MICAH 6:1-8

THE BACKGROUND

The kings of Judah had a team of court prophets.  Often, were yes-men, telling the king what he wanted to hear.  As a prophet, Micah was an outsider.  If there had been a private club in Jerusalem for prophets, Micah would not be allowed to be a member.  What set Micah apart from the rest was that like Isaiah and Hosea, he spoke for God’s Will.  This was contrary to what the king and God’s people wanted to hear.  Today’s first lesson is the essence of his message to God’s people, both then and now.

THE DETAIL

• Micah presents his message in the form of a courtroom scene.  God has a complaint against His people.  He is calling the mountains and hills to be the jury.  God is going to present his case to His people. (vv. 1-2)
• God is obviously not happy with His people.  Have you ever had a parent complain to you, saying “What have I done, that I deserve this sort of behavior from you?”  This is what God is saying.  (v. 3)
• God answers his own question, laying a little guilt trip on them.  He reminds them of the good things he has done for them, starting with rescuing them from slavery in Egypt.  (v. 4)
• He adds a log to the fire.  He reminds them of how their enemy King Balak called on the diviner Balaam to curse Israel, but Balaam blessed them instead.  [Numbers 2] God further reminds them of how he led and protected them as they left their encampment in Shittim, crossed the Jordan River, and defeated the Canaanites at the city of Gilgal.  This would be the first city to fall to the Israelites as they take possession of the Promised Land.  [Joshua 3-4]  (v. 6)
• God’s people plead guilty to the charges.  They ask what their sentence should be.  They suggest a fancier, more intense form of worship.  (vv. 6-7)
• The people are reminded that God has already told them what to do.  It is not about quality of worship, but quality of life-actions.  It’s simple (but not easy)-- 
  • Do justice
  • Love kindness
  • Walk humbly

THE TAKEAWAY

It is easy to say “I love the Lord!”  But it is much more difficult to walk the walk in our daily actions.  This is not to say that God doesn’t appreciate quality worship.  But if the worship isn’t backed up by a humble heart and righteous acts of faith, then our worship becomes a hollow, hypocritical act.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:18-31

THE BACKGROUND

This is a continuation of last week’s second lesson.  You may recall that Paul contrasted the eloquence of certain preachers who had come after him with the “foolishness of the cross”. 

THE DETAIL

• The cross on which Jesus was crucified was the worst form of a death sentence.  Romans had several other ways of doing this, but this was the slowest, most painful, and publicly humiliating.  To a non-believer, worshipping the cross seemed like a foolish activity.  (v. 18)
• Paul takes a pot-shot at wisdom and eloquence in the following verses.  He contrasts God’s wisdom with mankind’s wisdom.    (vv. 19-25)
• He then turns to the reader, holding up a mirror.  He reminds them that God has called them to be the wise, even though they were ordinary people.  This is the wisdom of God in action.  (vv. 26-27)
• Why would God do this?  For one reason, God likes to turn things upside down, as we will see in the gospel lesson.  He loves to challenge our thinking.  He does this so we will have no bragging rights; God gets all the credit, not us. (vv. 28-29)
• So, Paul tells us, forget about all your divisions.  Forget about aligning yourself with Cephas, Apollo; or being Lutheran, Baptist, or Methodist.  It is all about God— we should boast only in the Lord, and what the Lord has done for us.  (vv. 30-31)

THE TAKEAWAY

These are powerful words, both then and now.  How easy it is to ignore these words.  God wants us to focus on our commonality, rather than our differences. 

MATTHEW 5:1-12

THE BACKGROUND

I view today’s gospel lesson as the sort of kick-off or inaugural address of Jesus’ ministry. Chapters one through four give us the background to the life of Jesus.  Chapter four transitions from the work of John the Baptist to the work of Jesus. The first of Jesus’ disciples are called.  Now, it’s time to get down to the business of proclaiming the Kingdom of God.  In the verses just before today’s reading, we find Jesus teaching in the synagogues around the region of Galilee, proclaiming the good news, and healing the sick.  He is starting to draw a crowd.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus takes his disciples up a mountainside to teach them.  He is laying the foundation of what he intends to be an do in the years ahead.  Was he speaking these words to the crowd or just the disciples?  It is not clear.  (vv. 1-2)
• He teaches them what we now call The Beatitudes.  According to Webster, beatitude is “a state of utmost bliss”.  Older translations use the word “blessed”, while newer ones use “happy”.  Both are an accurate translation of the word used in the original Greek.  Jesus tells us that we are blessed-happy when we are:
  • Poor in spirit
  • Mournful
  • Meek
  • Hunger and thirst
  • Need mercy
  • Pure in heart
  • Making peace
  • Being persecuted
  • Are being reviled
• Jesus tells us that if we are these, we should rejoice and be glad!  (I’m not so sure about that…)  The reason for our rejoicing is that God’s holy prophets also experienced these things, so we are in good company.  (v. 12)

