In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene … - Luke 3:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 14, 2017): Luke 3

As Prince Philip begins his retirement, the next questions continue to be this – how long will his wife, Queen Elizabeth, continue to reign. Maybe not how long will she live, she continues to seem to be going strong. But is there a point where either she voluntarily steps down from the throne and begins to occupy a more peripheral role as well as enjoying a little retirement with her husband, or a time when she invites one of the heirs, most likely Charles, to reign with her. In ancient times, the idea of an heir becoming a co-heir seems to be common. Co-reigning almost served as a time of apprenticeship for the king to be under the guidance of the currently reigning sovereign.

Of course, in the case of Elizabeth, the unfortunate truth is that she has a much higher approval rating than any of the heirs that follow her, with maybe the exception of George - because everyone loves a toddler. And it might be this single fact that stays Elizabeth’s hands - and keeps her sitting solidly, and solitarily, on the Throne of England.

Luke 3:1 has caused no end of trouble for scholars trying to date the ministry of the Christ. Our Calendar was originally intended to count the years from the Birth of Christ, so the year 2017 should mean that 2017 years have passed since the birth of Jesus. The system was devised early in the 6^th century by counting the years back to the time of Christ. But we now know that the original assumptions were wrong, and so Jesus was born earlier than the beginning of the Current or Common Era.

But Luke 3:1 caused a problem in the arrival of our dates – and the problem is actually in dating the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Strictly speaking, the reign of Tiberius began in 14 C.E., and that is the assumption that is made by our Calendar. That would date the beginning of John’s ministry to 29 C.E. and the crucifixion of Jesus to somewhere around 33 C.E. But not all the facts fit that kind of dating. One of the most commonly accepted dates for the Crucifixion is April 6, 29 C.E. But that means that the ministry of John and the baptism would have had to start much earlier than the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius.

So was Luke wrong in his dating? Not necessarily. What has been missed is that Tiberius actually appears to have started to co-reign with his father, Caesar Augustus in 11 C.E. Luke has dated his comment from the beginning of that co-reign which would move the beginning of John the Baptist’s ministry to 26 C.E. which meshes perfectly with a Crucifixion date in 29 or 30 C.E. The year 26 C.E. also matches perfectly with the beginning of the Pontius Pilate term as Governor in Judea.

But Luke has set the stage for the life of Jesus in a particular historical time, and that increases our confidence in the other details of the story that he is about to tell.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 4

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. – Mark 1:35

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 13, 2017): Mark 1

I talk to myself. I always have. Some would argue that talking to yourself isn’t an issue as long as you don’t start answering yourself, but I do that too. There seems to be something important about vocalizing the problem or the situation. It doesn’t matter that there is no one around. In fact, sometimes it is essential to me that no one is around. Because it is in those solitary moments that I sometimes admit the things that I would never own up to any other time. In those moments, I can sometimes get to the root of the problem. Oh, while we are on the subject, I also argue with myself, vocalizing two sides of a problem and trying to arrive at a solution. For me, these solitary discussions are a type of prayer. They are not the only prayers that I offer, but these prayers are still important – at least, to me.

One of the Trinitarian questions that we sometimes ask is this – if Jesus was God, then to whom was he praying when he prayed? My immediate response is that there are so many things that we do not understand about the Trinity, and much of it our minds, trapped in the individualness of time and space, we will never understand. Just because we do not understand something does it mean that it is not true. There is a reality that the concept of the Trinity explains that is left unexplained without it. The Trinity makes its own kind of logical sense, even though we struggle to understand the concept. So is it too hard to believe that a God who exists in essential community as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, communicates within the Godhead? That the Son, who was also the Father, prayed to Father for guidance and power. Or maybe in becoming part of creation, Jesus, for a time, was cut off from all the power of God. Again, the sense in this idea is that Jesus became like us – and I am not sure how that is possible if you possess all of the power knowledge of God. Because that I do not have.

