people, his children who will follow Jesus.

Jesus escapes the cruelty of King Herod when Joseph, his father, gets a visit by an angel in a dream who tells him to take his family to Egypt and to remain there until King Herod dies (Matthew 2:14-15). Even as a child, Jesus has people dying on his behalf and escapes death because it is not his time.

There will always be individuals who are jealous of us, or don’t like us. We cannot let their distain  prevent us from doing what the Triune God calls us to do. God will always provide a way to fulfill our call. We just need to trust God has a plan, even as we walk in the wilderness and through the darkness. God will lead you to the right place at the right time. We just need to trust him, even when we are confused and lost. The world is a dangerous place – not even Jesus was safe.

Come, oh Lord, come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for protecting us from the cruelty in the world, like you saved Jesus from King Herod. Help us to follow the path that you are leading us to follow, even in our confusion and frustration. Guide us in the wilderness where the world plots against us. Remind us that you have a plan greater than us.  Thank you for guiding and leading us through the wilderness. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. How has God lead you to where you need to be? Where is God calling you to be?

2. How has God protected you?

Readings

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26

Psalm 148

Colossians 3:12-17

Luke 2:41-52

Devotion

Peace be with you!

DISCLAIMER: You have to forgive me: my children have four legs and bark at anyone who comes over. That being said, my illustration is what I know as a mother.

I was doing my morning routine when I realized my second oldest pup, Ava, was nowhere to be found. After checking her usual hiding places (the bed, the couch, the kitchen corner, the four dog beds, and outside), I called my step-dad, Kim, and made sure he did not take her with him to go to the grocery store, as she likes to go for car rides. Nope, Ava should be somewhere in the house. I searched her usual hiding place five more times as I began to panic. Then suddenly after an hour of searching, Ava walked out from under the bed as if she just heard me calling her. I was so glad to see her.

Mary and Joseph were good Jewish parents. Each year Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem for the Passover (Luke 2:41-42). Mary and Joseph were good Jewish parents who taught their son the Torah. Since Jerusalem is central to the Jewish traditions, Mary and Joseph take Jesus there yearly. Jerusalem is central to the Gospel of Luke, because the temple is there and is where God dwells.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph traveled as a community with their friends and family members to and from Jerusalem. Mary and Joseph had left Jerusalem with the group and were heading home when they realized Jesus was not with the group as they had assumed (Luke 2:43-44a). With haste, Mary and Joseph searched desperately among their friends and family member for Jesus, and when he was nowhere to be found they turned around for Jerusalem (Luke 2:44b-45). I am sure any parent can relate to Mary and Joseph’s panic. As parents, it is your job to keep track of your children, to protect them, to feed and clothe them, and so much more. It is a tough job. If that is not enough pressure, Mary and Joseph just happen to be raising God’s only begotten son. So when Jesus goes missing, it is a big deal.

Mary and Joseph rushed back to Jerusalem as if their lives depended on it. I mean what would God do to them for loosing his son? Or is he laughing because they think Jesus is missing? For three days, Mary and Joseph panic about their missing son as they traveled back.

Mary and Joseph get to the temple in Jerusalem and see Jesus listening to the teachers and asking the questions (Luke 2:46). Mary, like any mother in her situation, is beside herself. She has been traveling for three days in sheer panic, and he is fine. And when she asks why he stayed behind, Jesus answers, “Why were you searching for me? How did you not know I would be in my father’s house?” (Luke 2:49).

Mary and Jesus have different definitions of what it means to be missing. For Mary, Jesus was missing because they could not physically find him. He should have been among their friends and family going back to Nazareth. But he was not with the group: he was missing. For Jesus, Mary and Joseph are missing the point: he was where he was supposed to be – with his heavenly father. Mary and Joseph do not understand their family includes the heavenly father who calls Jesus as his own.

Jesus is true to his calling, even at a young age. He understands his place in the world is with God the Father, the one true Lord. According to the Gospel of Luke, the temple is where God dwells and is where you go to be with him. So if Jesus wants to spend time with his heavenly father, he has go to the temple. Mary did not understand the significance of Jesus’ question back to her. The readers at the temple understand at a young age Jesus is answering his calling from God the Father.

We often forget that children are also called to serve the Lord. We think children are too young to serve an important role in the church and the world. Yet, it is the children who  beg a visiting friend or family member to come see them in the Christmas pageant at church. It is the children who run to altar to be blessed during Communion. It is the children who go to the front to hear the good news. It is the children who remind us to pray before meals. We, adults, have a lot to learn. Where does our excitement go? Are we too conservative? Are we too polite? Are we too afraid of what others think? Are we too self conscious?

