Reflection on Luke 2:1-20

 

 

Luke 2:1-20 (NRSVue)

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 All went to their own towns to be registered. 4 Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5 He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place in the guest room.

  8 Now in that same region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
  and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

  15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.

Reflection

“I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10).  Those were some of the first, amazing words that the angel gave to the shepherds.  This good news was a joyful word for “all people” throughout the world, but notice that it was also given to them…to “you.”  “I am bringing you…” 

And what was this great news?  The angel continued, “to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:11).  Again, the Messiah, the Lord, the baby who is born, has come “to you.”  “To you is born.”

Jesus comes to be with us and to save us.  Jesus comes even to you.

Now, we do not get to read about the reaction on the shepherd’s faces when they finally get to see the baby, the one who is to be their Lord, but I imagine that it is the face of delight that everyone gets when a baby, after gazing around, eventually stares at you, focusing on you with wonder and amazement.  That sort of recognition can melt the hearts of even the toughest of guys.

I had an uncle who was one of those tough, hardworking construction guys.  He was the type of uncle who would not yell, but if us kids ran past and brushed up against him while playing our games through the house on Christmas, he would provide a gruff sort of grumble with his low smoker’s voice.  It was an angry grumble.  Sort of like what a bear would let out lowly just to keep little pests away.  And little pests we were.

No wonder why the guy rarely smiled.  But the one time that I clearly remember him smiling a huge grin was when his grandson was first placed in his hands.  He held the child in front of him and gazed into the baby’s eyes.  The baby gave a sweet little grunt and smile and nestled into his hands, and my uncle looked up with the biggest of grins.  It was as if you had given him a new Dewalt Double Bevel Sliding Compound Mider Saw with XPS technology.

That is the beautiful thing about tiny babies.  They just accept whoever you are.  They do not know your past.  They do not know your hangups.  They do not your grumblings.  They just love that you are with them, holding them.  They just love you in that warm, simple, infant way.

A fellow pastor once confided that they love the baby Jesus so much, that they secretly picture the baby Jesus even when listening to the words of the adult Jesus. 

The pastor explained, “Jesus never lost that accepting and loving nature that little babies have.  Who else loves enemies but little babies who do not know any better and Jesus?  Who else spends time with sinners and those with sordid pasts without any judgment at all accept little babies and Jesus?  Who else forgives so readily but babies and Jesus?  Babies are just so happy that you are willing to spend time with them and be with them.  So is Jesus.  So, yes, I imagine baby Jesus whenever I hear the words and actions of the adult Jesus.  Who else but someone with the heart of a child would be willing to go to the cross and die for others, out of pure love.  That sort of pure love and acceptance of us is the love of a baby.”

I must admit that the picture that he unintentionally painted in my mind of the Christ Child hanging on the cross has stuck with me for years and years.

And if what that pastor said is true, if that image of the baby Jesus’ love for us is true, then it is also true that Jesus comes to be with and save even you.

It was true for Mary.  She was just a young woman, making her way through life, when an angel suddenly showed up and said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus” (Luke 1:30-31).  The angel continued to explain that “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). 

The angel told Mary that Mary had found favor with God, and that this savior would come to her, within her own womb! 

And if the baby Jesus comes to bless a normal, young woman like Mary, then I am willing to bet that Jesus is willing to come even to you.

She was not the only one who got such a gift.  Do you remember those poor, homeless shepherds who resorted to, “living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night” (Luke 2:8)?  Well, the Bible says that the angel came to them as well.

"Do not be afraid;” the angel declared while they lay in the tall grass of their exterior bedroom, “for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!" (Luke 2:10-14).

So, they left their sheep in the fields and went to find the one who was born and had come as a savior and Messiah for them, and the whole world. 

And if the baby Jesus comes to bless some homeless guys, sleeping out in the fields, then I am willing to bet that Jesus is willing to come even to you.

Jesus did not cease providing this kind of gift after he grew to become a man.  While being put to death on a cross, Jesus hung next to a couple of thieves, who were hanging on crosses as well.  It was a scene of lingering death.  It was a scene of despair.  It was a scene of absolute hopelessness.  Yet, Jesus made sure to be there.

One of the thieves mocked Jesus, but the other admitted the kind of person he had been.  He admitted how low he had slumped in life.  He pleaded to Jesus: “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”  And Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:42-43).