THE TAKEAWAY

I don’t know about you, but this does not look like a “Happy List” to me!  In my life, I have come to learn that the list above are not the things that make me happy—quite the opposite. I am not alone.  I have had good Christians try to explain to me that “meekness is not weakness”.  I’m sorry, but I believe it is exactly that—meekness is weakness, and God’s heart goes out to the meek.  So, what is God’s point?  I believe that one reason He sent His son to us was to tell us what matters most to Him; what His priorities are.  This list from Jesus and his Father tells me that His way is not our way.  As adopted children of God, and heirs to the Kingdom, it is our duty to ascribe to God’s priorities rather than our own.  If we are experiencing any of these things, we can rest in the comfort that God loves us, and has blessed us.  If we those around us are experiencing these things, we should love and comfort them as a reflection of God’s love.  It is what God’s children do. 

ISAIAH 9:1-4

THE BACKGROUND

The Old Testament lesson for this Sunday is again from Isaiah.  This passage is quoted in today’s Gospel reading.  But this prophecy had a very poignant meaning for the time at which it was given; God’s people needed to hear what God’s expectations were of them.  Interestingly, God’s expectations are the same for us.  The nations to the north of Judah were conspiring against it.  In chapter 7, God promises a king who would be “Emmanuel”, or “God with us”.  Today’s lesson talks about the time when this promised king will rule. 

THE DETAIL

• God promises that the gloomy days will be gone, and glorious times are coming.  Their relationships with the nations to the north (Naphtali and Zebulun) will be restored.  There will be a time of peace and cooperation.  (v. 1)
• The people of the north (just mentioned) are not Jewish—they’re Gentiles.  They walk in darkness, because they do not know the Lord. But in this new glorious time being foretold, the light of God will also shine on them.  (v. 2)
• This verse is addressed to the people of Judah.  God is telling them that they will be the ones to bring this light to the people of darkness, the Gentiles.  (v. 3)
• Finally, God reminds them that the people who lived in darkness are under a great burden. God’s people will relieve them of this burden.  That’s a good thing!  (v. 4)

THE TAKEAWAY

The king of Judah ignored God’s advice and prophecy, and messed things up.  But those are just the details of the story.  God’s message to His people was that He wants His people to share His love with “the nations” (everybody).  In this time and place, we are God’s people.  We are the ones who share the Good News with those around us.

1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-18

THE BACKGROUND

We’re still in chapter one of Paul’s first letter to the church of Corinth, but look at this—he has already jumped into one of the big problems with that church.  What might that problem be?

THE DETAIL

• Paul pleads with this church to get rid of the divisions that exist between them.  They are quarreling amongst themselves.  (vv. 10-11)
• At the heart of the problem is that they have grouped up into factions.  It appears that the division might be over who baptized each member.  (v. 12)
• Here’s a starter hint at where Paul’s coming from—it’s about Jesus.  More to follow.  (v. 13)
• As an aside, Paul tries to isolate himself from the foray.  He’s not sure, but he doesn’t think he baptized many in Corinth.  He seems to say “Don’t blame me!”  (vv. 14-16)
• Here’s another aside.  Apparently some preachers were more polished or eloquent speakers than Paul.  People must have been aligning with these fancy preachers.  (v. 17)
• Here’s the heart of the matter.  Paul’s message was and always will be about Christ crucified.  Revering the cross might seem foolish to some.  After all, it was the equivalent of a hangman’s noose or the electric chair.  It was a means of executing criminals.  But to people of faith, the cross represents the power of God.  (v. 18)

THE TAKEAWAY

We are all guilty of this problem.  We like to think that our denomination is far superior to all those other ones.  Paul grabs us by the shoulders and says “Stop it!!!” We are all washed in the Blood of the Lamb.  All our divisions are nonsense.  We need to love one another.

MATTHEW 4:12-23

THE BACKGROUND

This scene from the Gospel of Matthew is about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.  He has just recently been baptized by John, and has called his first disciples.

THE DETAIL

• News comes to him that John the Baptist has been arrested by Herod.  Essentially, this signals the end of John’s ministry, and the beginning of Jesus’ mission.  Jesus heads back to his home country, the northern region of Judea called Galilee. (v. 12)
• He moves from his home town, and settles in Capernaum. It is about 30 miles to the northeast of Nazareth.  Capernaum is on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  It is also the northern edge of the country of Judea.  Immediately to the north are the Gentile lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. (v. 13)
• Matthew quotes Isaiah 9.  He reminds his Jewish readers of the prophecy of Isaiah.  (vv. 14-16)
• Thus begins the work of Jesus.  The message is clear.  Scripture has now been fulfilled.  Jesus is the light that has dawned.  Jesus is here to preach not only to the people of Judea, but to those nasty foreigners to the north, too.  The light is for “the nations”.  The light is for the whole world.

