It May Not Be Christmas, But Jesus Is Still Here

December was a blur for me. Between, once again, having a child in elementary school (Grinch Day, Scrooge Day, Ugly Sweater Day, Flannel Shirt Day, etc. --It doesn't stop, and I am NOT kidding) --having an entire household sick with the Who-Knows-What (that was the formal diagnosis), all the "extras" that go with fostering (We're thinking of installing a revolving door), holiday preparations, and the normal "life" stuff, Christmas seemed to come and go without so much as a nod. So, I'm sort of celebrating Advent now. I can't say that's a bad thing, too often we stow away the nativity, wrap up the star, un-deck the halls, and stick the Son of God/ Son of Man back in the attic until He comes again next year. But I'm lighting candles each day and taking those quiet moments to meditate on His humanity as well as His deity. 

Today's passage was Galatians 4:4. In the Complete Jewish Bible, it's smack dab in the middle of a sentence which is smack dab in the middle of the point Paul is making. The Gentiles in Galatia were falling for the oldest trick in the book: legalism, self-righteousness, religion. Paul explained, they didn't need to follow laws regarding circumcision and diet to prove anything to God; their faith was sufficient. He goes on to say, the Torah (Old Testament Law) was a guardian, like a trustee is appointed over a child's inheritance. God's promise to His people was that they would be heirs to His kingdom, but the law kept them safe, teaching them to act as kings should act and carry themselves as people of God should carry themselves. Once their promised Inheritance came in the form of Jesus --His birth, death, and resurrection being the only work that was now sufficient to bestow on them their new identities --they were free to "spend it" as their hearts desired. Their worship, service, stewardship, and sacrifice no longer had to meet the strict criteria of Torah. They were wrong to return to methodology and wrong to tell others they should be subject to it. God's Law was now written on their hearts through faith; they were free! In Galatians 4:4, Paul says that Jesus was born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah was the norm in order to redeem those subject to legalism.

Here's what came to mind: an episode of Undercover Boss. A franchisor disguises himself as just an average Joe, and visits one of his locations. He rolls up his sleeves and takes his place working for, subjecting himself to the franchisee. The franchisee brags about the business, the policies, the products, but to the franchisor, it's unrecognizable; it's nothing like the business he designed. The franchisee has added specials to the menu and tacked on a delivery charge; he has altered the dress code, and he takes a portion of the servers' tips. He is wildly successful, but the employees are feeling burdened by so many policies and so little return. They are even beginning to talk trash about the brand! Delivery is slow despite the additional cost, and the food is lukewarm at best. New customers are unaware the drinks have been watered down and the food is now of a lesser quality, but those who've been loyal for years have noticed the change. Some just shrug their shoulders; What can we do? That's when the franchisor reveals his identity. He is there to deliver all who sit at his table, all who endorse his work ethic and his vision, all who work for him and are committed to doing his work, all who long for something better. 

Jesus did this and more. He entered a world where mankind had so perverted the truth of His Word, few realized things were not as He intended. He made Himself subject to the authority of rabbis and elders, parents and business owners, neighbors and Roman soldiers. He rolled up His sleeves and dove right into the fray, the fray of a world that bore little resemblance to the one He'd created. And He does the same today. He meets us where we are, not with condemnation, but with understanding. He gives His all today with the same dedication, generosity, and love that He gave every drop of blood on the cross. His Spirit lives within those who confess Him as Lord and Savior, an opportunity He offers to all who will seize it. The message of Christmas need not pass you by.

Midweek: Rescue

The following is from K.J. Ramsey's meditation on Psalm 18:19 in The Book of Common Courage.

He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me.

~ Psalm 18:19

O Lord, our Rock and Refuge,

Our desire for integrity has outweighed our wish to protect ourselves from being wounded.

God, remind us of the blessing that only the broken can hear.

Show us that the storms raging within us are but small shadows of the storm of Your fury to fight for our justice and vindication.

Confirm that in leaving people and places, we have not left Your blessing behind. It follows us like the rain of tears down our cheeks.

Lift our eyes to the cross, where Jesus' broken body still speaks through groans that it is among the broken that Your blessing resides.

For You are not only our Rock.

You are our Rescue.

~ K.J Ramsey, The Book of Common Courage

Photo courtesy Mark Sutherland

What Is God's Word Teaching You?

Are you self-righteous? Often times Christians are described that way by those who have encountered us or believe they have encountered us. Sometimes it's nothing more than a red herring, a means of drawing attention away from their own self-examination or search for the truth. Sometimes their opinion is legit. But if we are willing to confess it, repent of it, and deal with it, self-righteousness --as with any other sin turned over to a forgiving and transformative God --can teach us a valuable lesson. 

A few years back, someone suggested an alternative way to read Revelation. It was intriguing and, to be honest, there's an awful lot of evidence to support her point of view. Now, it's not one of those fundamental truths (Jesus' birth, death, and resurrection, confession of Him as Lord and Savior, etc.) --not a "deal breaker," as I call them. It's one of those things Christians tend to debate as though it is a matter of life or death, but instead, the debate only causes separation among us and, I believe, a certain amount of dishonor to the name of Jesus. Anyhoo, the reason I was willing to entertain the argument was because of my self-righteousness, or what Jesus had done to remove it. 

Often, as I read the Scriptures, I'd think to myself, How did they miss it? or Why didn't they have the faith to believe? For a long time, I had been a legalist, checking boxes, obeying rules, making excuses when I couldn't obey them all. I pointed fingers at everyone but myself. But God is merciful, and when in my forties, I confessed my behavior, I asked Him to take my self-righteousness from me. I wanted to serve Him with my whole heart and love Him unto death; I no longer wanted to "try to behave," but I wanted to rest in His grace and allow His Spirit to change me. So, each time I'd begin wagging my finger at Martha or tsk-tsking at the Pharisees, the Holy Spirit would point out just how arrogant those thoughts were. How long did you "miss it" before you followed Jesus? Why do you worry or fear when you have the same God they did? How often do you miss the point, even now, because you read through the lens of your upbringing or your culture? How do your expectations corrupt the integrity of Scripture?

When this person presented her argument with regard to a secondary (at best) Bible teaching, I realized the way I had been taught all those years before and for many years after had molded my reading rather than the converse. God's Torah is meant to teach, to train, to correct, to shape us; it is not malleable or subject to our criteria. Scripture is our criteria (or should be), changing and leading us. The Holy Spirit's correction of my self-righteousness had shown me the value in allowing God's Word to speak more loudly than my own thoughts, reading Scripture with eyes open to possibilities and a heart softened to learning, appreciating cultural differences and how those differences might influence how others hear from God, and understanding where Scripture draws a line in the sand, as well as where it does not. 

I would encourage you this year, as you continue to dive into Scripture study, to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance, to refuse to crack open your Bible or swipe open your app until you have asked Him to show you what He wants you to know. Ask Him to remove any incorrect or preconceived notions; ask Him to keep your motives pure as you read. Surrender to whatever it is He is saying and wherever it is He is leading. Understand just how mighty and sovereign God is, that He doesn't follow our timeline or conform to our rules. Expect the unexpected, and He might use your past to teach you something about the future!