Of course, another explanation is that Jesus talked to himself. He got alone and verbalized what needed to verbalize. I do it all the time, so in this Jesus becomes like me – he finds solace in getting alone and just talking out loud.

The answer is probably a little of this and a whole lot of other realities of which we remain blissfully unaware. But the truth that I believe is that Jesus was God, and even he needed to get alone and pray. And if Jesus needed times of solitary prayer, then so do you we - regardless of how you might understand Jesus conversations with the Godhead of which he was a part.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Luke 3

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. – Matthew 3:15

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 12, 2017): Matthew 3

Actor (and screenwriter) Kevin Spacey makes this comment about his craft. “Storytelling helps us understand each other [and] translate the issues of our times” This idea that the story helps us to communicate ideas in fundamental to good story telling. I love to read and watch fictional tales. Often fans of documentaries or true stories argue that they want their diversions to be based on fact. But the argument misses the point. Good fiction speaks truth to culture. Good fiction always translates the issues of our times. The first inter-racial kiss on television happened on “Star Trek: The Original Series.” It purposefully spoke a truth with which culture was already wrestling. Good fiction always does this – the story is important. All stories, fact-based or fiction, telling the truth that the author needs his audience to understand. It is the reason why even a biographer stresses some events while all but ignoring others. The biographer wants us to arrive at the truth. So all stories, to some extent, are true.

Jesus seems to have this kind of interest in the story. He understood that he was an “actor on the stage,” that everything that he did was part of the grander story that was being told. Even the most mundane events could be important to the story. Everything that happened during his ministry filled in meaning to those who were watching the story unfold.

And for the story, the Baptism of Jesus is an important moment. Some have mentioned that there is no proclamation in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) that specifies that the Messiah had to be baptized. But this was a necessary turn in the plot of the story foreshadowing what would happen in the end. The people expected that the Messiah would be an outside force that would make things right inside of Israel. The Messiah would restore the nation to a position of prominence among the nations. Of course, part of the problem with Jesus was that he had no inclination to be that kind of Messiah. God’s plan was for the Messiah to deal a death blow to sin and restore a right standing between his creation and himself – independent of the outward political reality in which the person lived. To deal that blow, Jesus had to stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of creation.

So Jesus comes to John and becomes just another of the many that John would baptize. In this act, he identifies with the rest of Israel – and takes the first important step toward fulfilling the will of his Father and being the Messiah that God had intended him to me.

It is important to note that Jesus uses the word “righteousness” differently here. Most often “righteousness” indicates a right standing with God. Jesus had a “right standing” even as he was being baptized by John for the repentance of sin. It was not that Jesus needed to be forgiven of his sin and gain that “right standing,” but that righteousness here takes on an ethical characteristic. Jesus message to John is that this action is necessary because it conforms to the will of the Father. And because the Father willed it, John agrees. And the story begins to speak of a truth that the people were missing – that the Messiah had come not to restore a more favorable political reality, but to save the people from themselves, and their sin.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Mark 1

He was with God in the beginning. – John 1:2

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 11, 2017): John 1

Community is essential. I am convinced of that. Suicide rates among people who seem to be isolated are higher than those who exist in community. That does not prove a causal relationship, but it is a reminder that we need each other. I don’t say this as an extrovert who loves to be with people. I am an introvert who loves to spend time alone. Being alone has never been something that has scared me. I am comfortable keeping my own company. And if it were not for my family and friends, I think I could disengage from society. But, in spite of the way that I react to my world, I am still convinced that community is essential.

The flip side that I understand is that, even though people make me uncomfortable, they also stretch me and allow me to grow. They make me stronger. They teach me to love. And I know that, even as an introvert, relationships drive me forward. I want everyone to have, at the very least, a small community of support to gather around them in times of trouble. We all, extroverts and introverts included, need someone who we can phone in the middle of the night when disaster strikes. The reality that I understand is that very few of us have those people in place. And the time that those communities are built is when times are good, and we don’t need those relationships.

