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Mothers of the Bible — Mary, Mother of Jesus (Part 6)

26 Apr

When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus —the name given by the angel before he was conceived. And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord ) and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons ). There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said, Now, Master, you can dismiss your servant in peace, as you promised. For my eyes have seen your salvation. You have prepared it in the presence of all peoples— a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory to your people Israel. His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary, “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed — and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”
Luke 2:21-35

I want to focus on two things about this story.

  • Mary and Joseph were amazed at what Simeon said about Jesus.

I would imagine that this kind of fit the narrative that had been developing over the last year. Perhaps this stuff about Gentiles was new. But glory to Israel–sure. This was going to be special. I can just imagine Mary and Joseph making eye contact and wordlessly saying, “Can you believe this?!?”

But then we get his prophecy to Mary, which brings me to my second point:

  • “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel” [Okay, we can still work with this. I can see how this could be part of his destiny] “and to be a sign that will be opposed” [Excuse me. What?] “and a sword will pierce your own soul” [Hold it. What do you mean? This isn’t funny.] “that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” [How does that fit into all of this?]

This is obviously one of the prophecies that Mary remembered about Jesus too. And she decided to tell Luke about it as well. I just went back and looked to be sure, but this is the first time either Mary or Joseph have gotten an inkling that this son of theirs will live a less than glorious life. Even Zechariah didn’t get a warning from his angel visit about John the Baptist’s difficult path. It shows just how much Simeon was in tune with your Holy Spirit that his mind was open enough that he could see what others weren’t able to see yet. A real Messiah will not just rule superficially. He will rule in people’s hearts (“…that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”).

For Mary, this must have just been a whirlwind. We will look at her visit with Anna tomorrow. She’s getting affirmations all over the place, but she’s also being given pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. Not so that she will know the future, but so that when the future comes 30 years later she will have these words to hold on to. She will be able to have faith while her soul is pierced.

Father, thank you that you don’t tell us too much, but you just reveal yourself to us in the moment. Help me to embrace that concept. As we move through the COVID-19 pandemic day by day, I want to be patient and respond to each moment without having to feel the pressure of what I think I should be doing. I just want to know what you want me to do.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on April 26, 2020 in Luke, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Mothers of the Bible — Mary, Jesus’s Mother (Part 1)

16 Apr

Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will have no end.”

34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”

35 The angel replied to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel left her.

Dear God, it is one thing to be Joseph and Jesus’s “step-father,” if you will. It’s another thing to be his actual mother. Flesh of her flesh. What an amazing thing for her in a physiological, psychological sense. This child was part of her and was partly her. Her DNA was in there along with yours. It add whole layer to what Joseph experienced. I’m sure it meant just that much more to her than to him, although I know it meant a lot to him too.

I think it’s interesting that Mary gets a little more latitude from the angel than Zechariah did. Zechariah asked in Luke 1:18, “How can I know this? For I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” Mary asks in Luke 1:36, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” Those questions don’t appear that different to me given each circumstance. But where Gabriel is a little harsh with Zechariah, he is gentle with Mary. I have a feeling that each actually got what they needed to prepare them for their journey. Zechariah probably needed those months (almost a year?) in silence to contemplate, study, and prepare himself to raise John the Baptist. Mary, on the other hand, needed the encouragement of Elizabeth. She needed to be able to communicate freely with Joseph. And she was just a young woman whereas Zechariah was older. Mary deserved a little more guidance.

With all of that said, that’s not what hit me when I first read this passage this morning. What hit me is the idea that none of us know what we are getting into when we become parents. We can think we are ready, but we aren’t. We can think we do have or don’t have enough money, but we are wrong. We can think we know what we are doing, but we have no idea. Even on the second or third child, we aren’t prepared like we would like to be. In her case, Mary had no idea what she was saying yes to. If she had, would she have done it? Would she have signed up for giving birth in a stable, moving to Egypt, moving back to Nazareth, losing Jesus when he was 12, watching a ministry from him that would lead to his crucifixion, and then going through the resurrection and the ascension? She lost her son at 33. Yes, he rose again, but he was still gone 40 days later. I’m sure this was not how she planned it out as she visited with Elizabeth or traveled to Bethlehem with Joseph.

