Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. – John 16:20

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 31, 2020): John 16

In his classic work, “Les Misérables,” Victor Hugo writes that “those who do not weep, do not see.” It sometimes amazes me the lengths that some of us are willing to undertake to avoid our tears. I know of people who say that they avoid relationships to avoid the grief that happens when those relationships disappear. You won’t cry at the deaths of those important to you if you don’t allow anyone to become important. There are those walking among us who keep their eyes firmly closed so that they cannot be disappointed by anything currently taking place in our world. If we deny reality entrance into our lives, there will be no reason to weep. Unfortunately, there will also be no reason for joy. In fact, the only reason why we weep is that something, or somebody, which has caused us delight has been removed from our presence. If they didn’t make a difference in our lives, there would have been no reason for weeping.

Of course, we also value different things. An election might be an excellent example of that. A result that makes some happy will cause others to weep. And that is just the reality of this world.

Jesus taught his disciples that a moment was coming when they would suffer deep grief even as the larger world rejoiced. It wasn’t something as trivial as an election result that would cause the coming sorrow; it would be his death. While the larger world might have believed that they had stopped a rebel from destroying the very fabric of society, Jesus’s followers were going to suffer the loss of the relationship that they had with their rabbi, the embarrassment of being connected with the crucifixion of someone the world had declared to be a criminal, their defeat at the hands of their opposition, and the loss of all hope.

But the loss was only a momentary setback. In a matter of days, Jesus would overturn the sorrow as he rose from the dead. What the world had tried to accomplish would be translated by God into a brand-new key. And the disciples would go from mourning the loss of someone who had made a difference in their lives to rejoicing that he is still on the throne.

It has been a tough year. There is much that we have lost in the past few months. But maybe there is no better time to be reminded that Jesus is still on the throne. He continues to be the God who sees us and everything through which we have suffered. And what the future holds is firmly in his hands.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 17

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to my son-in-law, Greg. I hope you have a great day!

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. – John 15:13

Today's Scripture Reading (December 30, 2020): John 15

"A Nashville Christmas Carol" asserts this sentiment; "There is no ghost of Christmas future. It is a song yet to be written." The story of the "Spirit of Christmas Yet to Come" is one that we are continually writing with every moment of our lives. What we do today writes the song that we will sing tomorrow. How we finish this year will lift us up into the joy of the next or make the trials of the coming year even harder than they might already be. The reality of what the future becomes is written in the words of the song, and to the tune, that we are writing today.

For John, there was no doubt about the song that Jesus was writing in the final moments of his life. Over and over again, John stresses that the lyric Jesus was writing was one of the greatest love songs ever sung. And he hoped that his followers would take up the lyrics of the music and sing that love song loudly wherever the story of life takes us. If there is a regret that we have, it might be that we haven't lived out those lyrics in the moments and movements of our daily lives, regardless of what was happening in the outside world.

Living out this love was precisely what Jesus had done throughout his life. He loved. Jesus loved all of those with whom he came in contact; the sick, the sinner, and the righteous could all find love in the company of Jesus if they were willing to look for it and accept it. As his followers went out into the world, he hoped that they would echo that love.

In a recent denominational meeting, there was a mention that one faction of the denomination wanted to exclude another part, mainly over what they described as unorthodox beliefs. It happens more often within the Christian church than I would hope. We find fault and divide, hoping to find our echo chamber where no one will disagree with us. The reaction to the faction that wanted to exclude several churches was that maybe they should leave. Perhaps we should total the number of people or churches in each of the divisions and the one with the most wins. But that wouldn't have been a Jesus answer.

As this discussion raged, I dared to voice my hope. Not that anyone would be excluded, but that our tent was big enough to include both sides of the argument; that in love, we could discuss our differences and then meet at the table and eat the bread and drink the wine, sharing in Christ's love.

Jesus had written the love song throughout his ministry, but now was the time to show his followers how much he loved them. I love the way that Adam Clarke sums up this passage. "No man can carry his love for his friend farther than this: for, when he gives up his life, he gives up all that he has. This proof of my love for you I shall give in a few hours; and the doctrine which I recommend to you I am just going to exemplify myself."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 16

Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them." – John 14:21

Today's Scripture Reading (December 29, 2020): John 14

I have a love/hate relationship with rules. On the one hand, they make life so simple. Rules tell us where to stand and remind us when we are coloring outside of the lines. We actually need rules. Well-adjusted children are often the ones who have grown up with a clear set of rules and expectations. There is no guesswork. When the child does something wrong, the excuse that says "I didn't know" is a lie. When they crossed the line, rules reminded them that they were moving from right into the familiar territory of wrong.

