Introspection: Listen to Your Heartache

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Listen to Your Heart(ache)

When Jesus saw him lying there, knowing that he had already been there a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

John 5:6 (CEB)

It happens when you can't take anymore

And you don't want to fight

You go inside yourself

From "Emotional Cocoon" by Tearwave

Looking back on the last couple of years, I've noticed that I have a tendency, like many people, to become a little bummed out after Christmas.  I have a theory about why this happens to me.  Every year, I take two weeks off from work around the holidays.  I usually spend the first week getting ready for Christmas: in fact, I typically do all my Christmas shopping during this time.  During the second week of my holiday vacation, I don't have very much to do.  I think that maybe the resulting idleness, coupled with the comedown from the rush of the previous week, might cause me to feel a bit drained.

There was a time when I had more things to keep me busy than I have at the present.  Not too long ago, I was both a Sunday school teacher and a leader in a Bible study group.  Now I perform neither of those functions, yet I have managed to keep myself occupied.  For some reason, the demand for Lay Speakers increased this year, and I have had more opportunities to preach than I have had in previous years.  I preached on ten Sundays this year, giving me the opportunity to write six new sermons and to revise three old ones.¹  I also started blogging more often to give myself something else to do.  At some point early in the year, I decided to try to post something on my blog every week, and I'm glad to say that I've met my goal, though I was late on a few occasions.

To summarize, I did a pretty good job of keeping myself busy this year.

I do not think that idleness is my sole cause of melancholia, but rather something that brings me face-to-face with it.  I live in a pain-averse society, and like many people, I have a tendency to numb myself.  Not long ago, I confessed that I use things like cynicism and negativity to protect me from the pain of potential disappointment.  I think that maybe I also use busyness in a similar way.  Being busy prevents me from having to think about anything that might make me feel sad or anxious.  For me, all is right with the world when I'm too busy to think about all that is wrong with the world.

Earlier this year, I realized that, though I am quick to complain that my life is not what I wish it was, I find myself at a loss for words when I am confronted with that dreadful question, "Do you want to get well?"  It has been said that people change when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing.²  Looking back on some of the changes I've made in my life, I think there is some truth in this statement.  Many of us have become quite adept at numbing ourselves, but perhaps numbness keeps us stuck in a rut.  When we numb ourselves, we might not experience the pain, unrest, and discontent we need to motivate us to make changes in our lives.

Though I'm glad that I now write more than I did in previous years, trying to post something every week has taken its toll on me in a number of ways.  I haven't had as much time read as I had in previous years; I often find myself anxious about figuring out what to write; and I feel that I haven't always posted my best work.  That said, in 2017, I intend to take at least one week off from blogging per month.  I'm hoping that a monthly break will give me time to seek inspiration from the writings of others and to allow my best ideas to rise to the surface.  I'm also hoping that a little less busyness will help me to face the realities of my life so that I'll find whatever I need to take steps to move forward.

I learned a number of life lessons in 2016, and perhaps you did as well.  Such lessons are meaningless to us unless we actually put them into practice and move forward.  In 2017, may we pay closer attention to what is going on within ourselves, so that we find the resolve to take the steps we need to take.


Notes:

1. For the tenth Sunday, I revised one of the new sermons.
2. Some form of this saying has been attributed to a number of people including Tony Robbins and Henry Cloud.

The photograph of the sundial was taken by Wikimedia user Jeepika and is used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  The photographer is in no way affiliated with this blog.

Christmas Perspective: The Christlike Parents of Jesus

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

The Christlike Parents of Jesus

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus."

Luke 1:30-31 (NRSV)

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But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."

Matthew 1:20-21 (NRSV)

How silently, how silently

The wondrous gift is given!

So God imparts to human hearts

The blessings of His heaven

No ear may hear His coming

But in this world of sin

Where meek souls will receive Him still

The dear Christ enters in

From "O Little Town of Bethlehem" by Phillips Brooks

The Gospel tells us that "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won't perish but will have eternal life."¹  The Christmas story tells us that God chose a rather strange way to give His Son to the world.