THE TAKEAWAY

Matthew was quick to recognize that Jesus fulfilled this prophecy.  Jesus is the Light of the World!  We are Jesus’ servants in this time and place.  We, too, must shine the Gospel Light.  Jesus came for everyone, just as God told his people through Isaiah. 

ISAIAH 49:1-7

THE BACKGROUND

In the central portion of the book of Isaiah are found four “Servant Songs”.  Last week’s first lesson was the first of the four.  This week’s first lesson is the second of these songs.  The third and fourth are found in Is. 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:1-12, if you are interested in looking them up.  In between the first and second song, a lot happens.  In chapter 45, God announces that he has appointed the Persian king Cyrus as the liberator of His People.  In chapter 47, Babylon is defeated and humiliated.  In 48:20, captive Israel is told to flee Babylon, and go home.  The songs describe a person who will lead them on the way of rebuilding.  The big question is who this servant might be.  I will provide three answers in the takeaway, all of which are valid.

THE DETAIL

• The Servant calls for our attention.  The Servant claims that he was called to be God’s servant, even before he was born. (v. 1)
• The Lord gave him the skills needed to do the job.  God names him “Israel”, or His chosen people.  (vv. 2-4)
• But The Servant is frustrated.  Things do not go smoothly.  He is frustrated.  (v. 4)
• God gives The Servant a pep talk, reminding him that God chose him for this task even before he was even born.  (v. 5)
• Then, God ups the ante.  The Servant is not to save only Israel, but the whole world!  (Remember the meaning of “the nations” from last week?)  (v. 6)
• God concludes the pep talk by telling The Servant that kings and princes will bow before him, because God has chosen him. (v. 7)
   

THE TAKEAWAY

So, who was this Servant? We never get his name.  Maybe that was intentional.  I see three possible answers.

1. To the liberated people of Israel, this Servant represented the one who would lead them home and guide them in the rebuilding of their homeland.  I believe that no one was named to this role because the role needed to be filled by many people.  It could be a standard by which all leaders would be compared.  This standard could be applied to anybody who did the Lord’s work.
2. To Christians, going all the way back to the very early days, these Servant Songs were applied to the life of Jesus. Jesus, being God’s son on earth, would most certainly aim to live up to these standards set by His Father.  It was his nature and mission to present us all with a perfect model of these attributes. 
3. These standards can also apply to us today.  We are God’s Servants in this time and place. These are God’s expectations of our behavior, as we serve Him where we live.  We are called by Him to do this work.  When we do so, we shall be “honored in the sight of the Lord, and God will become our strength”.  (Verse 5, slightly paraphrased.)

1 CORINTHIANS 1:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

This is the introduction section of Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth.  It is chock full of God actions.  Keep in mind that God’s grace is “God’s love, freely given”.  The word “called” appears repeatedly.  The calling in all cases is done by God.

THE DETAIL

• This letter follows the classic form of Paul’s letters.  Paul and Sosthenes are the authors of this letter.  Paul reminds them that God has called him to be an apostle of Christ.  (v. 1)
• They are sending this letter to the church in Corinth, who are also called to be saints* by God. This is a remarkable statement. The church in Corinth was not comprised of fulfilled Jews.  They were outsiders—Gentiles.  Paul, who is a fulfilled Jew, states that God calls everyone.  God’s love is for the whole world.  (v. 2a)
• This letter is also intended for “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord”, namely you and me.     (v. 2b) 
• Next comes the customary greeting from God through Paul.  (v. 3)
• Paul also thanks God for bestowing His grace on this church.  (v. 4)
• God’s grace has been lavished on them and us) in many ways—through speech, knowledge and “spiritual gifts”.  (vv. 5-7)
• He assures us that Jesus will strengthen us to the end, and that [because of Jesus dying on the cross] we will be held blameless on Judgement Day.  We are finally reminded that we have all been called into fellowship with Jesus, so God will be faithful to us.  (vv. 8-9)

* When Paus uses the word “saints”, he is referring to all those who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord. The practice of canonizing saints did not begin until several centuries later. 

THE TAKEAWAY

This passage is rich in God-actions!  As we will see in the weeks ahead, the church in Corinth was far from perfect.  Yet, God lavishly blesses them with His love. This is good for us to understand, since we, too, are not perfect.  But God blesses us, warts and all!  We must always remind ourselves that we are all called to be God’s saints.  As saints, we are in fellowship with Jesus, and God will be faithful to us. Thanks be to God!