Father, I still don’t know what being the father of my children really means, and they are in their 20s now. I don’t know what they need from me today, and I have no clue what they will need tomorrow. don’t even know how much longer they will have me on this earth, nor do I know how much longer I’ll have them. But I know that in this moment right now, I need to simply be your servant. I need to be your worshiper. I need you to flow through me and touch the world through me. And I need to simply rest in the knowledge that you know what my children need more than I do and you will be responsible for giving it to them. Much like Mary didn’t understand what was happening with Jesus’s life most of the time, I have no idea either. Help me to use that ignorance to my advantage and to build my faith in and worship of you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on April 16, 2020 in Luke, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father (Part 9)

15 Apr

46 After three days, they found him in the temple sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all those who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”
49 “Why were you searching for me?” he asked them. “Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be in my Father’s house?” 50 But they did not understand what he said to them.
51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people.
Luke 2:46-52

Dear God, I want to look at the emotions used to describe Mary and Joseph in this passage:

  • Astonished (verse 48)
  • Anxious (verse 48)
  • Confused (verse 50–“But they did not understand…”)

I know there have been times when I’ve been angry with my kids and ready to let them have it. So many times, however, I found that they had an explanation for what they had done that made perfect sense from their perspective. They weren’t being rebellious. They weren’t being defiant. They were just doing what they thought was right.

In this story, I can only imagine the fear and anxiety both Mary and Joseph felt. Who would have guessed that the boy was in the temple, holding court? I wonder if a younger Caiaphas was there too. How about a younger Nicodemus? No matter. The people who were there were “astounded” (verse 47) by his questions. It probably doesn’t get enough attention that Jesus isn’t portrayed as sitting there and giving a bunch of answers. He’s portrayed as asking amazing, insightful questions. He obviously had a lot on his mind that he was figuring out and now he had an opportunity to be in the temple in Jerusalem to access the people who were supposed to know the answers. Of course it was necessary for him to be in his Father’s house!

It’s clear that Mary and Joseph had no idea how to raise this particular boy. His needs didn’t fit into any particular paradigm. I wonder how inadequate Joseph felt around him when it came to these types of questions I’m sure he asked at home as well as in the temple. I wonder what kinds of conversations Mary and Joseph would have about Jesus when they were by themselves. Or even what kinds of conversations Joseph would have with his friends who knew Jesus.

Father, I know I have certainly felt over my head when parenting my children through the years. I’m sure Joseph felt that much more so. He must have continuously wondered, “Am I enough for this boy? Am I adequate to raise God’s son?” I’m sure that this responsibility deepened his own prayer life and his own relationship with you. How could it not have? Help me to follow this example and to sink deeper into you as I continue to pray for my children and that you will give them what you need them to have from me, my wife, and those around them.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on April 15, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Luke

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father (Part 8)

13 Apr

Every year his parents traveled to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was twelve years old, they went up according to the custom of the festival. After those days were over, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming he was in the traveling party, they went a day’s journey. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
Luke 2:41-45

Before we get to the part where they find Jesus, let’s just sit with Joseph and Mary for these couple of days when Jesus is lost. After all these years. After the angel visits/warnings. After the flight to Egypt. After returning tentatively to Galilee and Nazareth. Now, thinking that everything had calmed down, Jesus was lost! I’m sure they must have had other kids by now. Did they take those kids with them or did they let them go back to Nazareth with the friends and relatives? But forget that for a moment. Jesus was lost!