In the Bible, there are two stories of Jesus' birth.  In the Gospel of Luke, which tells us the story from the perspective of Jesus' mother Mary, we read that, one day, Mary met a messenger of God named Gabriel.  Gabriel told Mary that she had found favor with God and that she would soon give birth to a child whom she was to name Jesus.  He said, "He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David.  He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."  In other words, Gabriel told Mary that she would be the one to give birth to her people's long-awaited Messiah.  Mary asked Gabriel how she could possibly have a baby when she hadn't lost her virginity, and the messenger told her that she would conceive miraculously.²

Sometimes people wonder how Mary must have felt when she heard this news.  Surely she was excited that she had been given a role to play in the redemption of her people, but, at the same time, she must have been afraid of what the townspeople would think of her when they saw that she was pregnant out of wedlock.  She likely suspected that people probably wouldn't buy her story.  Everyone knew how babies were made, and, even if mothers called their babies "little miracles" back then, babies weren't just conceived spontaneously without the help a father.

To make matters even more complicated, Mary was engaged to be married.  In her day and time, there were heavy consequences for infidelity, even during the engagement period.³  According to the Jewish Law, an engaged woman who cheated on her fiance was to be stoned to death at the city gate.⁴  Even if the community chose not to execute Mary, her engagement would be over, and she would be left to raise her child alone as the town pariah.

Mary, realizing what hardships the angel's news might mean for her - that she could face shaming at best and stoning at worst - replied, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."⁵

Soon afterward, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth, who also happened to be pregnant under unusual circumstances.  During that visit, Mary sang a song to describe how she felt.  She sang,

My soul magnifies the Lord,

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

and holy is his name.⁶

She went on to sing,

He has helped his servant Israel,

in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

to Abraham and to his descendants forever.⁷

In the song Mary sang, known as the Magnificat, it is evident that her excitement about what God was doing through her was greater than any concern she might have had about any difficulties she would face.

In the Gospel of Matthew, which tells us the story of Jesus' birth from the perspective of Mary's fiancé Joseph, we read that, when Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant with a child he obviously knew wasn't his, he naturally believed that she had been unfaithful to him.  As noted above, infidelity held serious consequences, but Joseph was a kind man.  Though he was doubtlessly hurt and angry to think that Mary had cheated on him, he did not want her to be disgraced or potentially killed.  He decided to call off their engagement discretely.⁸

Typically, when we read this story, we do not fully consider the implications of what Joseph was planning to do.  If he had broken the engagement without bringing Mary's supposed infidelity into the open, people would have naturally believed that Joseph had gotten Mary pregnant and had then abandoned her, leaving her to raise their child all by herself.  There are words to describe men who do such things, many of which should not be used in polite society.  Joseph would have effectively made himself appear to be the dishonorable one, and he would have taken upon himself the consequences of such dishonorable actions.⁹

Fortunately, before Joseph could act, God intervened.  A messenger of God, perhaps the same one who spoke with Mary, appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him that the child Mary was carrying was conceived not by an act of unfaithfulness, but by a miracle.  Mary and Joseph got married; they named the child Jesus; and Joseph raised the child with Mary as if He was his own.¹⁰

In the Gospels, the character of the two people God chose to be the human parents of His Son is a foreshadowing of the type of person Jesus would be.  When the angel told Mary about God's plans for her, she said, in spite of the hardships she knew she might face, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."  Years later, during one dark night when Jesus knew He would soon face the suffering of the cross, He echoed the words of His mother when He prayed, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done."¹¹

When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he initially decided to break off their engagement without bringing Mary's supposed transgression out into the open.  Had Joseph gone through with his plan, he would not have simply saved Mary from disgrace: he would have taken her disgrace upon himself.  When remembering Jesus' suffering on the cross - suffering that was completely undeserved - many recall the words of one ancient prophet:

Surely he has borne our infirmities

and carried our diseases;

yet we accounted him stricken,

struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions,

crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the punishment that made us whole,

and by his bruises we are healed.¹²

Jesus once said, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."¹³  I find it fascinating that Mary and Joseph, the two people God chose to raise His Son, demonstrate through their attitudes and actions the kind of self-sacrificial love Jesus would demonstrate in His life - most starkly on the cross.  God may have chosen an unusual way to bring His Son into the world, but God chose some wonderful, loving people to be His Son's earthly parents.  May we learn something from their Christlike example this Christmas season.