Jesus made sure to come and be present with that man.  And if Jesus comes to bless a guy such as him with eternal life, then I am certain that Jesus comes even to you.

As a baby, Jesus comes even to you.  On the cross, Jesus comes even to you.  Out pure love, Jesus comes even to you.

So, as you sing out your praises tonight for the “Son of God” and “Love’s true light,” take a moment to ponder with Mary, and hear all that was said about this child, the child that God gave to Mary, the child that God gave to the shepherds, the child that God gave to that thief on the cross, and take some time to marvel that Jesus comes even to you with an infant’s love.  It is a love who sees no past mistakes, sees no rough exteriors, but simply loves with a purity that can save you, redeem you, and even has the power to restore all of creation.

Love has come this night.  Love has come to the world.  And love has come even to you.

Reflection on Matthew 1:18-25 (Sunday, December 21st, 2025)

 

Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSVue)

18 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly. 20 But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

 23 “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son,

  and they shall name him Emmanuel,”

which means, “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife 25 but had no marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Jesus.

Reflection

Now the birth of her child took place in this way.  First, just a note: though the wording of the story reflects that of the story of Jesus’ birth as found in Matthew, the teenage girl in this story did not give birth to the savior of the world.  And though her name was “Mary” and her boyfriend’s name was “Joe,” they are not to be confused with Mary and Joseph from the scriptures.

With that clear, the birth of Mary’s child took place in this way.  Mar, as her friends called her, had a boyfriend, Joe.  But Joe was not the father of the child.  It was not possible.  Joe was a righteous and shy guy and had never slept with anyone.  Nor was the birth of her child a miraculous mystery as depicted in the pictures within the center pages of Mar’s Bible.  There was nothing mysterious about it.  The pregnancy was the result of a series of bad choices at a party one night.

“Well, there was nothing to be done about that now,” she thought to herself as she stared at the results on the pregnancy test.  She was full of so much fear.  Mar feared the reaction of her parents.  They would be so disappointed and scared for her.  Mar feared the reaction of those in her church.  What would they think of her now?  Mar feared more than anything the look on Joe’s face.  She would have to tell him eventually.  It is not something that could be hidden for long.  And Joe was such a good guy.  It was not right for her to simply remain silent.

Mar grabbed her Bible for some comfort and guidance.  She wondered how Mary felt when she had to face her parents and when she had to tell Joseph that she was unexpectedly pregnant.  Of course, Mary had a divine messenger to deliver her message.  She only had a cheap piece of plastic to deliver her message.  Mary had done nothing morally murky.  God had given her the gift of her baby.  Mary deserved no harsh words.  She did. 

Yet, as different as they were, she could not help but feel drawn to Mary.  Mary’s life reflected some of her own fears.  Mary was rejected by Joseph at first.  Mary moved out of the area to be with her cousin, Elizabeth.  Mar thought about the stories that her great grandmother told of young women who used to simply “disappear” from town for nine months.  Though she wanted to just disappear, she would not be allowed to go anywhere.

The talk with her parents went better than she feared.  They were disappointed, but they made it clear that they loved her and supported her. 

It was Joe’s reaction that hurt.  She told him after school in the hallway as it deserted of other students.  “I’m pregnant,” she said simply.  He just stared at her for a moment and then muttered, “I just can’t,” and walked away.  A teacher had to console her in the empty hall. 

There is nothing in the world that is heavier than the feeling of hopelessness.  Mar’s therapist suggested a plant.  “Taking care of a plant can offer some sense of hope and purpose when we feel hopeless and depressed.” 

Mar put the plant in the windowsill right behind her bed.  She gave it a little water and attention; nourishment and attention that she would eventually need to give to her baby; nourishment and attention that she would rather be giving to Joe.

“He just disappeared.  He just left her in the hall and disappeared,” she cried.  She never meant to hurt him.  Her tears watered the plant.

In church, sitting next to the banner on the church wall that listed the names of all those who had been baptized in the church since its very beginning in 1864, she looked and saw her name.  Her baby’s name would soon be there as well, just a little lower.  And then she saw Joe’s name, which was near her own.  She glanced across the church at Joe.  He was sitting, stoned faced, looking forward, with his mother.  Though she tried, she did not catch his eye.