JOHN 1:29-43

THE BACKGROUND

The gospel of John begins with a very short introduction to John the Baptist’s mission.  The scene shifts quickly to John being questioned by the religious authorities.  John makes it clear that he is merely the one announcing the coming of someone greater than he.  Then, Jesus comes on the scene.  It should be noted that John also had disciples—people who followed him to learn his teachings.

THE DETAIL

• When John sees Jesus approaching, he tells his disciples “Here is the Lamb of God…”! (v. 29)
• John gives them his testimony, including the telling of Jesus’ baptism.  (vv. 30-34)
• The next day, Jesus walked by John and two of John’s disciples.  John again calls Jesus the Lamb of God.  (vv. 35-36)
• Those two disciples of John left John, and followed Jesus.  (v. 37)
• Jesus asked them what they wanted.  Oddly, they answer by asking where he was staying.  Jesus invites them to tag along, and see for themselves.  (vv. 38-39)
• One of the two was named Andrew.  Andrew went & got his brother Simon, saying “We have found the Messiah!”. When Andrew presented his brother Simon to Jesus, Jesus gave Simon a new name, straightaway.  He called him Rock.  (Aramaic: Cephas;  Greek: Petra, or Peter)  I like to say that Jesus called him “Rocky”.  Am I wrong???  (vv. 40-42)

THE TAKEAWAY

It’s good to know why Jesus wanted to rename Simon.   In Holy Scripture where people or animals are named or renamed, it indicates a bond; it is the start of a new relationship. When Adam names the creatures in the Garden of Eden, it indicates that they are under his care.  We do this, too.  We always name a pet as soon as we bring it home, even if it had a different name before.  Sometimes, we give nicknames to our friends, children or grandchildren.  These indicate that there is a special relationship between them and us.  This is what Jesus is doing with Simon.

Jesus gets many titles in this passage.

• John the Baptist calls him the Lamb of God, as in the lamb sacrificed for the Passover act. The blood of the lamb saves the lives of the believers who have the blood smeared across their doorways.
• John the Baptist also clearly calls Jesus the Son of God (v. 34)
• The two disciples of John the Baptist address him as “Rabbi”.  Yes Jesus came to teach us many things.
• Finally, Andrew calls Jesus the Messiah.  God’s anointed one.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Jesus is, of course, all these titles and more.  What do you call him?

ISAIAH 42:1-9

THE BACKGROUND

These words of Isaiah were written during exile.  They present an unnamed servant of God.  The attributes are given to this servant that are unusual for a prophet or king.  Over the centuries, Christians have felt that this passage points to God’s #1 servant, Jesus.  While this certainly is a valid argument, it does not explain what it meant to people for the 500 years between the writing of these words and Jesus. Let’s look at what the passage says.

THE DETAIL

• Right off the bat, the first verse sounds a lot like verse 17 in today’s gospel lesson. God is delighted with this servant of His.  God’s Spirit will rest on him, and he will serve the nations.  More on “the nations” in The Takeaway.  (v. 1)
• The servant is not your ordinary leader.  This servant is soft-spoken; he is gentle.  Yet, his influence reverberates far and wide.  People will listen to him, even way out there on the coast.  (vv. 2-4)
• Now, God gives His servant his marching orders.  He is to be a covenant or promise to the people.  He is to free people from their chains, and open their eyes. (vv. 5-8)
• God says all this will happen exclusively to His chosen servant.   (v. 9)

THE TAKEAWAY

God presents us with a role model; with the type of behavior that He would value in someone who is His servant.  Jesus, being God’s son, came to earth to give us an example of this behavior.  But we, too, are God’s servants in this time and place. As such, we should also strive to emulate these traits.  We should act with gentle authority.  We should work to free the unfortunate from their burdens, and open their eyes to the love of God through our actions. 

When “the nations” appears in the bible, it is a reference to the rest of the world.  It means “out there”, those other people, not us Israelites. God is telling His people through Isaiah that His vision is for all peoples to know and love Him.

ACTS 10:34-43

THE BACKGROUND

During Jesus’ time, the People of God were a closed society.  The Hebrew people kept to themselves, except for whatever they were forced to do by the occupying Romans.  Jesus’ ministry, with a few exceptions, was focused primarily on the Jewish community.  In the early years of the church, all of the believers were Jewish Christians.  This is about to change.  In the first part of chapter 10 (not included in today’s reading), God sends Peter a dream, sanctifying all food, even non-Kosher foods. 