As they traveled, slept at night (which I’m sure was fitful sleep at best), what were their conversations with each other like? What were their prayers to you like? Were they repenting to you for not keeping a closer eye on him? Were they beseeching you for his safety? Were they trying to figure out where to even start looking for him? Were they afraid that he had been finally found by whomever the king was at the time and killed?

Being a father (and mother) is rife with moments like this, although maybe not to this level since Joseph knew this boy was your son. You know you’ve messed up. You know that you’ve done the wrong thing for your child. You know they are in danger and you didn’t adequately protect them. You are scared for them. It can all be overwhelming.

And as a child you never really appreciate what your parent is experiencing. I’m at a point in my parenting now that my children are childless adults that I know there are certain things they just won’t get until they are parents themselves. And being parents will give them deeper insights into you and into my wife and me. Sometimes experience is the only thing that can teach us. In this case, Jesus was about to learn a lesson in how to bless his parents.

Father, help me to be at peace with my parenting mistakes. Help me to extend grace to my children now. Help me to reach out and love you as my own father. As much as I’m able, I truly appreciate what you do for me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 13, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Luke

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father (Part 7)

11 Apr

After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, because those who intended to kill the child are dead.” So he got up, took the child and his mother, and entered the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee. Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.
Matthew 2:19-23

Dear God, I remember when my children were in grade school and I was unemployed. As. I prayed about job opportunities and what you had for us, one of the things that always stuck with me was where you wanted them. Where did. you want them to grow up, be in school, go to church, and make friends. They were as much a part of the decision as my wife and I were. And I’ll confess that, over the years, after we moved to this small town when they were in the fourth and first grades, I’ve wondered at times whether or not we made the right move. Was coming here what was best for them?

I finally got to a place where I just simply put my faith in you and decided that you would have closed the door or guided me in a different direction if this isn’t where you wanted all four of us. The path hasn’t been straight and there are a lot of circumstances in their being raised here that concern me. But did they need those experiences to develop something in them that I cannot see? Even if something looks wrong, is it exactly right? That’s where I putting my money through my faith in you. I’m betting that things have worked the way you ordained because 1.) I prayed to you that your will would be done in all of our lives over and over again and 2.) you will guide us all into your plan.

I say all of that because I see Joseph having to make a lot of decisions. In this passage he gets his third and fourth angel visits (1. Take Mary. 2.) Go to Egypt. 3.) Go back to Israel. 4.) Go to Galilee.) so at least he had some affirmation he was doing the right thing (although I still have to wonder how much doubt he still might have had with these visits coming in the form of dreams. But all of this–all of this—was for Jesus. This wasn’t about Mary. It wasn’t about himself. He did it all to keep Jesus safe. I wonder how much of this Jesus knew and how old he was when he knew it. I wonder how you used these years in Egypt to form Jesus’ s love for Gentiles and for the poor. A love for foreigners and those who feel out of place. A love for the lonely and the friendless because he had to make new friends at least a couple of times.

Father, thank you for the joy of learning to make decisions for the good of someone else (our children) even though it will cost us something. In this case, it cost Joseph convenience, reputation, momentum in starting/stopping/starting/stopping/starting his business, etc. But he did it for you. He did it for this boy. He did it for my Messiah. I hope I am man enough to make similar decisions.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 11, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Matthew

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father (Part 6)

10 Apr

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.” When King Herod heard this, he was deeply disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. So he assembled all the chief priests and scribes of the people and asked them where the Christ would be born. “In Bethlehem of Judea,” they told him, “because this is what was written by the prophet: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah: Because out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel. ” Then Herod secretly summoned the wise men and asked them the exact time the star appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you find him, report back to me so that I too can go and worship him.” After hearing the king, they went on their way. And there it was—the star they had seen at its rising. It led them until it came and stopped above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route. After they were gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to kill him.” So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called my Son.
Matthew 2:1-15

Dear God, here’s a question that I think isn’t asked enough, but has a simple answer. Why did you pick someone like Joseph? Why not a Person of prominence to be Jesus’s dad? Why not a religious leader? Why not a king? Why was the Messiah born to a carpenter and his fiancé?