Notes:

1. John 3:16 (CEB)
2. Luke 1:26-37 (NRSV)
3. Please note that ancient Jewish betrothal and marriage customs were a bit more complex than what I have presented in this blog post.
4. Deuteronomy 22:23-24
5. Luke 1:38 (NRSV)
6. Luke 1:46-49 (NRSV)
7. Luke 1:54-55
8. Matthew 1:18-19
9. Adam Hamilton.  "Whose Child Is This?"  The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection podcast, 12/04/2016.
10. Matthew 1:20-25
11. Luke 22:42 (NRSV)
12. Isaiah 53:4-5 (NRSV)
13. Mark 8:34 (NRSV)

The Annunciation was painted by Domenico Beccafumi in the 1500s.  Joseph's Dream was painted by Daniele Crespi in the 1600s.

Advent Perspective: What Should We Do?

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

What Should We Do?

The wolf shall live with the lamb,
the leopard shall lie down with the kid,
the calf and the lion and the fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze,
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp,
and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den.
They will not hurt or destroy
on all my holy mountain;
for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.

Isaiah 11:6-9 (NRSV)

Truly He taught us to love one another

His law is love, and His gospel is peace
Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother
And in His name all oppression shall cease

From "O Holy Night" by Placide Cappeau
as translated by John Sullivan Dwight

As I noted in a previous post, just over two thousand years ago, an elderly priest named Zechariah believed that something big was about to happen and that his newborn son John would have a role to play in it all.¹  This child grew up to become a rather peculiar person: he lived in the wilderness, wore weird clothes, and ate weird foods.  He also became a great prophet and a fiery preacher, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."  People came to him in the wilderness to listen to him speak and to be baptized by him as a sign of their repentance.²

One ancient prophet spoke of a voice crying out, "In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God."³  The Gospels identify this voice as John.⁴  People began to think that John might be the Messiah who would defeat their oppressors and usher in an age of peace, but John always pointed to someone who was greater who would come after him.⁵

The prophet Isaiah once spoke of a great tree that had been cut down, representing the dynasty of King David.  The prophet said that, from the stump of this great tree, a shoot will grow, representing a future King who will usher in what has been called the "Peaceable Kingdom."  This righteous King will rule justly, defending the poor and the meek.  In His kingdom, animals who had been predator and prey will live together in peace.  Carnivores will become herbivores.  Little children will be safe around once-dangerous animals, even venomous snakes.⁶

Isaiah described a peaceful kingdom.  Hundreds of years later, John the Baptist challenged his audience to repent because the kingdom of heaven had come near.

Are you beginning to see some connections here?

---

In the kingdom Isaiah described, children will be able to play around the nests of venomous snakes without the fear of being bitten.

John once called a crowd of people who came to him a "brood of vipers" and then challenged them to "bear fruit worthy of repentance" because judgment was coming.  The people asked, "What then should we do?"⁷

Isaiah said that the King who will usher in the peaceful kingdom will be a righteous judge who will champion the cause of the poor and the meek.

John said to the crowd, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise."⁸

In the kingdom Isaiah described, animals who are currently natural enemies will live together in harmony.  In other words, there will be neither predator nor prey.

John instructed those in the crowd who were in places of authority not to abuse their power.  To the tax collectors, he said, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you."  To the soldiers, he said, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages."⁹

---

Isaiah and John pointed to the same things, and, during the season of Advent, we remember the words of both of these prophets.  As we anticipate the Kingdom described by Isaiah, we heed the instructions of John.  To prepare ourselves for coming of the Kingdom of God we must strive to know its King and allow Him to rule in our hearts now.  Our King is a King of peace, justice, mercy, and love, so we must strive for the good of all people as we leave behind our destructive tendencies.


Notes:

1. Luke 1:67-79
2. Matthew 3:1-6 (NRSV)
3. Isaiah 40:3 (NRSV)
4. Matthew 3:3, Luke 3:4
5. Luke 3:15-17
6. Isaiah 11:1-9
7. Luke 3:7-10 (NRSV)
8. Luke 3:11 (NRSV)
9. Luke 3:12-14 (NRSV)

Peaceable Kingdom of the Branch was painted by Edward Hicks in the early 1800s.

Advent Perspective: Weapons, Tools, and a Golden Rule

I share these thoughts hoping they are of help to someone else.

Comments are always welcomed.

If you find these thoughts helpful, please share.