But rules are also so human. And sometimes, we make up rules hoping that they will take us someplace where we were never intended to go. Sometimes rules are good, but sometimes we give them too much control over our lives.

Jesus said that whoever knows my commands and keeps them is the one that loves me. It seems pretty straightforward. Jesus is telling us to keep his rules. If we do that, then we will be showing our love for him. And that makes sense. It is the same thing that we believe in our interpersonal relationships. If you love me, you won't place me in positions that make me uncomfortable, and you won't break my rules.

Our response to Jesus's command is to make up a list of rules and expectations that we believe indicate that we are honoring God's laws. When someone contravenes one of these rules, we feel it is evident that they don't love Jesus. As a result, we take action against them because if they really loved Jesus, they wouldn't have broken the rules. We exclude them, or shun them, we kick them out of our fellowships, disassociate them from our denominations. It is a logical response to the breaking of the rules.

But I wonder if we miss the point. After all, this is John on the other end of the pen, the disciple of love. This is John, who records Jesus's words as "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another" (John 13:34-35). We need to be reminded that Jesus told us to love each other. If we love God and each other with every part of our lives, in that act of love, we have fulfilled all of the rules that Jesus considered to be important (See Matthew 22:34-40).

If we take Jesus's words seriously, then it might not be possible to follow Jesus's commands and love him if we cannot love each other. As people contravene our rules and we respond to exclude, the one who we are excluding is Christ. It is a hard teaching, but I think that the result of this command is that Jesus is comfortable being part of a massive tent, with people who believe different things, as long as we love.

Jesus's words to us are simple. Love! Love me, love God, and love each other. Do this, and the Father will show you his love, just as I show you mine. And if you love, I will reveal myself to you."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 15

Jesus answered, "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." – John 13:10

Today's Scripture Reading (December 28, 2020): John 13

I believe in "short lists," although I am willing to admit that I am not always good at it. The idea is that we need to keep our lives as current as possible with God and with others. Every night, I try to make it a practice to re-evaluate the day and note the places I could have done better. As well, where is it that I need to ask for God's forgiveness for the acts I have committed during that day? Do this every day, and the list never gets too long; therefore, "short lists." One of the side effects of keeping "short lists" is that you stay humble; you are continually reminded that you are far from perfect and that there is always room for improvement.

Hebrew society made a connection between physical cleanliness and spiritual cleanliness. They were continually washing their hands, not because it was a healthy way to live or a way to deal with a biological pandemic, but because they believed that there was a spiritual pandemic present in the society with which they needed to deal. So, they washed their hands, their way of keeping a "short list."

As the disciples show up to share in a Passover meal, Jesus does something unexpected. He doesn't ask them to wash their hands, making them spiritually clean. Jesus emphasizes their feet. Walking on dusty roads in sandals created dirty feet. Often, at a social gathering, water would be provided to wash the feet of those attending the group. Often a servant would wash the feet of the guests. If there wasn't a servant available, the guest with the lowest standing would usually take up the task. You can imagine the disciples gathering and seeing the water for the washing of feet and quietly trying to evaluate which one of them should pick up the water, wrap a towel around their waist, and begin the process of washing feet.

But before one of the Twelve could begin the process, Jesus took up the water and a towel and started the process of washing the feet of his friends. Some, confused, allow Jesus to wash their feet. But for Peter, it is too much. When Jesus comes to him to wash his feet, Peter refuses. It just isn't the rabbi's job to wash feet. One of them should be doing the washing.

Except that Jesus is not really washing their feet. He is making a point about their spirituality. It needs attention. Walking on the dusty streets makes their feet dirty, but living in this world tends to do the same things to our lives. Just like we need to wash our feet when we come inside, we also need to make sure that we are spiritually clean regularly; we need to become people of "short lists."

Peter goes the other way. Jesus, if you need to wash me so that I can have a part of you, then don't stop with my feet; wash all of me. But Jesus reminds him that if he is a person of short lists, it isn't all of him that needs attention, just his feet. And as we move through this world, it is not all of us that needs to be washed, only the dirty parts, the parts included in our daily "short lists."   

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 14

Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers. – Luke 22:31-32

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 27, 2020): Luke 22

In sports, if the opposing team has a great player, you have to devise ways of neutralizing that team member to win. Negative politics is often just one method of taking away the good that a candidate has accomplished, focusing the voter's attention not on the good completed but on the damaging mistakes that the person has made. Of course, in politics, the negatives are often exaggerated or completely untrue. We know that to win, we have to take away from the good that our opponent can or has accomplished. I have to admit that I am still waiting to hear the campaign stump speech that says, "I think my opponent is good, and I love the things that their team has accomplished; I just think that we can do better." The comment would be so out of the ordinary that I think it would garner a lot of attention. But the truth seems to be that what is excellent or even good about our opponent requires special attention if we want to win.  