God calls each one of us differently to tell the good news of Jesus Christ. Our ministries may look different and have different goals, but they all point to the same thing: the forgiveness and grace of Jesus. Maybe we should start answering our calls as Jesus does and stop worrying what others think. You may not understand the grand scheme of the objective, but that will be worked out in the end. Be eager, like Jesus, to serve God the Father.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for finding what is missing. Help us to come to answer our call to spread the good news of Jesus Christ with eagerness and without fear. Remind us that what is missing is not always lost – it just may not be where we expect it to be. Thank you for calling us to spread the good news. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What is missing in your life? What seems misplaced?

2. How do you answer your call to serve God the Father by spreading the good news?

Readings

Micah 5:2-5a

Psalm 80:1-7

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-55

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Life can be overwhelming at times. Your boss gives you not enough time to finish the biggest project in your career. Your wife is diagnosed with breast cancer just as you loose your job along with the health insurance. Your daughter is raped in her college dorm. Your son is deaf and is hit by a school bus on his way to work. Or [whatever “it” is] that is going on in your life. Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary get the most overwhelming news in their lives by the angel Gabriel that God has plans for them.

The angel Gabriel visits Zechariah, a priest, about Elizabeth, his wife, having a baby, which he has a hard time believing because they are both old (Luke 1:16-25). It is overwhelming news for Zechariah, because Elizabeth barren and having a baby as an old lady is even harder and dangerous. When she does have a child, Elizabeth sings the Lord praises (Luke 1:24-25).

Elizabeth and Zechariah are not the only people the angel Gabriel gives overwhelming news to. The angel Gabriel visits Mary who is engaged to Joseph and is a virgin and tells her she is with child (Luke 1:32). Mary gets confused because she should not be able to have a baby yet. The angel Gabriel tells Mary God has looked upon her with favor and made her with child through the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35).

Mary decides to go visit Elizabeth and Zechariah when she hears the news (Luke 1:39-40). As soon as Mary sees her, the child in Elizabeth’s womb jumps for joy and Elizabeth shouts with joy that the Lord has blessed them both (Luke 1:41-45). Elizabeth’s son (John the Baptist) will lead the way for Mary’s son (Jesus). The two women will be forever bond together.

Mary answers Elizabeth’s praises by singing God praises for blessing her. Mary understands God could have chosen a more suitable woman to be the mother to his son: someone married, older, wiser, richer, etc. To the world, Mary is young girl who is not married yet from a poor family with little consequence. God’s son should be born in royalty with all the power in the world. Yet Mary will be remembered by future generations (Luke 1:48b) for being the mother of God’s son. For this, Mary sings God’s praises – not because God gives her an easy life but because he gives her a reason to live out her faith.

We have a lot to learn from Mary. Many times when God gives us overwhelming news we run, hide, duck our heads, scream at the closest person to us, throw things, give up, etc. The last thing we do is praise God. Even with the overwhelming news, Mary sings God praises for blessing her with the greatest gift.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving Elizabeth and Mary a reason to live out their faith. Help us to have to their wisdom to sing you praises during overwhelming times. Give us the courage to be strong in our faith. Thank you for the many blessing in our lives. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. Who do you visit when you get overwhelming news?

2. How will you be remembered?

3. When do you sing God praises?

Readings

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Philippians 4:4-7

Luke 3:7-18

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Darkness has entered our children and has left its mark. Children have come home silent and despaired – evil has taken away their innocence. Parents have rushed home to give hugs and kisses to their children. Other parents wail laments for their children who will never come home again – let alone wake Christmas morning to open their gifts. Words escape us. Nothing we say will bring back the  sense of safety for our children or our own sense of safety. Nothing we say will give the children back their innocence, because they face Satan today. Nothing we say…

Where do we go from here? How do we share the joy of Christmas in such a dark world? The joy in our children is replaced by horrid images that most adults have yet to see. Their innocence was taken from them. Joy is the last thing on our minds.

People are making the pilgrim to the wilderness to see John the Baptist. Others have gone and heard him preach and have told others to go experience his teachings. In today’s gospel reading, John the Baptist seems to be taking questions from the crowd. John the Baptist has started talking about the end of the world – how God will cut away the bad oats from the good ones. The crowd asks, “What then should we do?” (Luke 3:10 NRSV). John the Baptist puts it in simply: share, be fair, and be honest.

The wilderness has come to us as we try to put things back together, yet nothing will bring back the twenty children that were killed. Their parents’ joy was stolen from them in that fatal act. So let’s share and be fair and honest about our feelings. Friday was a dark day worldwide. The twenty children died too soon. The children left behind fear going back to school tomorrow, because their sense of safety is lost in the darkness. The children’s joy and innocent was stolen. Bitterness has replaced the joy of the season, and it is cruel. We are wondering in the wilderness.