I think there are actually several answers. The obvious ones are that those fathers would have been a bad influence on him. We’ve seen how the sons of kings turn out (well, maybe except for Jonathan). We’ve seen how the sons of religious leaders like Eli and Samuel turn out. We’ve seen how Abraham’s, Isaac’s and Jacob’s sons turned out. No, there is certainly no guarantee that someone will turn out well based on who their parents are. All of us are fallible.

In this case, I think you 1.) picked the parents based on their character, regardless of what their status was. But 2,) I think it actually did matter because a person of position would have had much more to lose than Joseph did I think it was probably easier to obey you to take Mary and then do all of this moving around because he didn’t have a lot of encumbrances from his position in life. He had less to lose by going ahead and taking her as his wife. He had less to lose by waking up and deciding to obey and take Mary and Jesus to Egypt.

To relate this to myself, I’ve often wondered how much I’ve allowed myself to not obey something you’ve called me to do because of the things I’ve achieved and/or acquired. I have a lovely wife. Do I want to drag her just anywhere? I have a nice home in a safe town. Am I ready to trade that security in for physical insecurity? I have a job that pays me a nice middle class wage. Am I ready to jeopardize that for uncertainty and a life of truly living on my daily bread? No, I would never have made a good father for Jesus for a lot of reasons, but the biggest one is that I wouldn’t have been prepared to pay the price that Joseph had to pay. I wonder what it would look like if I were ready to pay that kind of price now, and what would you possibly call me to do if I were willing to completely open myself up to any possibilities?

Father, even now, I want to pray and tell you that I am willing to go wherever you want me to go and do whatever you want me to do, but I’m scared. I’m scared what you might call me to do. But I’m going to say it anyway. Father, I am willing to go, I am willing to do whatever you are calling me to do. I’m just going to tell you that you are going to have to make it very obvious because my natural inclination will be to miss anything you call me to do that is out of my comfort zone. So make your plan for me John-proof. Help me to make each decision correctly in the moment and then have this decisions and choices add up to your will.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on April 10, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Matthew

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father (Part 5)

08 Apr

8 In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped tightly in cloth and lying in a manger.”

13 Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying:

14 Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and peace on earth to people he favors!

15 When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

16 They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary was treasuring up all these things in her heart and meditating on them. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had seen and heard, which were just as they had been told.

21 When the eight days were completed for his circumcision, he was named Jesus—the name given by the angel before he was conceived. 22 And when the days of their purification according to the law of Moses were finished, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (just as it is written in the law of the Lord, Every firstborn male will be dedicated to the Lord) 24 and to offer a sacrifice (according to what is stated in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons).

25 There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Guided by the Spirit, he entered the temple. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to perform for him what was customary under the law, 28 Simeon took him up in his arms, praised God, and said,

29 Now, Master,
you can dismiss your servant in peace,
as you promised.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation.
31 You have prepared it
in the presence of all peoples—
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and glory to your people Israel.

33 His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and told his mother Mary: “Indeed, this child is destined to cause the fall and rise of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be opposed — 35 and a sword will pierce your own soul—that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

Luke 2:8-35

Dear God, when last we left off with Joseph he was sitting in a stable with his fiance and their new child. He was in the middle of some very weird circumstances. How was he to believe any of this? Surely that dream must have been a mistake. Surely he shouldn’t have agreed to take Mary as his wife. There had to have been doubts.

Then you accomplished two things at once. Well, actually several things at once. You sent him and Mary some shepherds with an amazing story. What a great affirmation!! They didn’t only tell Joseph and Mary that God had told them about the baby. They told the new parents that the angel had told them where to find them. They weren’t alone! You knew exactly where they were. In the moments before the shepherds arrived, Mary and Joseph might have felt alone and scared, but what an amazing encouragement this must have been to them.