The same is true in the spiritual world. Peter was a natural leader; he had considerable influence among his peers, whether the apostle recognized that fact or not. So, if Satan were going to take down the apostles' effectiveness, the key would be the failure of Peter. Satan hoped that if Peter failed, then God's grand experiment on the earth would also fail.

Jesus acknowledges that Satan had already submitted the petition to God to give special attention to Peter. The language should make us remember back to the story of Job. According to Job, Satan repeatedly asked permission from God to remove God's blessing from Job. It is a reminder of the Hebrew belief that for Satan to do anything, he has to have God's permission to act. God is all-powerful; Satan is not. God has the power to stop any of Satan's schemes. God chooses not to stop Satan, not so that we would be condemned, but to allow us the privilege of choosing our own path and make our choices, and to strengthen our spiritual resolve.     

But Jesus also tells Peter that he has been praying for him. Jesus has asked God to strengthen the apostle's faith. Jesus indicates that Peter will fail, he would deny Jesus, but that he would also be able to move past that failure, and when he did, he would continue to lead the apostles. When the time came, he asks Peter to be the strength that the apostles were going to need.

We live in a world where we seem to believe that one mistake disqualifies us from future leadership. It is true in the political world, where we are willing to dredge up actions that are decades in the past, believing that somehow our past failures define our present and our future. But the story of Peter should argue against that understanding. Peter failed; he denied Christ during that awful night when Jesus was arrested and executed. But that was not the defining moment for Peter. His failure did not disqualify him from future leadership.

And our failure should not define our present and future. Christianity does not focus on what happened yesterday. It asks us to make a change and follow Jesus today and tomorrow. And know that Jesus is still praying for us.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: John 13

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body." – Mark 14:22

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 26, 2020): Mark 14

I am a Baptist. All that probably means is that I belong to one of the most rebellious Christian denominations ever invented by Followers of Christ. To be brutally honest, we will not let anyone tell us what to do – even other Baptists. (Unless it has something to do with what we do in the bedroom when we are not sleeping. Then we seem to have many forced opinions on each other concerning what we believe – ah, but that is a story for another time.) What amazes me, sometimes, is that there are so many different flavors of Baptists. This rebellious group of Christians who will allow no one to tell them what to do, seem to be continually dividing over the question of what is allowed – and I admit that I haven't quite gotten that part of being a Baptist figured out.

I am a Baptist. My particular flavor of Baptist belief has separated from other Baptists over women's role in the church. There are probably other reasons, but this is the one that seems to stand out the most. And even within my Baptist flavoring, there are quarrels over what is allowed. At least on paper, and unlike some of our closest Baptist relatives, we are egalitarian – which simply means that we believe that anything a man can do, a woman can do. (And all my woman readers are welcome to add the word "better" to the end of that statement.) It is part of the identity of who we are.

But there is another part of our identity, and it is a specific rebellion against the Roman Catholic Church. When we celebrate the Lord's Supper, we stress that the bread is a symbol of Christ's body – that the wine (or, in our case, the grape juice) is a symbol of Christ's blood. It is a rebellion against the view of the Catholic Church called "transubstantiation," a belief that teaches that the bread and the wine used in the Lord's Supper actually changes and becomes Christ's body and blood during the celebration, even though according to our senses the bread and the wine appear to remain unchanged. For the Baptist, this does not happen. The bread and the wine symbolize Christ's body and blood. Sometimes, in our celebration of the ritual, we will downgrade this even further by stressing that the bread and the wine are "merely" symbols. We don't want anyone to get any ideas about what is happening.

However, I was reminded recently that this is not what the Bible says. The words of Jesus recorded by his disciples say absolutely nothing about the bread and the wine being "merely a symbol" of Christ's body and blood. The biblical record states that, according to Jesus, he said "this is my body" and "this is my blood." And this is a significant oversight for a religious group that has many within its fold that hold to a literal understanding of other biblical teachings. The literal interpretation would seem to support transubstantiation. This leads me to conclude that "I am a Baptist, which means that sometimes I am wrong."

The Roman Catholic and the Baptists are probably both wrong when it comes to what Jesus meant when he described the bread of the Last Supper as his Body. Jesus was perhaps looking back to something he had said much earlier in his ministry, "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink" (John 6:54-55). Jesus is not teaching about communion here; the last supper is still months in the future. In the popular language of the day, "eat my body and drink my blood" was an invitation to total commitment. The phrase's meaning was never intended to be literal, as is true with "transubstantiation," but neither was it meant to be "merely a symbol." Jesus's invitation to "take it; this is my body" (Mark 14:22) is an invitation to commitment. Jesus invites us to be fully committed to him (the political meaning of "eat my flesh and drink my blood" in Jesus's day), and that complete commitment would be symbolized by the act of taking and eating the bread and the wine.