Mar listened as the preacher read the Christmas story from Matthew.  “Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly” (Matthew 1:18-19).  The words thudded in the pit of her stomach.  “Divorce her quietly.”  “Quietly.”  “Quietly, leave.”  “Quietly judge.”  “Quietly abandon.”  “I just can’t.”  The words pushed tears up from her stomach and into her eyes.

“But just when he had resolved to do this,” the pastor continued reading, “an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: ‘Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him “Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us’” (Matthew 18:20-23).

At the end of the service, she tried to catch Joe.  She needed to talk.  She needed to connect.  She needed to say how sorry she was.  He was nowhere to be found.

“God, I can’t do this!” she screamed silently out her bedroom window to the heavens that night.  “I need your help God!  Give me a sign.  Emmanuel means “God is with us.”  That is what the pastor said.  “God is with us.” 

“God if you are with me, allow a breeze to move this plant in the window.  I need to know that you are with me.  I need to know you are there!”

She stared at the plant for a full five minutes.  It did not move.  Her tears would have watered the plant had she not buried herself into her pillow and fallen asleep.

“Did Mary have to deal with all of the staring?” Mar wondered.  As her belly grew larger, her “mistake” was making its presence ever bigger, for everyone to see.  It was like she was a billboard for immorality.

During the church luncheon, down in the cold, church basement, she sat in the corner, trying not to be seen.  People’s eyes seemed to be drawn to her anyway.  They looked up from their roast beef and mashed potatoes to steal quick glances.  She saw the head shakes of disapproval.  She felt the lectures to their own children formulating in their minds.  She turned her back to them all but felt their eyes anyway.  She felt their judgment.  She felt like a freakshow.  She felt so, so alone.  Where was Joe?  She needed Joe.

Her mom and dad could not comfort her that night.  She stormed up into her room, slammed her door, and dropped onto her bed.  She looked up into the sky to pray, to plead, to see God’s presence, but her eyes fell instead on her plant.  It had withered and was laying limp over the edges of its pot.

“I can’t even take care of a stupid plant,” her scream dripped with self-hatred.  “God, how do you expect me to take care of a baby if I can’t even care for a plant?  I just can’t.”  She threw herself to her pillow.

Did Mary doubt?  Did Mary wonder if she had what it would take to raise the Messiah?  Did Mary worry about dropping the savior of the world on his head?

Mar’s questions lulled her to sleep.

“’Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.’” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife” (Matthew 1:23-24).

Her feet hurt, her legs hurt, her soul hurt, but she still had to walk to her classes.  At the end of the day, she unloaded the books from her shoulder, another heavy burden, and put them into her locker.  As she closed the door, it revealed Joe.  He looked nervous, as if he had something to say.

“Joe, I’m so sorry…” she started.

“I know,” he broke in.  She stopped and waited for the worst.

“I saw you at church on Christmas.  I just couldn’t deal, but the pastor talked about how Joseph decided to be there for Mary and to raise the baby Jesus as his own, and how that showed he was righteous.  I guess what I am trying to say is that I am your Joseph.  You and the baby need a Joseph, and so if you are not too angry at me, I am willing to be that guy.”

It was as if an angel had come to him in a dream and spoken to him.  It was as if the Lord was listening to her cries the whole time.  It was as if the Lord is Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us!”  It was as if this forgiveness stuff was real.  It was as if God can make something good come from a situation that seems wrong and bad and terrible. 

It made Mar want to sing.  It made her want to shout for joy.  Instead, she crumpled into tears, clinging to Joe.

And she gave birth to a son.  Years ago, the Lord had plans for Mary, Joseph, and the baby.  They were plans that led to forgiveness and a promise of eternal life for the whole world.  And though probably not as grand, the Lord had plans for her, Joe, and the baby as well.

“And Mary said, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowly state of his servant. Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name’” (Luke 1:46-49).

Reflection on Isaiah 7:10-16

Isaiah 7:10-16 (NRSVue)

¹⁰ The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, ¹¹ “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” ¹² But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” ¹³ Then Isaiah said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals that you weary my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel. ¹⁵ He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. ¹⁶ For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.”

Reflection

I cannot tell you the number of times that I would have appreciated a sign from God.  “Lord, if I am doing what you want in this situation, please let me know.  Give me a sign, any sign!”