The tax collectors ask, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:12c, 14b NRSV). You have to understand the tax collectors and the soldiers are daily reminders to the Jews of the Roman Empire. These individuals understand they are view as a threat to the common people. To the tax collectors, John the Baptist says to only collect what the Roman officials tell them too (Luke 3:13). We know from Mark and Matthew Jesus told his disciples to give to Caesar what is due to him and to give to God what belongs to him (Mark 12:17; Matthew 22:21). It is important to be fair by only taking from the people what is owed in order to ensure they can still provide for their family and help friends in need.

Even if you are not a parent, your heart is breaking. No one is asking us to pay higher taxes today, but friends and family need our time and energy. John the Baptist calls us to help those in need. Although words may not come easily, your presence is what is needed during this time of despair. One lady in a Cerebral Palsy support group has a daughter that attends Sandy Hook Elementary. Throughout the weekend, I have been passing along helpful links, like A Prayer of Lament, and hat to say to your children. I sent her anything that would give her words in amidst so many questions and so much fear. With no children of my own, my detachment from the tragedy – not by much – allowed me the ability to gather resources to share with the mother and others. I became rich in my time and energy, and I felt called to give to those in need.

The soldiers ask, “What should we do?” (Luke 3:12c, 14b NRSV). To the soldiers, John the Baptist says, “Do not extort from anyone by threats or false accusations, and be satisfied with your wages.” (Luke 3:14 NRSV).  The soldiers are to be fair to the people – do not punish them anymore than necessary and to protect them from false accusations whether than waving around their power to get what they want.

In amidst the heartache, people want someone to be held responsible for the twenty  children killed. Some people are calling for stronger gun control laws; others want every teacher to have a gun in the classroom; others say it would have happened no matter what. There is no simple answer. No matter what changes are made in the future those eleven children are not coming home.

What should we do now? Parents who have lost their children need our support more than anything. They do not need answers to all their questions or solutions. They do not need to hear God needed more angels. They need hugs, a listening ear, comfort and compassion, love and support, and someone to wipe their tears. These parents have tons of raw emotions. Making room for their wailing laments is our job.

John the Baptist and Jesus both understand the roles of the tax collectors and the soldiers. Under the Roman Empire, the tax collectors and the soldiers are able to be liaisons between the people and the government officials. The empire has a role in the people’s lives. John the Baptist is instructing the tax collectors and the soldiers to be fair and considerate to the common people.

Who are the parents’ liaisons? Who is going to listen to their fears? Who is going to prevent this from ever happening again? Where will survivors go from here? Who is going to lift up these children? John the Baptist understands the tax collectors and the soldiers have important roles in our lives. The soldiers are commission to keep us safe, even today. Soldiers come in different forms – police, firemen, teachers, counselors, mediators, judgers, lawyers, parents, and many more. These are the people who are commission to keep us safe. Our soldiers were attacked Friday by the evil, and now we need to lift them up in prayer and to stand by them as they weep. We need to be their soldiers in this time. To borrow a phrase from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: We are to be God’s hands and feet to those who need consoling.

The crowd starts to question if John the Baptist is the Messiah that they are waiting for (Luke 3:15). John the Baptist shoots the crowd down by stating that one more powerful than him will come. “John answered all of them by saying, ‘I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’” (Luke 3:16-17; NRSV). The Messiah will be more powerful than John the Baptist; he will baptize with the Holy Spirit, not just water; he will separate those who believe from the darkness and cut away those who follow Satan; he will destroy the world and lift up those who believe.

As we reflect on the events of this past Friday at Sandy Hook Elementary, we find ourselves in the wilderness wondering when the Messiah will return to overcome Satan once and for all. Where do we go from here? How do we share the joy of Christmas in such a dark world? I invite you to light a candle in your window. Let it be a sign that the Holy Spirit burns within us, and an invitation for others to welcome Jesus Christ into their hearts. That is the joy baptism gives us, even in this dark world!

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for sending John the Baptist to point us towards Jesus Christ, your son. Guide us in the wilderness as we look for the second coming of Jesus Christ. Shine your light from within us and let others be drawn to your magnificent light. Thank you for sending John the Baptist to set a fire in our hearts. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What is John the Baptist calling you to do?

2. Write a press release about Jesus Christ and salvation. What would John the Baptist’s Twitter feed look like announcing the coming Messiah?

3. In the wilderness, what should we do?

Readings

Malachi 3:1-4

Luke 1:68-79

Philippians 1:3-11

Luke 3:1-6

Devotion

Peace be with you!

Radicals: Individuals who make nonsense claims in the name of change and social advancements. Their ideas are way out there, based on the norm of the day, and they insist on pushing the envelope.

Each generation has its own radicals. Martin Luther and his Ninety-Five Theses called for radical changes within the Catholic Church. The beloved Martin Luther King, Jr. pushed for equality for African Americans. His “I Have a Dream” speech rings true in our minds today, but during the Civil Rights Movement, King was speaking against the “normal.”  Steve Jobs, one of the founders of Apple Inc., was a radical for dreaming that every family be able to have a personal computer one day. He dreamed this in the 1980’s, when computers were as big as rooms.