Therefore, every time we share in the Lord's Supper ritual, our actions are not "merely" anything. We are committing ourselves anew to the person of Jesus Christ. We are indicating that we are fully committed to the cause and person of Jesus. And that nothing will stop us from carrying out His will here on earth. And that purpose does not change depending on whether we call ourselves Catholics or Baptists.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 22

See also Matthew 26:22

"But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. – Matthew 26:56

Today's Scripture Reading (December 25, 2020): Matthew 26

Mary and Joseph were alone on that first Christmas morning. I have often wondered why Mary would have made the trip to Bethlehem in the first place. Being heavy with child, I can't imagine that Mary was excited to make the eighty-mile donkey ride to Bethlehem. Couldn't Joseph have left Mary with friends or family in Nazareth and made the trip to Bethlehem to register them in the census on his own? Unless, of course, there were no friends. Mary and Joseph, because of Mary's pregnancy outside of marriage, had become outcasts at home. As the pregnancy progressed, the stress mounted, until Joseph would have accepted any excuse to take Mary away from Nazareth; taking her someplace where people wouldn't stare and point at the social pariahs.

As a result, there were no friends gathered around the manger to witness the birth of Jesus. God provided some rough around the edge's shepherds and a group of magi, likely Zoroastrian astronomers, to celebrate the birth. And it was these outcasts who took the place of friends and family on that first Christmas day. But Mary and Joseph's lives were filled with joy because of their son's birth, and they called him Jesus.

Jesus's life did not end in that stable; he grew up. Along the way, this son of Mary gathered some friends and some followers. He attracted crowds around him who marveled at the miracles that he could perform. He taught anyone who would listen about God and his Kingdom. And on Palm Sunday, the crowds shouted their approval.

But when the time came for his arrest, he was alone again, deserted by all who loved him. Matthew makes it clear that Jesus believed that everything that was happening was in line with the prophecies that had been spoken by the prophets centuries earlier. Even the departing of his friends was spoken of by prophets who had written their predictions long ago. Isaiah, specifically Deutero-Isaiah, had prophesied that this would happen in his prophecy of the suffering servant, a foretelling that was likely written during the days of the Babylonian Exile.

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
    a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
    he was despised, and we held him in low esteem (Isaiah 53:3).

But God didn't leave him. He was present in the stable, calling the shepherds and magi to celebrate the birth of his son, and he would stand by Jesus to the very end, even after his friends and family had fled.

I don't know what your situation is on this Christmas Day. I hope family and friends surround you, but I also know that the 2020 pandemic has thrown Christmas celebrations into disarray. A number of us are suffering under a pandemic exile as 2020 draws to a close. But you are not alone. God is with you. And he has promised that he will never leave you, even amid a census, social rejection, or in the long days of a pandemic.

I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and to my distant friends and family, I am thinking of you, and love and miss you.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 14

There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. – Luke 21:25

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 24, 2020): Luke 21

For as long as I can remember, I have been intrigued by the Christmas Star, although probably not in the way that you might think. My obsession began in trying to identify it. I mean, what was that light in the sky that led the Magi to the Baby Jesus. Was it a comet or a supernova or some other stellar phenomenon? Three days ago, on December 21, 2020, if you had looked up into the sky, you might have observed a celestial event that we call “The Christmas Star,” although it isn’t really a star at all. On December 21, 2020, Jupiter and Saturn, the two largest planets in our solar system, aligned to become a double planet and a bright light in the sky. Not only did the planets align, but they also did so closer to us than usual, a phenomenon that hasn’t happened since the 1200s. Could this convergence of worlds be the biblical Christmas Star? Maybe, but that is also unlikely.

When you read the story of the birth of Christ, you quickly realize that there is something wrong with the way that we have interpreted the Christmas Star. For starters, why would the Magi follow the Christmas Star to Jerusalem and the palace of King Herod if they were being led by a light in the sky that would eventually stand over the place where the baby lay. And if the star was leading them, why would they need the input of Herod’s experts to tell them that the King would be born in Bethlehem. We also know that stars don’t work that way. The closest heavenly body to the earth is the moon, and if I asked you to go and stand under it, you would find that that would take you to a reasonably large area, not a specific location, like a stable.

It is doubtful that the Christmas Star was a star that went and stayed physically over a particular place. It is much more likely that the magi were astrologers who were reading the earth's story in the stars. And something happened in the sky, likely the sudden appearance of a wandering star through a known constellation that the magi associated with Israel. Because of the story, read in the stars, they believed that a king had been born. The Magi went to Jerusalem because that is where you would expect to find a newborn King of the Jews. And with this reading available in the stars, the Christian Era began.