The only thing about signs is that God tends to give signs to those who do not ask.  God gives Noah the sign of the rainbow as a promise that God will never destroy all humankind through a flood again.  Noah did not ask for a sign.  The Lord randomly shows up in the burning bush, giving Moses a sign that God is with him and that God will use him for good.  Moses did not ask for a sign.  And of course there are those shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.  But we will get back to them in a bit. 

I just want to point out that, with exception to just a handful of instances, God does give signs to people, but mostly only to those who do not ask.

I guess that explains why my many requests for a sign are met with complete and utter silence.  “If you are there, God, send me a shooting star!”  I look up and see no star.  “I need to know which way to go in this terrible situation, Lord.  Send an angel to talk to me and tell me the way to go.”  I look around and see no angel.  God does not tend to listen to demands.  God does not make a habit of granting signs whenever we request.  God tends to want us to trust rather than demand.

But that does not mean that God is against sending signs.  In fact, in Isaiah we read that God gives King Ahaz a sign when he faced the looming threat of enemies aligning against him and the southern kingdom of Judah.  God does this even though King Ahaz explicitly told the Lord that he did not want a sign.  The Bible tells the story this way, “The Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.”  But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test” (Isaiah 7:10-12). 

This biblical warning of not putting the Lord to the test comes right from Deuteronomy 6:16 where it says exactly that: “Do not test the Lord your God.”  And Jesus quotes it when refusing Satan’s request that he jump from the top of the temple and force God to rescue him.  We do not request signs, but God does provide us with signs.

King Ahaz does not request a sign, but he needs one.  Therefore, God provides one.  “Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son and shall name him Immanuel…For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted” (Isaiah 7:14 and 16).

God points to a nearby woman, maybe his own wife, and promises that he does not need to worry about these enemies.  God is with him.  That is what “Immanuel” means after.  God will be with him and will take care of him and the entire nation.  “Just watch,” God seems to be saying.  “When the child gets to be around age seven, you will see that you have nothing to worry about.  I am with you.  Peace will come.”  Watching the child grow is a sign that is intended to prove that God is with him and is intended to bring him peace.

King Ahaz ultimately does not trust God’s promise and sign, but that is on him.  I just want you to know that God does provide signs to us, it is just at times when God thinks we need a sign, and not when we think we need one to pop up in front of us from out of nowhere.

Speaking of a sign that comes from out of nowhere, there once were some shepherds living out a field, watching their sheep at night, when an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for see, I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:9-12).

Once again, it is a child who is the sign of God being with us.  Once again, it is a sign that is given and not asked for.  Once again, it is a promise that God thinks both the shepherds and the world needs.

As you gaze at the angel on the Christmas tree as Christmas Eve approaches, remember that God does give signs.  God does desire to be with us.  God does come to save us through the birth of a child.  God does give us signs as a gift of unwarranted love.  It is up to us to open our eyes.

Reflection on Matthew 11:2-11

 

Matthew 11:2-11

2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” 4 Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

  7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What, then, did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What, then, did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written,

 ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

  who will prepare your way before you.’

11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”

Reflection

“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” John the Baptist asks from the dark pit of prison (Matthew 11:3).  That is what ancient prisons were after-all, dark, dank, underground pits that were often overcrowded and filled with despair.  From the depressing confines of the pit, John asks, “Are you the one…?”

Maybe he did not know that two blind men followed Jesus around just days before and cried out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” (Matthew 9:27).  After they caught up with him, Jesus asked, “Do you have faith that I can do this?” (Matthew 9:28).  They told Jesus that they did trust that he could heal them.  The scripture then says, “Their eyes were opened” (Matthew 9:30).  These two blind men had been healed, just as the prophet Isaiah promised: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened” (Isaiah 35:5).

Yet, John sits in prison and asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

Maybe he did not hear about the friends who carried a paralyzed man on a stretcher to Jesus, trusting that Jesus could do something about their friend.  As the story goes, “When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, child; your sins are forgiven’” (Matthew 9:2).  Then after some religious types scoffed at Jesus, Jesus declared to the man, “’Stand up, take your bed, and go to your home.’ And he stood up and went to his home” (Matthew 9:6-7).  The lame man was healed and he got up and walked.  This was just as the prophet Isaiah promised: “Then the lame shall leap like a deer” (Isaiah 35:6).