God also sends a messenger to Peter.  The messenger is from the household of Cornelius, an officer in the Roman army. Cornelius is a “God-lover”—a Gentile who loves Yahweh, but has not converted to Judaism.  God prompts Cornelius to have a messenger go and fetch Peter. 

As soon as Peter finishes the dream, there’s a knock on the door.  It is Cornelius’ messenger.  Peter follows, and meets Cornelius.  It is clear to Peter that he has been called to preach the gospel to this Roman Gentile soldier!

THE DETAIL

• Peter’s first words are loaded with meaning—“I truly understand that God shows not partiality…”  It is clear to Peter that the Good News of Jesus is not just for His Chosen People, but for “…every nation…” (vv. 34-35)
• Peter goes on to explain the life and ministry of Jesus, his death, and his resurrection. (vv. 36-41)
• He tells them that their mission is to “tell the people… that Jesus is the one…”, and that “everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins…” Everyone.  Even an officer in the Roman army.  (vv. 42-43)

THE TAKEAWAY

The season of Epiphany began on January 6th.  As we studied last week, Epiphany marks the coming of the wise men “from the East” to worship Jesus.  These men, as well as Cornelius, are not Hebrews.  They signal the coming of a new age; God sent his son for all nations, including Gentiles like you and me.  In the words of Isaiah, “… the former things have come to pass, and new things I [God] now declare..”  (Is. 42:9)

MATTHEW 3:13-17

THE BACKGROUND

After the story of the visiting of the wise men, and the aftermath of their visit, the gospel of Matthew fast-forwards to John the Baptist’s work.  We join this scene, to find that Jesus has come to seek John out.

THE DETAIL

• Jesus comes to John to be baptized.  John tells Jesus that Jesus should be baptizing him!  He’s right, you know.  (vv. 13-14)
• But Jesus wants to do this “to fulfill all righteousness”.  This is a confusing phrase.  Apparently, John got it, but I didn’t at first.  I had to think about the words.
  • To “fulfill” indicates the completion of something that was planned or foretold. 
  • “Righteousness” can mean two things.  It can mean adherence to the law, but it can also mean a right action.

“Fulfilling all righteousness” now means to me that Jesus had planned to do this. It also means that Jesus felt that baptism was a “right action”, or a good thing for people to do.  He wanted baptism to be part of what it is to be a disciple of Jesus.  (vv. 15-16a)

• So Jesus was baptized by John.  Then things got wild.  God, Father and Spirit, appeared to bless the event.  The words spoken by God are very close to the first verse in today’s passage from Isaiah.  Yes, Jesus’ baptism most certainly was part of God’s plan.  (vv. 16b-17)

THE TAKEAWAY

Jesus’ life was one big example of living a godly life.  I believe that he was leading by example by being baptized by John.  Did Jesus need to repent?  Of course not!  But I believe that he wanted to make it known that repentance and baptism are good and righteous actions for us all. 

NOTE:  The bible passages we study today may not all be the same as those read in church. There several reasons for this. If you’re interested in knowing why, just ask me.

NUMBERS 6:22-27

THE BACKGROUND

The setting for this book is that Moses is leading God’s people through the Sinai wilderness.  God speaks to Moses, who in turn relays the message to the people. In the book of Numbers, God spells out how He expects His people to conduct their lives.  By doing these things, they will set themselves apart from the Canaanites who inhabit the Promised Land.

THE DETAIL

• God sends a message through Moses to Aaron and his staff.  They are the Levite tribe, and are in charge of everything associated with worship.  He dictates a blessing to them that He wants to give His people.  (vv. 22-23)
• The blessing consists of several parts.  When they say this, God will:
  • Bless and keep them.  In other words, He will shower them with His grace, care for their needs, and protect them.  (v. 24)
  • Make his face to shine upon them.  Twice in Psalm 80 (verses 3 & 7) the prayer says “Lord, make your face shine upon us, and we will be saved.  (v. 25a)
  • And be gracious to you.  I have been taught that God’s grace is his undying love for us, freely given.  God is telling his priestly crew on earth to shower His people with His loving grace through this blessing.  (v. 25b)
  • Lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. A countenance is one’s face or facial expression.  This is an interesting one, since people generally believed that if you saw the face of God, you would be struck dead!  In this case, however, God’s face or facial expression will put their souls at rest. (v. 26)
  • God concludes by saying that if they say the blessing in this way, His name shall be placed on His people.  Everyone will know that they are His.  (v. 27)

THE TAKEAWAY

One of the pastors I’ve had used one expression frequently.  Somebody would share with him something that was troubling them.  His answer would almost always include “Be at peace”. More often than not, it had a calming effect.  We should remember that we are blessed by our Heavenly Father, His face shines upon us, and we should be at peace.