Jesus taught that there would be signs in the sun, moon, and stars at the end. Part of the argument is what exactly constitutes the end. For some, the described end is the end of the Second Temple period, an era that ended in 70 C.E. with the destruction of Herod’s Temple and Israel's removal as a nation. For others, it is the end of all things and all nations, a point that we have yet to reach. The argument used against Jesus meaning the end of the Second Temple Period is that there was no great catastrophe observed in the heavens; nothing significant happened in the sun, moon, and stars as the Temple was destroyed.

But this may be a similar misunderstanding to the one we have regarding the Christmas Star. As Jesus is born, the event was so big that the story was written in the stars. And when we get to the end of all things, it will be written in the stars again, for those who know how to read the message.

For Christians, that shouldn’t be us. We don’t need the stars to tell us the story. What we need is a trust in the author of the story, and like the shepherds of the Christmas story, we will already know the tale, told to us by God’s prophets and angels, long before the future Magi read the story in the stars.

Have a great Christmas Eve.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 26

He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "God forbid!" – Luke 20:16

Today's Scripture Reading (December 23, 2020): Luke 20

What would you do if you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you could not get caught? And even if you did get caught, there would be no consequences. Life is filled with consequences, and understanding the consequences often keeps us on the narrow path. Every time I drive down an open highway, it is the thought that I can't afford the speeding ticket that keeps me from seeing how fast my car will go. We might not steal because it is wrong, but even a moral judgment like that is based on the idea that if we get caught, there is a penalty to be paid, and if we don't get caught, God will know, which implies an eternal punishment. Years ago, I had a conversation with a medical doctor who admitted that he had "stolen" some small items during his internship. It was something that everyone did, purposefully or accidentally, and this doctor felt that he needed to make it right even though no one knew what I was that he had taken. If he refused to set things right, he knew that he could never get his relationship right with God.

But what if none of that was true. What if God closed his eyes for a day, and all law was suspended. What would you do? Most of us will never live in a time when that situation might arise. And many who believe that they do live in that kind of a world are deluded. Consequences might be different for different people, the rich and powerful may not seem to play by the same rules, but there are still rules by which they live. And what we do matters.

Jesus tells the "Parable of the Tenants," which tells the story of an owner of a vineyard who decides to rent his vineyard to some tenants. But once the tenants gain control of the vineyard, they believe that the vineyard was theirs and that the owner no longer had any right to the fruit. Three times the owner sends a servant to collect the rent, and three times the servants are rejected. Finally, the vineyard owner sends his son, believing that he would not be dismissed and that the tenants would make good on the debt owed to the vineyard owner. But the son is also rejected, and in this instance, killed. Jesus argues that the vineyard owner will send in his army and have the tenants executed and that the owner will then rent the vineyard to different tenants.

The Pharisees understand the parable too well. And they should. Everything that they did, the way they lived their daily lives, was so that Israel would never have to suffer that kind of rejection ever again. The end of the Jesus parable had already been lived out in the Assyrian and Babylonian exiles. It would not happen again. God would not do that to them. They were unique, and they were doing nothing wrong that would require that kind of response from their God. They were the Pharisees, and they were beyond reproach.

But the problem with the Pharisees was that while they were keeping the law, it was their law and not Gods. But they missed that. The Pharisees and all of Israel were mistaken about what their future might hold because they had missed the presence of God's Son, who had been sent to them to remind them that they were stewards of all that they possessed and not the owners of it.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 21

Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come. – Mark 13:33

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 22, 2020): Mark 13

Christmas is almost here, which, of course, means that Advent is almost over. Advent simply means "a time of waiting." And every Advent is actually not really a reminder that Christmas is coming, but rather that there was a time when the world was waiting; a time when the Messiah had not yet come, a time when all of the miracles that Jesus did had not yet happened. I once had the privilege of serving under a Senior Pastor who banned Christmas carols until Christmas Eve. He reasoned that you couldn't sing "The First Noel" before the birth of Jesus; the song didn't make sense before the birth of Jesus. "Away in the Manger" and "Hark the Herald Angels, Sing" don't make sense in a world that had never seen the child in the manger or angels singing their greeting to the shepherds. I am not sure the congregation ever accepted the plan, but there were no Christmas Carols sung in that church before Christmas Eve; however, we did extend the singing of the much-loved carols into January.

Of course, we cheated. We cheat every year. When we celebrate Advent, it is a short four-week celebration. And we know the particular day that it will end. Even in a church that refuses to sing carols during Advent, we know that we will sing the carols once again in four weeks and a little bit on December 24. We know that in mere days we will greet the child in the manger. The wait might be lengthy for a child waiting for presents under the tree, but we know precisely when the waiting will end. The first time, before the manger and the angels, they didn't know that end date. They were waiting, not knowing when the waiting would end.