But, out of the depths of his despair John asks, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

Surely John knew about the man from early on in Jesus’ ministry who listened to the sermon that Jesus preached on the mountain, and caught Jesus on the way down the mountain, asking to have his skin disease healed.  “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” he urged (Matthew 8:2).  After-all he had just heard Jesus preach that the kingdom of heaven was for people such as he.  Jesus responded, “I am willing.  Be made clean” (Matthew 8:3).  Stretching out his hand, Jesus cleansed the man of his skin disease immediately.  Surely, John heard about the man whose skin was restored and, thus, his life spent with friends and family was also restored.  This had to be a big deal!

Yet, John pleads his own disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”

That is not to mention how Jesus healed the guy who could not talk because a demon had possessed him in Matthew 9:32-33, or better yet, the little girl whose story is found in Matthew 9:18-26.  She died while waiting for Jesus to arrive, yet Jesus “took her by the hand, and the girl got up” (Matthew 9:25).  A precious little girl who was dead was brought back to life! 

It is as if the promises of Isaiah 35 are materializing right there for everyone to see! 

“’He will come and save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened; then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:4-6).

It is as if the Lord had finally arrived, the path was made straight for him, and he followed the path right to his people.  The Bible tells us that he was “teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.  So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted with various diseases and pains, people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis, and he cured them.  And great crowd followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.” (Matthew 4:23-25). 

The kingdom of heaven had indeed come near in the very flesh and blood of Jesus, just as the Prophet Isaiah described.  Jesus had become a superstar of heavenly goodness, fame spreading everywhere, and all that John the Baptist can say in response to all of the goodness that was spreading throughout the land by the lips and hands of Jesus is asking him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Matthew 11:3).

I think I know why.  John is not receiving any of it.  He is in a pit, literally and figuratively.  He is literally in a prison pit, and his emotions are also in a pit of deep depression and despair.  Jesus may be saving his people, but John is apparently not one of them.  John is offended at Jesus’ lack of saving…him. 

Jesus has not shown up at the prison with an army to set him free.  Jesus has not overthrown the king that put John in prison for simply pointing out that maybe it would not be a good idea for Herod to marry his own brother’s wife. 

Jesus could take his rightful place as king and pardon John and set him free.  Jesus could have done any sort of thing to help John.  He could have sent a huge groundhog to dig a hole to secure John’s escape.  But has Jesus done that?  No!  Jesus has not done any of that.  Jesus has not sent fire from heaven to consume the retched and immoral leaders.  Jesus has not set John free. 

“Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” (Matthew 11:3).  It is a question that feels a lot like the question, “Don’t you care?”

“Don’t you care?”

I am reminded of the parable of the rabbi who threw a dinner party, invited a whole bunch of rich guests, and invited one poor man.  The poor man was seated next to the rabbi, and when the servants came out with the first course, they set the food in front of only the rabbi and the poor man.  The rich watched as the rabbi and the poor man ate, but out of respect they said nothing.  The same happened with the courses of bread and soup.  Then finally when the main course came out and only the rabbi and the poor man feasted, one of the rich guests finally spoke up out of frustration, maybe he was hangry, and he asked, “Where is our food?  Why are you dishonoring us like this!”

The rabbi looked at the guest and said, “This poor man starves every day, and for one night he gets to feast like he is rich.  Why can you not simply be happy for the goodness shown him?”

It is so easy to only think about ourselves.  It is so easy to miss all that God is doing for others.  It is so easy to be offended. 

Do you want to know who is not offended?  I know of a woman who has been crippled her entire life and has now resigned herself to live in a wheelchair.  She has never run a race.  She has never danced a proper dance.  She has never hiked to a beautiful mountain cliff or peak.  She has never done any of that.

Yet, when she reads in the Bible about how Jesus heals the paralytic, she does not wonder, “Why won’t he do that for me?”  Rather, she gets excited.  She says with a huge smile, “That man got to walk and dance!  I cannot wait for Jesus to do that for me when I get to heaven!  I am going to dance everywhere I go!  They are going to tell me to slow down a little up there and I am going to say, ‘No!  I have a lot of catching up to do!’”

Do you see what this deeply faithful woman has done?  She has not taken the man’s healing as a slight against her.  She is happy for the guy!  Rather, she takes the man’s healing and holds it close to her heart as a sign of hope. 