GALATIANS 4:4-7

THE BACKGROUND

In the verses preceding today’s passage, Paul speaks of the burden that living under the Laws of Moses imposes on us.  IT’S HARD!!!  It’s a hopeless endeavor, and we cannot save ourselves.  It is like being a slave with no hope of freedom.

THE DETAIL

• BUT WAIT!  THERE’S MORE! At just the right time, God sent his son to us.  He was “born of a woman”, so we would know that he was human.  And he was born “under the law”, so he knew what it was like to be burdened with the law.  (v. 4)
• Why did he do this?  He did this to save us from the burden of the law, so that we could all be adopted as God’s children.  (v. 5)
• Since we are his children, God is now our Father.  We can even call Him “daddy”—that is what “Abba” means.  The Holy Spirit can help us with this giant step.  (v. 6)
• The last verse reminds us that we are no longer slaves to sin, but are free to be God’s children.  In Paul’s day, slaves inherited nothing upon the death of their master.  They were either sold off, or inherited by the master’s heirs.  The children got everything.  This is Paul’s point, and it is still true today.  As children of God, we are free from the burden of sin, and inherit the kingdom!  (v. 7)

THE TAKEAWAY

This is actually an assignment for you.  In most Southern homes, the father is called “Daddy”, even by adult children.  In other places like Michigan, where I’m from, we called our fathers “Dad”.  The next time you pray, address God with whatever loving name you called your father.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help, if it is difficult for you.  But try it.  This is the right way, after all, isn’t it?

MATTHEW 2:1-12

Okay, let’s face it.  You know this story so well, that you could probably recite it by heart. Well, almost.  Read through the story one more time.  Now, it’s time for a pop quiz.  The answers will be given below.  More than one answer may (or may not) be possible with the multiple choice questions.

Question #1

Who were these men  “from the East”?  Were they:

1. Kings
2. Wise men
3. Astrologers
4. Magicians

Question #2

How many of them were there?

Question #3

What were their names?

Question #4

When did they see Jesus?

1. The same night as the shepherds
2. Later that same week
3. The bible doesn’t say

Question #5

Where did they visit baby Jesus?

1. In the stable, in his manger
2. At his home in Nazareth
3. At somebody’s house in Bethlehem

THE ANSWERS

1. In the original Greek that Matthew wrote his gospel in, he used the word magi.  In the Greek language, that word means either astrologers or magicians.  Most translations, including the King James, use the phrase “wise men”.  The main point that God is making by receiving these foreign visitors is that God’s gift of a son is not just limited to the Hebrew people.  Jesus came for us all!
2. The bible doesn’t say!  A tradition has grown that if there were three gifts, there must be three wise men. Maybe, for the expensive gifts like the gold, a few of them chipped in.  But we really don’t know. 
3. Again, the bible doesn’t say!  Over the years, somebody decided to name them Gaspar, Balthazar, and Melchior.  But we really don’t know, because the bible doesn’t say.
4. The bible is not clear on this.  We like to place them with the shepherds on the same night.  But when Herod orders the slaughter of all the babies in Bethlehem, it is for all children aged two and under.  Hmm…
5. This one has a two-part answer.  Herod sent them to Bethlehem, so they must have been there still.  But verse 11 says that they entered a house. I guess Joseph must have gotten on his cell phone and called a relative or friend.  However it happened, they were no longer in the stable, no matter what the nativity scenes in your neighborhood looked like.

THE TAKEAWAY

The answer to question #1 contains the takeaway from this passage.  God’s loving grace is no longer for only for His chosen people, but is for the entire world. Thanks be to God!

ISAIAH 62:6-12

THE BACKGROUND

This passage is taken from one of the last chapters of the book of Isaiah.  The people of God have returned to the Promised Land from Babylonian captivity.  They discovered that the Land of Milk and Honey needed a lot of hard work, to restore it to its former glory.  They were disillusioned and discouraged.  Is this an appropriate selection for Christmas Day?  We’ll see.

THE DETAIL

• God has placed sentinels on the high walls surrounding the city of Jerusalem.  They are there to sound the alarm, in case of attack, or are threatened.  God tells his people to be alert and sound the alarm constantly, until He restores Jerusalem, and its reputation is well-known.  (vv. 6-7)
• God reassures His people that He will protect them from harm, and nobody’s going to “eat their lunch”.  They will enjoy the fruits of their own labor.   (vv. 8-9)
• Now, God tells His people to get to work and rebuild their city.  (v. 10)
• The rest is a sort of pep talk, reminding them that they have been saved by God, and are not forsaken.  They have been redeemed.  (vv. 11-12)

THE TAKEAWAY

Sometimes, reality is not as sweet as our dreams.  God came to His people with a word of encouragement.  They were discouraged and depressed.  God reassures them, and gives them a pep talk.  God comes to people in need today, through His people here.

