Quinquagesima Sunday, February 11, 2024

Jesus’ friends and Jesus’ foes acknowledged that he had acquired a status far beyond that which could be ascribed to the circumstances of his birth.  Anytime you read of Jesus’ foes being afraid of arresting him because of the crowd, you are reading their acknowledgment of Jesus’ great honor, which was ascribed to him by the populace, earned by his conversational successes in confronting the religious leaders, and witnessed to by the seemingly miraculous deeds Jesus accomplished.  In these verses set before us, Jesus describes what must happen to him.  These events will happen, not only to fulfill scripture, but because his enemies must strip him of his honor, destroy his popularity, and shame him beyond redemption.  If this social degradation is not accomplished, Jesus’ enemies will have made a martyr of him, a slain hero of the people.

The twelve did not understand this.  Swept up in the heady adulation of Jesus and caught up in his immense popularity, they basked in his reflected glory and enjoyed the glow of being associated with him.  Jesus was so popular that it seemed as if the whole world had gone after him (Jn. 12:19).  Consequently, when Jesus presents them with the reality of what must take place in Jerusalem, they could not understand what he said (vs. 34).  What we now know as the cross and resurrection remained incomprehensible to them, hidden from their understanding.

The Apostle Paul preaches that those who are called according to God’s purpose are predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus (Ro. 8:29).  Jesus himself cautions that to come after him is to bear a cross—that is, to receive our own social degradation ritual.  Yet, you can take heart (Jn. 16:33).  Jesus has had the victory over this sin, death, and the power of the devil because on the third day he was raised.  You, too, being joined to Jesus in a death like his, have also been joined to Jesus in a resurrection like his.

Table Talk:  Discuss social degradation rituals present today.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, conform me to Jesus in both death and life.  Amen

Luke 18:31-34

31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. 32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. 33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise. 34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Sexagesima Sunday, February 4, 2024

“The seed is the Word of God” (vs. 11). Jesus presents to us the vulnerability of God’s Word:  it is trampled, devoured, withered, and choked out (vs. 5). Jesus, himself the Word of God, possessed this vulnerability: he was persecuted, convicted, condemned, scourged, and crucified. All these impositions upon the vulnerable Word of God come from its hearers who are listening also to a different word. Another voice is speaking into their ears. Satan, his minions, and his lies have claimed those hearers and bound them into thinking they do have a choice. They can hear God’s Word with obedience flowing spontaneously out of that hearing, or they can hear God’s Word and consider whether they will obey it. In the first instance, God’s Word is the active agent. In the second instance, the human will is the active agent.

For those who hear the Word of God and forth with are set free from their bondage to sin, death, and the power of the devil… these hearers are the good soil. These hearers are vulnerable to that Word of God. The Word of God is the active agent of their lives, not their own human will. They now have the heart of Jesus Christ; it is an honest and good heart (vs. 15). They can wait patiently for that Word—the Lord Jesus—to bear fruit. Good soil does not know that it is good soil. Good soil simply hears the Word and holds it fast. In other words, good soil “lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord” (Dt. 8:3).

You… you who hear the Word of God need Satan, his minions, and his lies silenced. This silencing takes place when your preacher declares to you, “In the name of Jesus Christ, by his authority, and in his stead, I forgive you all your sin.” This absolution enthrones Jesus as Lord of your conscience and silences Satan and his ilk.

Table Talk: Discuss what it means to say that “Good soil does not know that it is good soil.

Pray: Heavenly Father, keep sending me a preacher with absolution on her lips that my bondage to sin would be broken. Amen

Luke 8:4-15

4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5 A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold. As he said these things, he called out, He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand. 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Septuagesima Sunday, January 28, 2024

These workers presumed much, didn’t they?  They presumed, based on the wages paid to the last workers hired, that they would receive some multiple of what the last hired received.  Their presumption grew.  This inference instilled coveting.  By that coveting, they estimated that those increased wages were already their possession.  So, when the owner of the vineyard paid them a mere denarius, they felt robbed.  The vineyard owner had stolen from them what their covetous hearts had already considered as theirs.  No wonder they grumbled!

The savvy vineyard owner confronts their disgruntled and grumbling state.  Those grumblers have voiced the complaint, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat” (vs. 12).  Their suffering… their unequal burden… their labor and discipline far exceeded the last hired.  Surely, they should receive more.  That master of the household… the vineyard owner… punctures their inflated balloon of self-centered coveting, saying to them, “Take what belongs to you and go.”  Those workers had agreed to work the day for one denarius.  That is what they received regardless of how much more they had coveted.