She knows that Jesus will heal her.  She trusts that Jesus will heal her.  She has the faith of those friends who know that Jesus will heal their paralyzed buddy.  She has the faith of the blind men who answer, “Yes Lord,” when asked by Jesus, “Do you have faith that I can do this?” (Matthew 9:28).  She has the faith of the man walking down the mountain with Jesus who simply states, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Matthew 8:2).  And she knows that when she gets to stand in front of Jesus and ask if he is willing to heal her, she will hear an “I am willing” from the lips of her savior (Matthew 8:3). 

She trusts the promises of Jesus.  She does not take offense that others have found their healing, but she has not.  Rather, she finds hope and promise through their stories.

“Blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me,” Jesus says (Matthew 11:6).

And I think that is why, as great as John the Baptist was, that Jesus says, “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist, yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11).  John cannot trust.  He is stuck in his pit.  He is stuck staring at his coming death.  He is stuck.

But Jesus does not give up on him.  Jesus sends John’s disciples back with this message of good news: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me” (Matthew 11:4-6).  Jesus provides him with the gift of hope.  He provides him with the gift of knowing that the Lord has arrived. 

Jesus does care.  Jesus simply does not save in the ways we expect.  John expects a king who sits on the throne and brings judgement.  Jesus’ throne is a cross and saves us all through sacrifice.  Jesus does care.  The Messiah has arrived.  Take no offense.  Have faith.  Trust.  Trust that Jesus knows what he is doing.  Trust that all will be made right and well.  Trust that you can dance all you want in heaven.  Trust that Jesus cares, because he does.

On the train taking him and other prisoners to their deaths in WWII era Germany, Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer saw the fear and hopelessness in his fellow passenger’s eyes and did what pastors know how to do: he led a service of scripture and prayer for his fellow prisoners.  And after providing a word of hope to those in the pit, his last words to his fellow prisoners were: “This is the end – for me, the beginning of life.”

We do not need to wait for another.  The Lord has come.  Jesus Christ is our light in dark pits.  Jesus Christ brings us all good news.  Jesus Christ shines in our hearts, even when the day seems dark.

Reflection on Isaiah 35:1-10

 

Isaiah 35:1-10 (NRSVue)

 ¹ The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad;
  the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
 like the crocus ² it shall blossom abundantly
  and rejoice with joy and shouting.
 The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
  the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
 They shall see the glory of the Lord,
  the majesty of our God.]]

 ³ Strengthen the weak hands
  and make firm the feeble knees.
 ⁴ Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
  “Be strong, do not fear!
 Here is your God.
  He will come with vengeance,
 with terrible recompense.
  He will come and save you.”

 ⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
  and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;
 ⁶ then the lame shall leap like a deer,
  and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
 For waters shall break forth in the wilderness
  and streams in the desert;
 ⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool
  and the thirsty ground springs of water;
 the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp;
  the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

 ⁸ A highway shall be there,
  and it shall be called the Holy Way;
 the unclean shall not travel on it,
  but it shall be for God’s people;
  no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
 ⁹ No lion shall be there,
  nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
 they shall not be found there,
  but the redeemed shall walk there.
 ¹⁰ And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
  and come to Zion with singing;
 everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
  they shall obtain joy and gladness,
  and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Reflection

“If you want to understand who Isaiah is preaching to in Isaiah 35, take a visit to any of our military or VA Hospitals,” the army chaplain said. 

And what would you see if you visited military or VA Hospitals?  You would see men and women who cannot see because of the explosion of a roadside IEDs.  You would see those who cannot hear because the intense pressures of bombs on delicate ears.  You would see women and men without limbs, learning to do the simple task of walking all over again.  And post-traumatic stress disorder will have led some men and women to turn away from the outside word, rendering them mute …unable to speak…unable to cope with life.  You would see all these wounded heroes and more.  You would see those who were once strong but are now feeble.  You would see those who struggle to walk.  You would see those who drop to the floor out of fear whenever a loud noise bursts through the peaceful scene.  You would see people whose bodies and memories have been deeply wounded by an enemy.

“And once you have seen these brave souls, read Isaiah 35:2b-6 again, and you will understand.”  And so, the Bible is pulled out, and the words start to preach their good news.

“They shall see the glory of the Lord,

  the majesty of our God.

 ³ Strengthen the weak hands
  and make firm the feeble knees.
 ⁴ Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
  “Be strong, do not fear!
 Here is your God.
  He will come with vengeance,
 with terrible recompense.
  He will come and save you.”

 ⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
  and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;
 ⁶ then the lame shall leap like a deer,
  and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:2b-6).

In a world that speaks highly of the warrior, but simultaneously forgets them with hands, hearts, and money, Isaiah has a message for those who have been wounded by trauma and war.  “They shall see the glory of the Lord” (Isaiah 35:2b).  The Lord “will come and save you” (Isaiah 35:4).

The Lord does not forget.  The Lord does not betray.  The Lord does not walk away.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

  and the ears of the deaf shall be opened;
 then the lame shall leap like a deer,
  and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5-6).

The chaplain explained, “All of the talk about waters quenching parched lands and talk of straight roads leading home only make sense if you have been thirsty in battle, searching for relief, wandering across blood stained fields, and wishing for a road that can finally deliver you from that hell and take you home.  Would it not be nice if the Lord sent waters to cleanse lands and wounds at the same time?  Would it not be nice to finally see a path that leads back home?”

Before my conversation with the military chaplain, the imagery simply struck me as beautiful poetry, which it is.  But it had never really struck me just how much these words are a vital promise from the Lord to very real, battered and broken people, who desperately need to hear good news.  They are promises that God gave to people who actually existed back in the ancient world who were beaten down, battered, and broken by an enemy.  And they are promises that God gives to us still today when we are beaten down, battered, and broken.  They are promises that ring clearly in the ears of those wounded warriors from battles past.

In Jesus, we see that ^“the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them” (Matthew 11:5).  It is Jesus who promises: “Everyone who drinks [normal, well water] will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life” (John 4:13-14).

Our parched lands, parched bodies, and parched souls will be restored again.  A spring of water from Jesus will rush into our hearts, flooding it with love and restoration.  On that day it will be said of all healed and restored heroes that “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38).

Reflection on Matthew 3:1-12

 

Matthew 3:1-12 (NRSVue)

1 In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said,

 “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

 ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

  make his paths straight.’ ”

4 Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.

  7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, 9 and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

  11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Reflection

Fire dramatically alters life.  From fires that destroy all you have to fires that burn within your soul, fire dramatically alters life.  And the power of fire is ablaze within John the Baptists imagination as he declares that “every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown in to the fire” (Matthew 3:10).  He talks of fire as if it is some sort of tool used by the Holy Spirit to clear out the dead branches and useless weeds of our lives.  He says that the powerful one who is coming separates the wheat from the chaff, and the useless chaff “he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:12).  John expects that fire will be used to dramatically alter people’s lives.   

Fire changed a woman’s life.  I read about her a few years ago.  I read that fire changed everything about her.  Not only did she lose her home to an arsonist who set her home ablaze, but she also lost her face. 

Before the fire, she was beautiful.  She was beautiful in the ways that models are beautiful.  She was make-up commercial beautiful.  But after the fire, when she looked in the mirror, all she saw was misaligned, plastic textured skin, filled with scars.  All she saw in the mirror was the woman who kids pointed at, and around whom mothers steered their children, as if she were able to spread the devastation to their little ones like a disease.  She rarely went out after the fire.  When she did go out, it took so long to get ready.  She caked on makeup and even needed to draw eyebrows on her face because they had burnt away for good.  The fire was devastating.  It changed her life.

Still, she discovered that there was a life after the fire.  It was a life that she had never known before.  She discovered that there were people who did not look away or walk away when she came near.  There were people who were drawn to her.  There were people for whom her face was an invitation to get closer, both physically and emotionally. 

These people were those who the Bible would describe as outcasts.  They were the people for whom connecting with others was hard because they too were not beautiful, or they had a disease, or they had an odd tick, or they just did not know how to relate to others in the same way as everyone else. 

They were the people with whom Jesus hung out.  There were the people with whom Jesus poured his attention and care.  They were the blind, the sick, and the lame.  They were the socially awkward and the chastised.  And they were the first people to invite the woman over to their table at the coffee shop, so that she would not have to enjoy her tea alone any longer.  They were a gift from Jesus Christ to her.

Life after the fire seemed to be so much more…authentic than life before.  It was less about looks and glamour and more about love and laughter with faulty but lovable people.  The fire had taken so much from her, but on the other hand the fire ended up providing so much more.  It provided the people of God.  It provided love.  It provided a seat with Jesus Christ at the table in the Kingdom of heaven.