At Christmastime, we like to wrap ourselves in a warm and fuzzy blanket made of Christmas carols and sweet memories.  But Christmastime is also a difficult time for many people.  Some are reminded of a loved one who is no longer with them. Others are faced with financial or emotional difficulties.  Christmas is just another reminder of their failure.  We need to be sensitive to the feelings of those around us.  This Christmas is a good time to share God’s love. One way to do this is by being sensitive to those around us, and being ready to be Jesus in our time and place.

TITUS 3:4-7

THE BACKGROUND

Paul had appointed Titus as a bishop, or leader, of the church on the island of Crete.  Paul gives Titus and his church some specific instructions in this letter.  In the previous chapter, Paul has given them some sage advice on how to live their lives as Christians.  He tells them what to do and what not to do.

So often, Paul’s writings provide a condensed, precise statement that explains a truth of the Christian faith.  These verses from his letter to Titus are one of these statements.

THE DETAIL

Having spent many words instructing them on how to act as Christians, Paul wants to remind them that their salvation does not come from what they do.  It does not come from their “works”, or good deeds.  Their salvation comes purely from God as a free gift—through his grace and mercy.  It comes through the gift of His Son, so that we might have eternal life.

THE TAKEAWAY

At Christmas, it is most important to remember that God freely gave His son to us, to save us from our sinful lives.  We cannot work our way into God’s favor; we get that by having faith in His son.

LUKE 2:1-20

THE BACKGROUND

The first chapter of Luke, after an interesting introduction (vv. 1-4), is about the birth and life of John the Baptist.  Chapter 2 is the well-known story that is so often read in church at this time of year. Since it is so well-known, I’ll skip describing it in The Detail, and go directly to The Takeaway.

THE TAKEAWAY/ FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Most of this passage focuses on the shepherds.  It is noteworthy that because of their profession, it was nearly impossible for them to worship God.  In order to prepare to enter the temple would require about a week of ritual cleansing. Shepherds were, therefore, sort of outcasts of the normal society.  These are the first to hear of the birth of the Messiah.  More remarkably, they did not find him in a cradle fit for a king, but in a feed trough in a stable.  What does this say about our God?  Surely, this was intentional.  Why would God have his precious son enter our world in this way?  What does this say about who He values in our society?  The savior is not born to high society folk, but to common people.  The first visitors are not wise men, but lowly shepherds.  Jesus came for people like you and me. 

ISAIAH 7:10-16

THE BACKGROUND

In today’s first reading, we could simply latch onto verse 14, and cast the rest to the side.  But if we did, we’d miss the richer meaning of these verses.  We’d miss what God was trying to say through Isaiah to Ahaz, the king of Judah.

• King Ahaz was faced with a double threat.  His two neighbors to the north—Israel and Syria had been defeated by the Assyrians to their north.  Israel and Syria had been paying a financial tribute to Assyria, and they were sick of doing so.  They wanted Judah to join them in a revolt against Assyria.  Ahaz refused to join the party, so these two nations began attacking Judah.  Ahaz was in a pickle.  Assyria was the big bully, but these two kingdoms were also causing him grief.  What should he do?  He should, as King of Judah, listen to what God would like him to do for His people.  God knows that Ahaz is undecided as to what to do.  The riskiest of his options is to trust in God.    Let’s see what happens. 

THE DETAIL

• God recognizes that Ahaz has his doubts about God’s presence, so through Isaiah God tells Ahaz to ask Him for a sign.  (vv. 10-11)
• Ahaz does not put God to the test.  It appears from this statement that Ahaz is a man of faith.  But his actions will show this not to be the case. (v. 12)
• God despairs—“You’re wearing me down!!!”  (v. 13)
• God will give Ahaz a sign, regardless.  God says—“Guess what?  Your wife is pregnant, and will bear a son!  The Davidic line will be passes from you to him!  This proves that I am with you.”  (v. 14)
• Verses 15 and 16 are a little confusing.  One way to interpret this is that maybe the “curds and honey” is a reference to the milk and honey of the Promised Land.  A “child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good” means that they can discern between good and evil.  It generally refers to when a person reaches maturity (puberty in middle eastern cultures).  Essentially, God is telling Ahaz that the problem will solve itself in 10-12 years. Ahaz must simply have faith in God, and wait. 

THE TAKEAWAY

According to 2 Kings 16, Ahaz decides to go to the Assyrian king, and tell him what is going on.  He asks the Assyrian king to save him.  In the end, Ahaz gives Assyria a lot of money to be Judah’s protector.  Worse yet, Ahaz has an altar to the Assyrian gods installed in God’s house in Jerusalem.