The reason I say this accomplished several things at once is because I am sure this forever changed those shepherds’ lives too. You were just showing up and encouraging all kinds of people on that holy night.

Then you sent them more encouragement. Simeon. I know this was a big deal because of verse 33: His father and mother were amazed at what was being said about him. I’m sure the emotional roller coaster of the last several months must have worn them out. Joseph alone when from feeling betrayed by Mary, to relieved after the angel visit, to overwhelmed in a manger, to encouraged by the shepherds, to left in wonder by Simeon. Anna, would come along in a bit and have something to say too.

As I go through my own little roller coaster now, I am reminded that you are the constant. As I type this, our world is in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. People are dying. People are scared. People have lost jobs. Domestic violence is increasing. At the same time, neighbors are reaching out to neighbors and loving on each other. People are looking for ways to get back together as the church. And on a personal level, you have brought me different encouragements along the way. Encouraging phone calls. Encouraging donations.

Father, help me to stay in the middle of your presence and not swing too wide in enthusiasm or despair. Help me to see all of this with your eyes. Of course, I will never be able to know what you know–nor should I be able to–but I can surely see in the moment at least a little of what you see. Give me the serenity, the courage and the wisdom I need to get through this day.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Luke

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Joseph, Jesus’s Earthly Father (Part 4)

07 Apr

2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
Luke 2:1-7

Dear God, it seems that this just wasn’t going well at all. I mean, Joseph said yes to the angel in the dream. He did his duty and went to Bethlehem. And he took his pregnant fiance with him. They were probably camping outside of town when “the time came for the baby to be born.” What to do? Where to go? “No guest room [was] available for them.” So there they sat. I’m sure they had had some amazing conversations leading up to this moment. How they must have talked, wondered, and dreamed! Can you believe this is happening? The Messiah is coming! And now, here they are, sitting in a barn-like area, all alone with their new baby.

I’ve used it here before, but the words to the 4 Him Christmas song, “Strange Way to Save the World” come to mind: “Why me? I’m just a simple man of trade. Why him, with all the rulers in the world? Why here, inside this stable filled with hay? Why her, she’s just an ordinary girl? Now I’m not one to second guess what angels have to say, but this is such a strange way to save the world.”

Did he have doubts in this moment? Did he start to wonder about his dream? Did he start to doubt Mary? This was not the path of least resistance for him. What will happen next?

Father, I’ll get to what happens next tomorrow because what happens next deserves its own time. Right now, as I sit here in the midst of a pandemic that no one really knows how to respond to, I want to relate to Joseph a little. Mary too, but she’ll get her time in these journals. Right now, this is about a man with responsibilities trying to figure out the right thing to do. He’s trying to love his fiance, care for a new son that isn’t his, all while living up to his duty as a citizen. In that moment, he had to be talking to you and maybe even doubting. After all this was an awfully strange way to save the world.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 

 
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Posted by on April 7, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, Luke, Uncategorized

 

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Mothers of the Bible – The Mother of James and John (Salome?)

29 Mar

20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.
She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 20:20-28

Dear God, parents can be so foolish. I’ve seen the wisest people I know lose total perspective when it comes to their children and give bad advice because their judgment is clouded by being a parent. We want what’s best for our children. The problem is, we think we know what that best is when the truth is we have no clue. I suppose it starts from knowing what’s best for our children at the youngest ages. Eat now. Sleep now. Don’t touch that. Clean this. Our will is completely imposed upon them. But at some point in the process of letting go we fail to learn that we no longer have a clue as to what is best for them–what you might be doing in their lives that we cannot see.

In this woman’s case (her name might be Salome, but we aren’t 100% sure), she thought she could see where all of this was going. Jesus was going to have some power and it was time to make sure her boys were positioned to be at the top of the food chain. Maybe they were too meek for her taste. Maybe they had understood more of what Jesus was teaching than she had and knew better than to ask. But then they were too weak to tell her no. They might have secretly wanted this, but they might have also just been going along with her. Either way, she made her position very clear. This is what she wanted for her sons.