Weapons, Tools, and a Golden Rule

In days to come

the mountain of the Lord's house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

Many peoples shall come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths."

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

He shall judge between the nations,

and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

Isaiah 2:2-4 (NRSV)

With God our Creator

Children all are we

Let us walk with each other

In perfect harmony

From "Let There Be Peace on Earth" by Jill Jackson and Sy Miller

as printed in The United Methodist Hymnal

St. Paul, in one of his letters, instructs his readers to "put on the armor of light" as they leave behind the "works of darkness" - according to a number of translations of the Bible including the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, and the New King James Version.  According to a more recent translation, the Common English Bible, Paul instructs his readers to take up the "weapons of light."¹  So is light something meant to protect us from the darkness, or is it something with which we are meant to fight back against the darkness?

Hoplon, the Greek word which is translated into English as either armor or weapons, depending on the Bible translation one happens to be reading, could also be translated as implement, tool, or instrument.  Paul uses this word earlier in the same letter, instructing his readers to use their body parts as "instruments of righteousness" as opposed to "instruments of wickedness."²

So what does the word hoplon really mean?  Any of the aforementioned translations of the word could be appropriate, depending on the context.³  What St. Paul really meant when he used the word, we don't truly know, so we are left to interpret the text as we see fit.

Perhaps the question is whether we should be thinking in terms of warfare or in terms of construction.

More than seven hundred years earlier, the prophet Isaiah spoke of a time in the future when people from all around the world will travel to Mount Zion to learn God's ways.  Isaiah claimed that, in those days, warfare will be a thing of the past, because God will settle disputes between nations.  Because there is no longer any need to fight, people will be free to focus on more constructive and life-giving endeavors.  As a result, Isaiah claims, people will "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks."  Modern-day preacher Brian Zahnd asks, "Can we reimagine the world where tanks are turned into tractors and missile silos become grain silos?"⁴

John Calvin, whom I do not often quote, writes about Isaiah's prophecy,
[Isaiah] does not merely say, swords shall be broken in pieces, but they shall be turned into mattocks [plowshares]; by which he shows that there will be so great a change that, instead of annoying one another, and committing various acts of injustice, as [people] had formerly done, they will henceforth cultivate peace and friendship, and they will employ their exertions for the common advantage of all; for mattocks and pruning-hooks are instruments adapted to agriculture, and are profitable and necessary for the life of [humanity].⁵

So what would be God's standard for settling disputes between nations?  I will not claim that I actually know how God would settle our disputes, but I have a sneaking suspicion that some of us would not like it.

In January of 2012, one politician seeking his party's presidential nomination suggested, during a debate, that the nation should consider applying the Golden Rule to foreign policy.  In other words, he suggested that a nation should not do unto another nation what it would not another nation to do unto it.⁶  The suggestion should have been well received by the audience, considering the fact that the debate was held in the Bible Belt.  Some form of the Golden Rule existed thousands of years before the days of Jesus,⁷ but Jesus certainly endorsed it, even suggesting that it summarizes all instructions in Scripture.  His inclusion of the rule in the Sermon on the Mount is probably one reason the rule is so well known today.⁸

The audience didn't seem to appreciate the candidate's suggestion.  In fact, many peopled booed and jeered at it.⁹

Advent is a season when we look toward not only Christmas but also the day when God sets things right in the world, the day we can finally convert our weapons of war into gardening equipment.  If we don't believe that the instructions the Son of God gave us for living in harmony with each other are applicable when they actually matter the most, then I'm not so sure we're ready for God to intervene in the world.  Advent is a time of waiting, longing, and expectation, but perhaps, like Lent, it should also be a time of introspection and repentance, for we still have a long way to go.


Notes:

1. Romans 13:12
2. Romans 6:13 (Again, the word hoplon is translated as weapons in the CEB.)
3. Blue Letter Bible: Hoplon
4. Brian Zahnd.  "War Is Over (If You Want It)."  Word of Life Church podcast, 11/27/2016.
5. John Calvin.  Calvin's Complete Commentary on the Bible.
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGpXHYtkOS8
7. Wikipedia: Golden Rule
8. Matthew 7:12
9. Thank you, Pastor Jonathan, for bringing this incident to mind recently.

The sculpture pictured above was created by Lee Lawrie in 1937.  The photograph is public domain.