But just because our Advent waiting ends in a couple of days doesn't mean that we are not still waiting. Yes, we will soon celebrate the first coming of the Messiah, but we also know that Jesus is coming again. And for the past two millennia, we have been once again waiting, not knowing when that day would come.

Jesus cautions his disciples to live their lives in a condition of alert because you do not know when this time of Advent will end. Jesus's followers were asking for the signs and signals of the end. Maybe they didn't realize at that moment that they were asking about Jesus's second coming; after all, they didn't yet realize that Jesus would be leaving them. We have developed an industry around the question of when the end will come. But the truth is that Jesus's answer was a simple one; "Don't worry about the signs of my return. Just be on guard and stay alert. Then the end of this time of Advent won't be a surprise to you."

We live with the same advice today. Don't grow tired of doing good. Live every day in the expectation of Jesus's return, and you will be okay. You don't need to know the answer to the question of when.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Luke 20

Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." And they were amazed at him. – Mark 12:17

Today's Scripture Reading (December 21, 2020): Mark 12

Question: What do Henry David Thoreau, John Adams, Karl Marx, Leo Tolstoy, and Mahatma Gandhi all have in common? Answer: At some point in each of their careers, they were tax resisters. Tax resistance is an ancient practice whereby those who are ordered to pay tax refuse because of their disagreement either with the government in power or with the intended purpose that the government proposes for the tax collected. The Quakers have been tax resisters during times of military conflict, not because they object to the government in charge, but rather because, as staunch pacifists, they object to their tax being used to finance a war. Tax resistance has been blamed for the failure of several of this World's Empires – including the empires of the Egyptians, Romans, Spanish and Aztec civilizations.

So, Jesus is asked by religious leaders whether it was legal, in a Jewish political sense, to pay taxes to Rome. The question was not an arbitrary one. During the first century, various parts of the Jewish population were active tax resisters. The hope was that they could make the occupation of Israel not financially feasible. The Jewish Zealot's refusal to pay the Roman poll tax resulted in the First Jewish-Roman War.

But the answer that Jesus gives to the question of our remittance of tax is ingenious. First, he strikes a blow against Christian tax resisters everywhere by declaring that the coin, which bears Caesar's image, should be returned to Caesar. Essentially his ruling is that since the government provides the currency used in commerce by a nation, that is the only rationale required for a government to demand taxes from its population. With this ruling, it would seem that Christ's faithful followers are prohibited from following any kind of tax resistance policy.

But Jesus did not stop with this prohibition. Not only are we to give to the reigning government what belongs to them in the form of our taxes, but we are also to give to God what belongs to him. If the coin used to pay taxes bears the king's image, then our very lives bear the image of God (after all, Genesis states that we created in his image), and we are to give what possesses his image back to him. In the end, our finances may belong to our governments, but our lives belong to God. And while the governments of our world may use our money to tear the earth apart, God will use our lives, given back to him, to put it back together again.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 13

See Also Matthew 22:21

The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. – Matthew 25:4

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 20, 2020): Matthew 25

Sixteenth-century Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes argued that "to be prepared is half the victory." Part of our struggle is that we seem to have forgotten that in our culture. We take pride in the idea that we don't have to be prepared; after all, we think that being able to react quickly is part of being a competent adult. Or we expect the government or some other official body to come to our rescue when things go wrong.

And as Christians, we have taken it to a new level. After all, God will take care of us. When disaster strikes, God will lift us up. When things get over our head, when we are drowning, or when everything around us is burning down to the ground, God will be our salvation. When a pandemic strikes, we can depend on God to keep us safe, unless God decides that it is time to take us home. Is there anything wrong with what I just said? No. But does that mean that there is nothing that we need to do to prepare? I think we have bought a lie. We don't wear masks amid a pandemic because God will be our mask. We don't save for retirement because God will take care of us. We don't save for a rainy day or an emergency because we apparently don't live in a world where we have rainy days or emergencies. At least, we wish that was true. We react to the future as if we live inside Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California" except that we have forgotten the last line of the song. "It never rains in California, but girl, don't they warn ya. It pours, man, it pours."

The problem is that this mode of unprepared living seems to go against the biblical teaching. God gave Noah the plans for the Ark and asked him to build it long before the skies became dark with rain. He was expected to be prepared for the rainy day ahead. The Israelites took from their wealth to build the tabernacle and later the Temple. They had to save up for the project. The author of Proverbs comments that "a good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children" (Proverbs 13:22). In every instance, God's children are expected to prepare for the future, not just depend on God's wealth to carry us through.