Fire does that.  It burns away all that you have previously known.  And that either drives you into complete hopelessness, or it shows you what this life that God has given us, is truly all about.  It is this purifying fire, where all of the impurities are burned away until all that remains is pure and good.  John the Baptist talks about this fire when he says, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).

This fire, which stands as a kind of wall between the common and the divine, is a reality that is very, very ancient.  Way back in Genesis, at the beginning of creation, after the first man and woman had been thrown out of the garden, removed from the presence of God because of their failure to trust God, there was a sword of fire stationed between them and God.  The fire separated them, and if they ever dreamed of returning, they would have to walk through the deadly fire.  (Genesis 3:24).

Some have walked through the fire and stood with the Divine.  Moving in a reverse direction, back toward the Garden of Eden, stepping through the cleansing waters of the flood, and then stepping through the all-consuming, purifying fire at the gate of Eden, Moses steps through the fire when as he climbs God’s holy mountain.  He survives.  He encounters God.  He is given wisdom, the Ten Commandments, all because he steps through that dangerous and holy fire.

Job also encounters fire.  It falls from the sky and destroys all that Job once had.  Job goes through a fiery ordeal, much like the woman with the burned face.  Only after the fire, only after refusing to break his trust in God, does God restore Job to a new life. 

God comes to give wisdom to Job, but only after he had gone through a fiery ordeal. 

And only after the fire did the woman with the transformed face find the community of Jesus’ beloved outcasts.  Only after the fire burned away her idealized life of beauty did Jesus give the woman a real, authentic community of love, all drawn together by the Holy Spirit.

“He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11).

I have something to admit to you.  I do not find stepping into fire to be all that comfortable.  In fact, I tend to avoid stepping into fire and teach my children the same.  Fire is uncomfortable.

Yet, John the Baptist is out in the wilderness preaching a fire-filled word that is similarly uncomfortable to hear.  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” John shouts (Matthew 3:2).  He screams that it is time to change your mind completely.  It is time to prepare a highway for the Lord to come.  It is time to clear out everything that is getting in the way of the Lord’s arrival. 

“Bear fruit worthy of repentance,” John shouts at the Pharisees and Sadducees.  “Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham” (Matthew 3:8-9). 

He wants us to learn not to put our faith and trust in the things and in the people that we have trusted before.  We do not put our trust in Abraham!  We do not put our trust in governments!  We do not put our trust in our beauty or success! 

God can take it all away or replace it any time that God wants!  “Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). 

This fire seems threatening and fearful, because it is.  This fire seems full of death and destruction, because it is.  And this fire seems like it will change everything for good, which it will.  It will change everything for the sake of all that is good.

It is God’s fire, after-all.  It is the fire that Jesus carries with him and pours over the heads of those he loves, just like John pours water over the heads of those who desire more than anything for life to change. 

It is the fire of the Holy Spirit which destroys all that we have previously known but is also the purifying flame at the gate which allows us to pass through the door, back into the garden, to walk and talk with God. 

It is the fire that God uses to open the gate of the kingdom to us.  It is the refining fire that burns away all of the injustice, hatred, unfaithfulness, violence, apathy, misdirected loyalties, cold, unforgiving hearts, and sin which keeps us from life in the kingdom of heaven with God.

It is an uncomfortable fire.  It is a devastating fire.  It is not what you sign up for if you are looking for a day at the spa.  But, the Bible seems to be saying that the only way that Jesus has to draw us to him, to draw us away from the kingdom of this world into the kingdom in which he stands, is to drag us through the cleansing water and pull us through the purifying fires so that we can finally be cleansed of everything that tugs at our trust and love.  After we are pulled through the fire, we can trust in his love. 

Only then, stripped of the old, can we live in Jesus’ new kingdom of love and peace, where “the wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them” (Isaiah 11:6).  Children will be able to play near snakes and not get hurt because, in God’s kingdom, on the mountain of God, in the land of Eden, there is no attacking one another and there is no destruction.  There is just the peaceful life that the Lord our God has given as a gift by his own blood on the cross.

This purifying fire is what death and new life in Jesus Christ is all about.  All of this is what faith and grace looks like when we encounter it.  All of this is being loved by God and then shaped into the person we were created to be.  All of this is being given the gift of living in the kingdom of heaven…the kingdom which has come near.