Or maybe put it this way. I read a Facebook post recently that decried the fact that insurance companies won’t cover pre-existing conditions. My Facebook friend asked the question – “what are we supposed to do, pay for insurance we might never need.” The answer is – yes. Insurance companies exist to make money. They do that by selling us insurance, in this case, health insurance. The insurance company hopes that we buy the insurance when everything is going good and that we never need it. But the reality is that most of us will need it, and some will need it more than others. But the insurance that we bought from while the sun was shining is there for us when, and if, the darkness comes. Two things happen. First, the insurance company makes money – that is why they exist in the first place. Second, those of us who need help get it when we need it. Community works the same way. We invest in community when we may not feel that we need it so that it is there for us when we do need it.

And community is God’s plan for humanity. In the words of Genesis 1, God says “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness …” (Genesis 1:26). My emphasis as I read these words is on the repeated word “our.” God existed in essential community at the creation of the world, and we are no closer to reflecting the image of God than when we live in community together.

John starts off his gospel by stressing the same thing. Jesus existed with God “in the beginning.” Jesus was part of the essential community that was present at Creation. It is also these words that remind us that, while the incarnation of Jesus began in Bethlehem, Jesus pre-existed his birth in the manger. Jesus was always present, and always will be. And he should be the one who is revealed in our community.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 3

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. – Luke 2:46-47

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 10, 2017): Luke 2

Novelist Thomas Berger commented that “The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.” Wisdom is never gained by expressing our opinions; rather wisdom is gained through the art and science of listening. There are too many examples in Christendom that concentrate on Christians expressing their views without ever asking any of the important questions. Frequently statements of belief cross my desk that seems to have been formed in a vacuum rather than in a discussion. It seems to me that there should be room within our orthodoxy for us to have healthy discussions on relevant topics. But it increasingly appears that that is not the case.

But then there is Jesus. One of the enduring questions about Jesus is how much did Jesus know, and when did he know it. One of our most cherished Christmas Carols, “Away in a Manger,” makes the pronouncement that the baby Jesus didn’t cry. The line “no crying he makes” has always made me bristle as a Christian because crying is part of being a healthy baby. The line of the song seems to reflect an Islamic belief rather than a Christian one. According to the Qur’an, Jesus emerged from the womb able to speak comfort to his mother. Nowhere in the Gospels do we encounter such a story. We can infer from this that the knowledge and wisdom of the ages were already present in the Islamic version of the baby Jesus. But is that true? It might be an easier conclusion to arrive at for our Muslim friend’s because they do not believe in a crucifixion. But we do. So when exactly did Jesus realize that he would die for our sins? It’s a hard question to answer. The easy answer is the Muslim one, Jesus was born with all knowledge. A more compassionate answer is that this is knowledge into which Jesus grew.

Jesus experience at Temple at the tender age of twelve might indicate that the latter is true. Jesus didn’t come into this world spouting answers; rather, he came asking questions. The image that we have here is of a Jesus whose maturity was beyond his young age. A Jesus who entered into the presence of some of the wisest men in Jerusalem and asked questions – maybe even better phrased, Jesus asked the right questions. And in the discussion that followed, he showed that he had an understanding of issues that was rarely seen among someone so young.

When did Jesus know he would die for our sins? We don’t really know, but my guess is that that was also knowledge into which Jesus grew. He may not have known that he would die for our sins until after his ministry began. Maybe the knowledge surprised him. But when the way his life would end became apparent, he also understood there was a reason his life had to end on a cross. There was no other way to allow us to truly live.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: John 1

But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. – Matthew 2:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 9, 2017): Matthew 2

Near the end of his life, Herod the Great placed a golden eagle over the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem that he had spent most of his life enhancing. The backlash from the Jews as a response to the eagle was immediate and severe. The eagle was seen as an idol desecrating the Temple, and the people wanted the eagle removed. Unfortunately, at that time Herod fell ill, and died, leaving a struggle of succession in his Kingdom. Two popular Jewish teachers, Judas and Matthias, took advantage of the political vacuum and encouraged their students to tear the eagle off of the Temple entrance. The students used axes to chop the eagle down. Because Herod the Great was dead, the reaction to the students was left up to those who were actively contending for the Herodian throne. In this instance, it was Archelaus, who had become the front runner for the contested throne, who ordered that the two teachers and their students be burned alive on March 13, 4 B.C.E.