But what about God’s sign? Ahaz’s son was Hezekiah.  And yes, about the time that Hezekiah was reaching puberty, Syria and Israel were destroyed.  They were no longer a threat.  The Davidic line continued on, despite Ahaz’s indecision and lack of a strong faith.

Early Christians, including Matthew, recognize these words as foretelling the gift of God’s son.  God would indeed live among us. 

ROMANS 1:1-7

THE BACKGROUND

In modern times, we write letters according to a certain format:  First, the date, then the name to whom the letter is addressed (“Dear Betty,”).  Then comes the body of the letter, followed by a closing address (Yours truly,) and the name of the person writing the letter.

In Paul’s day, letter forms were different; almost backward to today’s format.  It started with the name of the person writing the letter, followed by a greeting.   Then comes the body of the letter, often followed by greetings to named individuals. This is how Paul’s letters were written. Usually, in his opening greeting Paul will make a statement of faith—state some truth or truths about God, Jesus, and our relationship with them.

It is also important to note that this letter was written to a church which Paul has neither founded or visited.  So, one purpose of his opening greeting is to introduce himself to the church in Rome. 

THE DETAIL

I’m going to paraphrase this reading, verse by verse.  If I make comments along the way, they will be in parenthesis.

1. Hi, my name is Paul.  I’m a servant of Jesus Christ.  I have been called to be an apostle, so that I can proclaim the Good News of God.
2. God promised this Good News first to the many prophets of old.
3. It is the Good News of the gift of his son.  On the human side of things (“according to the flesh”), he was descended from King David (and therefore fit to be our king).
4. On the spiritual side of things (“according to the spirit of holiness), God exalted him through his crucifixion.
5. We, my team, have received God’s free grace, and have been designated as His apostles to everyone including the Gentiles.  We are doing this for the sake of his holy name (and not ours).
6. We have been called to care for everyone, even including yourselves who believe in Jesus.
7. To all the Christians (“saints”) in Rome we greet you in the name of God the Father and Son.

THE TAKEAWAY

Paul will go on to explain all these words in great detail.  The most important takeaway from this passage is that God’s gift of loving grace is free to all believe.  This grace is available not only to his “chosen people” but to all—even us Gentiles! 

The word “saint” means “holy”.  The beatification of saints by the Catholic Church did not begin until several hundred years before Paul wrote this.  Paul used the word “saint” to refer to all those who believed in Jesus. 

MATTHEW 1:18-25

THE BACKGROUND

Matthew wrote his gospel mainly to the Jewish community.  His aim was to demonstrate how Jesus fulfilled Holy Scripture known by all the Jews of the time.  This is why he quotes the Old Testament more than any other gospel writer.  It’s why you’ll see the phrase “as it is written…” many times in Matthew’s gospel.  In fact, Matthew begins his gospel with the genealogy of Jesus, tracing him back through David, all the way to Abraham.  Today’s passage comes right after the conclusion to this genealogy. It’s almost Christmas, so we (finally) get to hear about the birth of Jesus.

THE DETAIL

• So, Mary is engaged to Joseph, but was “found to be pregnant”.  This is nothing special, even to this day.  But in this case, she was “with child from the Holy Spirit.”  (v. 18)
• Joseph could have taken several courses of action.  In this case, because he is a prudent man and apparently was concerned about Mary’s well-being, he wanted to dismiss her quietly.  (It’s is what they did back then.)  (v. 19)
• But wait! There’s more!  In steps an angel, and explains to Joseph that this pregnancy is part of God’s plan to “save his people from their sins.”  (vv. 20-21)
• Matthew now refers to Isaiah 7:14 (that we just read), and tells his readers that Holy Scripture was being fulfilled in this remarkable act.  (vv. 22-23)
• Joseph displays far more faith and trust in God than did King Ahaz.  In spite of the shame he would face, he was obedient to God, and married Mary.  Furthermore, he respected what was to happen so much that he did not exercise his marital privileges until after Jesus was born.  (v. 25)

THE TAKEAWAY

We really don’t know much about Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph.  But we can tell a lot about his faith and goodness by this story.  He shows love and caring for Mary. Furthermore, he listens and obeys God’s messenger regarding Mary’s pregnancy.  Even though it would be a costly decision, he chooses to obey God, and be Mary’s husband. 

God has plans for our world. We can help, hinder, or simply get out of the way.  Let’s be like Joseph, and obey God’s plans for us!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Emmanuel means “God with us”. Jesus walked this earth and experienced life as we know it.  He will come again.  Meanwhile, he lives in our hearts and is present when we gather in his name, and in the sharing of the bread and wine of the Eucharist.  God is truly with us in all that we do.