And even Jesus gives us this teaching. In the story of the Ten Virgins, Jesus postulates a marriage celebration and ten young women who had been chosen to help with the festival. All of them brought lamps, in case the celebration started at night. But only half of them bothered to get the fuel needed to keep the lamps lit. The foolish virgins brought the lamps as part of their costume, but why waste time and money on oil that was not necessary. The wise virgins brought the oil, even though they may not need it.

As it turns out, the bridegroom is late, and it is night before the party starts. Suddenly the lamps are necessary, but only half of the young women are prepared for the night. The rainy day had come, but only half of the virgins had were ready for it. And as the story goes on, the bridegroom makes no allowances for those who were unprepared.

We need to be prepared for whatever the future holds for us. Yes, God will be with us for whatever is about to happen. But we also have a responsibility to prepare for any rainy days that might be ahead, to the best of our ability. Because even with God, being prepared is half the victory.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Mark 12

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. – Matthew 24:6

 Today's Scripture Reading (December 19, 2020): Matthew 24

John Lennon once said that "if everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace." The Ten Commandments warn us not to covet, not to want what it is that our neighbor possesses. The Commandments fail to mention that this is one of the root causes of war; wanting what someone else owns or willing to do whatever is necessary to get another television. But until the wanting ends, war will always be with us. Unfortunately, it is part of the human condition.

One of the significant misperceptions is that wars and rumors of war are signs of Christ's predicted return or a gateway into the end times. It is the line that I hear from friends who are convinced that Jesus is coming soon; our newscasts sometimes seems to be filled with wars and rumors of wars, with assassinations and retributions. And sometimes, the question that is asked is this; How can you watch the news and not believe that Jesus is coming soon.

And it surprises some people that Jesus's message was not that wars and rumors of wars would be the signs of the end, but instead that Jesus admits that these things are part of the human condition. Because we covet, because we refuse to allow God to be our enough and lead us into contentment and a concern, conflict is ever-present in our lives. Our focus should not be on the idea that we don't have the luxuries that our neighbors possess, but rather that there are people in this world who need our help, help that we are entirely able to give. Because we covet more often than we give to those who have less, we are led to wars and conflicts. Jesus's comment is not that catastrophes are a sign of the end, but that they are a sign of the devastation that exists at the center of our souls.

We live in a world that always seems to be in conflict with itself as we chase after that extra television. Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, dreamed of a society that could get past its materialistic tendencies. It was a place where money had no meaning, where hunger had been dealt with, a place where we want peace more than we want another television. But even within his vision, there was conflict. The Romulans and Klingons were a threat, and every once in a while, Captain Kirk got into a fight with someone. Wars and rumors of wars were part of even Roddenberry's hopeful vision of the future.

When you hear of war and rumors of war, we need to pray that God would enter into the conflict and heal the wounds. The Christian Church should be a great force for peace, but the fact that wars still exist is not proof that Jesus is coming soon, but that we are humans who are still coveting and chasing after the extra things that we want, but that we don't need.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 25

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when you have succeeded, you make them twice as much a child of hell as you are. – Matthew 23:15

Today's Scripture Reading (December 18, 2020): Matthew 23

Early in my pastoral career, I was given some advice by a retired pastor in the congregation with which I was associated. The advice? Whatever it is that you do, do it with confidence. It might be your first time, but no one needs to know that. They don’t know what is supposed to happen, so if you are confident, it won’t matter what the details might be that you might get wrong.

For some, it might have been good advice. But the student in me was convinced that if I followed the advice, then I would never be anything more than a pretender. And that was something that I never wanted to be. And so, I studied, and prayed, and tried to get things right; at least, as right as I could.

Yet, there are still areas where I am lacking. I am flesh and blood, with all of the limitations that A that implies. There are things in my life for which I wish I could have been given a do over; a chance to maybe get it right. But that is not life. Those moments of error are a part of all of us. What is important is what we do with that error, and where it is that we want to lead those within our circles of influence. And at the end of the process, my hope is that the only place I am leading people is into a genuine relationship with a very real God who is present with us.

There was nothing wrong with the missionary accomplishments of the Pharisees. Even Jesus argued that if a lamb is lost, that the shepherd should leave the flock, who he called the ninety-nine, to go and find the one. And that was exactly what the Pharisees were doing. The problem was not one of missionary zeal, but the destination to which the Pharisees were leading their new believers.

Nonconformist theologian Matthew Poole (1624-1679) argued that the Pharisees “business was not to turn men from sin unto God, but merely to convert them to an opinion.” And an opinion can never save us. We are never saved by our connection with denomination, or by which translation of the Bible that we prefer. Both of these things are included under the heading of an opinion. We are saved only by our relationship with God.