And then there is John the Baptist in today’s gospel reading with the proclamation of salvation for all. John the Baptist preaches in the wilderness to prepare the way for the Lord, so that everyone can experience God’s salvation. The wilderness has negative connotations in the Bible as a place that is barren and lonely, but it also has positive connotations as a place people go when change is about to happen. God has a new plan for his people that pushes the envelope on the “normal” way things are done. The fact that John the Baptist is the wilderness draws attention away from the Jewish temples and synagogues and into the unknown. The wilderness is a forbidden place where people wander around aimlessly and in confusion. Yet God sends John the Baptist out into the wilderness with a new message for his people: salvation for all.

John the Baptist in the wilderness is calling people to experience God, to get to know him, to be in a relationship with God, and to repent of their sins for the chance of a lifetime – a chance to experience salvation. Honestly, you have to admit that if John the Baptist was a traditional priest like his father, he would gone unnoticed. The high priests probably would have imprisoned him for going against their traditional teachings. But John the Baptist is in our face calling us into the wilderness to experience God: “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:4b-6 NRSV, italics added for emphasis). John the Baptist says to us, “Make way for the Lord. The lame will walk, the poor will be fed, and the sinner will be forgiven. All who repent will be able to experience salvation.” Jesus Christ is coming; he wants to enter our hearts and fill us with joy and happiness, if we let him.

John the Baptist’s radical message is not just for those along the Jordon River two thousand years ago; it is for us today as well. Salvation is for all people, no matter their age, skin color, number of tattoos and piercings, education, cash flow, etc. John the Baptist says Jesus Christ, the Messiah, meets us where we are in our lives, either high on a mountain or deep in a cavern. Jesus is coming. Are you ready?

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for preparing our hearts to meet Jesus. Help us to repent of our sins and prepare the way of the Lord.  Thank you for Jesus’ salvation. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What do you need to repent of this Advent season?

2. How have you seen God use barren places in your life to bring change and renewal?

Readings

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Psalm 25:1-10

1 Thessalonians 3:3-19

Luke 21:25-36

Devotion

Peace be with you!

In the twenty-first century, we are inundated with “signs” telling us what to think, what to do, how to act and dress, and [whatever “it” is] that is our sights. The

Signs found using Google Images. Messages do not necessary represent opinions of God the Healer.

sun rises in the east alerting us to a new day; radio personalities inform of the day’s weather and news; our significant others leave us notes of their love or notes reminding us of the schedule for the day; we drive to work and see billboards advertising local businesses and services; we get to work and find emails informing us of upcoming projects; later, we watch our favorite television shows on our computers and tablets. Signs inform us what is going on in the world.

The Christmas festivities are now in full swing. You just have to step into Wal-Mart to be greeted with a cardboard Santa informing you Christmas is just twenty-three days away. As you walk pass the jewelry department, you read: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend.” And if your kids happen to be with you, you are dragged to the toy department accompanied by begging and whining for the latest toys. According to Wal-Mart or [whatever department store you go to], Christmas is about buying gifts.

Jesus tells us about the sign of the end of time: earth will pass away (Luke 21:25-26) and the Son of Man will come in a cloud (Luke 21:27a NRSV). In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a few friends have asked if the end of time is coming. Although I am sure more destruction will happen before the end, it is important to remember that when that day comes, it will bring hope with it. We are looking towards the beginning of the end as we look forward to the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,  and as we look towards the second coming of Jesus Christ. And when Jesus comes, he brings hope with him.

The destructive power of natural disasters, such as forest fires, tornadoes, and hurricanes, can leave communities devastated and in hopeless states of minds. A friend and I were discussing how dependent we are on electricity – from lights and heat to paying bills online and keeping touch with friends and family around the world. Much of our daily activities are dependent on electricity and we often do not realize this is true until it is gone. It scares me to think about not having electricity for a week, because I have to charge my electric wheelchair every few days. Otherwise, I am stuck relying on others to push me around in my manual wheelchair.

Yet Jesus says this world will pass away before the end of time will happen. We have to lose everything that surrounds our lives before we can stand in front of Jesus in the Kingdom of God. We must lose our comfort zone before we see the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise. As natural destruction happens, we keep our eyes on Jesus, because destruction means new life. The world may fall apart, but Jesus’ words of promise will always mean something to us – new life in the wake of destruction.

Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the signs leading us to your kingdom at the end of time. Help us to keep strong as the earth falls away. Remind us that your word will never stop having power. Lead us to your kingdom.  Thank you for new life after destruction as you have promised. Amen.

Works Cited

Thanks to the Triune God – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below.  Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the comment covenant.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like. 

1. What signs lead you in your life?

2. How have you experience new life after destruction?