The resulting death of the teachers and students enraged the population that was gathering to celebrate Passover. Judas and Matthias and their students were immediately revered as martyrs who needed to be honored. A riot ensued during the Passover of 4 B.C.E., and 3,000 Passover participants were killed and Passover in Jerusalem that year was canceled by Archelaus. In the end, Archelaus was named “ethnarch” (essentially “national leader”) and was given half of his father’s kingdom, while his brothers Antipas and Philip divided the other half as “tetrarchs.”

And while it seems that by the end of his reign, Herod the Great was insane, Archelaus maintained that insanity throughout his reign. He was cruel and ruled over his kingdom so badly that the Jews and the Samaritans temporarily put aside their differences and petitioned Rome to have Archelaus removed. Rome finally obliged, sending Archelaus into exile and off of the pages of history. He died sometime before 18 C.E.

But there is ample evidence for us to understand why Mary and Joseph would not have wanted to bring their baby boy back into an Archelaus controlled Bethlehem. Instead, they moved to their former home in Nazareth, Galilee, which was under the control of Herod Antipater (or more commonly Herod Antipas). And it is in Galilee that Jesus would grow, learning his father’s trade and waiting out his time before his ministry finally began.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Luke 2

Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab, Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth, Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife ... - Matthew 1:5-6

Today’s Scripture Reading (September 8, 2017): Matthew 1

One thing I like about the Bible is that it refuses to pull its punches - even when regarding itself. You don’t think that Jesus rose from the dead, the Bible is way ahead of you – it admits that that rumor was circulating in the days after the resurrection (Matthew 28:12-15). If the words of Matthew were written centuries instead of decades after the death of Jesus, we might expect them to gloss over that fact, to tell us that the people of that time have always accepted a resurrected Jesus. But the Bible refuses to tell us that story. We also know that Judas betrayed, Peter denied and Thomas doubted. The disciples were far from the perfect group of older men with halos around their heads that we often see in old paintings.

This is true even in Jesus list of ancestors. Matthew can’t seem to help himself. He only lists four women other than Mary in the entire genealogy, and all four women had questionable pasts. Yet, Matthew appears to proclaim them in the lineage of Jesus with pride. Tamar (verse 3) gave birth to Perez and Zerah after disguising herself as a Temple Prostitute and tricking her Father-in-law, Judah, to make love with her. Rahab is likewise believed to be a prostitute, although there is some disagreement about the Hebrew in her case. Ruth was a Moabite, and Moabites were forbidden to intermarry with the children of Israel, and the fourth woman Matthew can’t even bear to name. We know, of course, that her name was Bathsheba. Matthew identifies her by the sin that David committed because of her. David was enchanted by Bathsheba’s beauty and, therefore, he committed adultery with her, although I know some women who would argue that David forced himself on her. Bathsheba became pregnant and, to keep his sin hidden, David recalled Uriah from the front so that he would sleep with his wife and in the end believe that the baby was really his. But Uriah proved to be too much a man of honor to accept the pleasantries of home while his friends were still on the battlefield. And so, David, the man after God’s own heart, had Uriah murdered.

None of these stories make it into our sterilized version of the birth of a Baby in a manger, but Matthew wants to make sure that his readers know that they are there, lurking in the background.

The reason? There are most likely a few reasons hidden in the recesses of Matthew’s mind, but two probably need to be highlighted. First, know that your heritage does not define you. Who your ancestors were is not who you are. You are an individual valuable to God. But more importantly, there is room for all of us no matter what is in our past behavior. None of us are perfect, but somehow we find a way to muddle through and make a difference exactly where it is that God places us. And that is really all that matters.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 2