And maybe that is the danger of our Christian environment. We are full of opinions, but sometimes we are short on God. I am convinced that we are the modern Pharisees, converting people to our idea of Christianity, filled with its share of opinions about a range of topics, but short on leading people into the presence of God. Because we are not, and never will be, God. Hurting people don’t need me; they need Jesus. There can never be any other destination to which I should lead them.  

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 24

"What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. – Matthew 22:42

Today's Scripture Reading (December 17, 2020): Matthew 22

He had built a home for himself that was fit for a king, which was appropriate because he was a king. He deserved it, well, at least he felt that he did. But as he looked out of his palace windows, the thought that struck him was that while he lived in a palace, the place where God lived was a broken-down tent. If he lived in a grand palace, why shouldn't God live in a great Temple?

The King was named David, and the dream of building a great Temple became an obsession, but David's argument did not move God. The building of a Temple was not something that David was supposed to do. His reign had established the secular nation of Israel as a power of the ancient world. Israel existed at the crossroads of the continents. There would be a Temple, but not one built by David, but rather one created by his son.

David assumed that that son was Solomon, but maybe that was not the son that God had in mind. The prophets continued to predict that a Messiah was on the way, one who would come from David's lineage. Solomon might have fulfilled that role in the short-term, but another Messiah was coming from a long-range perspective.

And so, the world was waiting for the one who would come. By the way, that is the meaning of Advent, these four weeks that we celebrate before Christmas. It is a time of waiting. Advent is a reminder that the world once waited for the Messiah, and Advent continues to help us to understand that some still live in the expectation of Advent. There are still people waiting for a descendant of David, who will become the Triumphant Messiah.

Matthew begins his story with a genealogy. Most of us skip over the list of Fathers that Matthew uses to introduce the Christmas Story.  We miss the words that come first because we consider them to be a meaningless prologue, and we want to get to the tale of Joseph and Mary and the baby, born in a stable. Matthew begins his story with "this is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham." But the words are essential to everything that comes next. Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, as was King Herod and his family who ruled over Israel, but Jesus was also a descendant of David, a heritage that Herod could not claim. In fact, just after this opening genealogy, Matthew asserts that Jesus was even born in Bethlehem, the town of David, and the place where David was born.

As we reach the end of the story, Matthew returns once again to the genealogy with which he had started. Who son is he? The message directed toward Jesus's opponents is that Jesus was a son of David. But more than that, while his opponents conceded that Jesus was a rabbi from Nazareth, Matthew stresses that his birthplace was Bethlehem, the town of David. And with everything else that had happened during his ministry, Jesus had proven that he was not just a son of Bethlehem; he was the son of Bethlehem. There was no need to look any further for the coming Messiah.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 23

"Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey's colt." – John 12:15

Today's Scripture Reading (December 16, 2020): John 12

Albert Einstein argued that "peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding." George Carlin said the same thing, although admittedly in a more vulgar manner. "Fighting for peace is like [making love] for virginity." (If you are offended by Carlin's amended thoughts, I hope you will forgive its inclusion here.) The problem that both Einstein and Carlin recognize is that you cannot get to peace through actions that destroy the very fabric of peace. I might add that we can't get to silence by turning up the volume. And neither can we get to understanding by sending the message with a louder voice. Often, when someone disagrees with us, rather than trying a different argument to advance our perspective, we make the same argument at a higher volume setting. It is an amazing and ludicrous thing for us to do. But we do it anyway and believe that, somehow, we will win; that, somehow, we will get to peace.

Jesus preached a message of peace. Yes, he said that he had come to bring division and not peace (Luke 12:51), but that was because Jesus knew that his message of peace would not be accepted. In every generation, some people reject the central principles of peace. Sometimes, these people are found in our own families, causing conflict, and ironically, a lack of peace.

But Jesus came in peace. The proof is found in the rabbi's entry into Jerusalem less than a week before his execution at the hands of the society's religious elite. We sometimes miss the symbolism, but it was not an accidental happening that Jesus entered the city riding on a donkey's colt. There was a message in the moment. When a conquering king entered a city, he did so on a warhorse. But if the king came in peace, then he entered the city on a donkey.

Jesus came in peace. But peace, all peace, requires at least two partners. And on this Sunday, there was only one side that wanted peace. As Jesus enters the city, his opponents had already decided that what they wanted was violence. Jesus might have come in peace, but he would not be received in peace. And in a few days, the peaceful king would be tried, and ironically part of the charge against him would be inciting violence against Rome.

Did his opponents understand the message? Yes, but understanding and acceptance are two different things. And maybe Einstein was wrong. It is not just understanding each other required for peace, but also the acceptance of the other, even amid our disagreements.       

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Matthew 22