Ironically, her two boys would end up being at opposite ends of the life spans for the 11 remaining disciples after Judas killed himself. James would be the first to die as a martyr, and John would die of natural causes and be the last living of the original 12. Going back to what I learned from my study contrasting Peter and John, John was actually pretty immature and had a lot to learn from Jesus before the crucifixion. He was always ready to bring down fire from heaven to wipe out the Samaritans or whatever. Those rough edges were certainly worn down by the time he wrote his gospel and the three letters we have from him. No, you had a very different plan for these boys’ lives than his mother did. She loved you. She believed in you. But she was very foolish in this moment. But better to love you and be foolish, I suppose, than to just be selfish all of the time.

I guess I do kind of wonder about her concern for her boys. Their father was a man of some position in that he at least owned a boat and had others working for him. When they left to follow Jesus I’m sure his parents were concerned at first. How would they ever become respectable people capable of supporting a family? Maybe this request was part of her trying to answer that question for herself. Maybe she felt pressure to figure out how to calm her husband down from any disapproval he might have had about their decision to leave the boat and follow Jesus. I’m guessing on all of this, but my point is that there are all kinds of reasons we act foolishly. There are all kinds of reasons that I act foolishly.

Father, I think the “Serenity Prayer” from 12-Step programs is brilliant and it encompasses most of how I should be praying for myself and my children and then acting. So as I type this prayer out now, may it be in my perspective as a parent and for my wife and myself as well: “God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” [emphasis mine]

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 29, 2020 in Matthew, Mothers of the Bible

 

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Fathers of the Bible — Government Official with a Sick Son

24 Mar

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
John 4:46-54

Dear God, this is an interesting dad because he was a government official. We don’t know what his job was. John just tells us that he was a government official. But that fact alone was important enough that John called it out. We are only given a father’s job title in these stories if the father was a leader in the church or a government official.

I don’t know my history well enough, but I would guess that the locals were not allowed to be government officials. I would think that this man was a Roman who got stationed over here. He was probably not Jewish, but a Gentile at the least and a European Roman at most. By identifying this man’s occupation, John is intimating that this father was swallowing an extra measure of pride and disbelief to come to Jesus and ask him for help. This wasn’t just some dude. This was a man in an important position who seemingly had it made from a financial security standpoint. But he had a son that was sick, and, at that point, nothing else mattered.

I’ve been there. I’ve had times when I was worried about my children and absolutely nothing else mattered. I’d have quit my job, sold my house, and lived in a tent if I thought it would have made a difference. You get to a point where you’ll do anything for your children.

This is the point when I start adding a layer of fiction to this story. I try to imagine how this man’s day went. First, I’m sure it was a sleepless night. He and his wife were probably caring for their son. Someone who knew his son was sick mentioned to him that they heard that the guy healing people was nearby. Maybe he could get Jesus to come with him to heal his son. He tells his wife he’s going (maybe she begs him to go) and he sets out to find Jesus. He finally finds him and begs, “Please, please, please come with me to heal my son. I’m begging you to please come!”

Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!”

The exclamation point on the end of Jesus’s sentence is interesting. I can almost see a reassuring smile and twinkle in Jesus’s eyes as he says it to him. “Go back home. Your son will live!” What a beautiful moment.

So the government official heads home, hopeful that his son will be healed. Otherwise his wife will be angry with him that he didn’t bring Jesus back with him. But before he is even home he finds out the good news. The boy was healed in the very hour he spoke with Jesus!

Father, I need more faith. I believe, but help my unbelief. This man made a bunch of decisions, one after another. He just did what was next in front of him. He did everything he knew to do. Help me to know what to do was well. Help me to do that next thing that is in front of me.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on March 24, 2020 in Fathers of the Bible, John

 

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