How about you?   Has your labor in the Lord’s vineyard… perhaps over the course of years… perhaps over decades of devoted stewardship… perhaps with countless acts of self-denial… have these works given you a presumption of increased reward?  …of coveting more than mere salvation?  …of some reward greater than that of the newly baptized reprobate?  We of the church… you and I who have supported it… sweated over it… sacrificed for it… don’t you and I often react with selfishness when it comes to sharing or permitting the use of church facilities to those who have been outside the church for years and years?  Thanks be to God that he does not begrudge his generosity!

Table Talk:  Discuss the inequality of the reward of eternal life.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, keep me satisfied with what I have and content to receive what you give me.  Amen

Matthew 20:1-16

For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you. 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, Why do you stand here idle all day? 7 They said to him, Because no one has hired us. He said to them, You go into the vineyard too. 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first. 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. 13 But he replied to one of them, Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.

Transfiguration Sunday, January 21, 2024

Those terrified disciples assumed a posture of worship—that is, they “fell on their faces” (vs. 6). The brightness of the cloud that enveloped them… the disembodied voice speaking out of the cloud as if it, too, enveloped them… the divine recognition of Jesus—their rabbi—as the beloved Son of God… the divine imperative, “Listen to him…!” all combined to instill an overwhelming fear in the hearts of Peter, James, and John… a fear that drove them to commit an act of worship—that is, they “fell on their faces.”

Jesus changes all of that. The very first words he speaks after his Father in heaven has commanded, “Listen to him,” radically change the direction of worship. Because of Jesus, his coming in the flesh, and his coming down to be with us, we no longer prostrate ourselves in fear before an incomprehensible and terrifying divinity. Rather, the divinity has come to us in the person of his Son, Jesus… a son who speaks kindly and gently to his people, “Rise, and have no fear.” When Jesus fills our eyes, as the eyes of Peter, James, and John were filled (cf. vs. 8), then there is nothing that will separate us from the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:39).

Perhaps we, as Christians, have lived with this so long that it ceases to be remarkable to us. The religions of the world (even Christianity is numbered among them) worship their god(s) out of fear and trembling or manipulation and greed. Without faith to see in Jesus Christ the radical reorientation of worship, Christian worship remains rooted in fear. But, when faith grasps hold of Christ’s command, “Have no fear,” then worship becomes that mighty arena in which our good God—the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ—hands out the gifts of Christ—the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation—through Word and Sacrament.

Table Talk: Discuss the radical reorientation of worship in Jesus Christ.
Pray: Heavenly Father, lift up my fearful face which I hide from your sight and let my eyes see Jesus and Jesus only. Amen

Matthew 17:1-9

And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah. 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him. 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, Rise, and have no fear. 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.

The Second Sunday after Epiphany, January 14, 2024

The gospel of John bookends Jesus’ story with signs, here in the second chapter and again at the end of the twentieth chapter. Well, maybe not quite bookends, for there is still the twenty-first chapter. What John does is that he encloses nineteen chapters of his gospel within a pair of signs… a pair of signs which result in a definite outcome: faith. Here in the second chapter after the miracle of water to wine at the wedding feast, John tells us, “And his disciples believed in him” (vs. 11). Toward the conclusion of chapter twenty, John tells us of the resurrected Jesus’ encounter with his disciple Thomas for the first time after the crucifixion. In that encounter, all the doubts held by Thomas as to the identity of his risen Lord were relieved when Jesus addressed him and invited him to touch the reality of his wounded hands, feet, and side. Confronted by these signs of death and resurrection, Thomas confessed belief.

But then, Jesus speaks a curious turn of phrase. Rather than applaud Thomas for his coming to faith and worshipping him, Jesus poses a question and then a beatitude to Thomas. The question asks, “Have you believed because you have seen me?” (Jn. 20:29). The beatitude simply states, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn. 20:29).

Evidently, Jesus is not a fan of signs. He emphasizes hearing over seeing. When confronting the religious leaders of his day, Jesus responded to their demand for a sign from him by saying, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Mt. 12:39). Jesus delivers the sign of Jonah in his death and resurrection where he was three days in the tomb as Jonah was three days in the belly of the whale. To us who persist as an evil and adulterous generation, we may covet signs of divine manifestation but what we get is the risen Word of God, Jesus Christ.

Table Talk: Discuss the tension between visible signs and the audible word.
Pray: Father, place your Word, Jesus, in my ears. Amen

John 2:1-11

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, They have no wine. 4 And Jesus said to her, Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. 5 His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast. So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now. 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The Baptism of Our Lord, January 7, 2024

Here, at the baptism of Jesus, we are given witness to the presence of all three persons of the Holy Trinity. Jesus, the Son, comes up out of the baptismal waters. The Holy Spirit descends from the heavens like a dove. God, the Father, speaks with both love and satisfaction. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the Holy Trinity, the fullness of the Godhead—there with John the baptizer at the river Jordon. Here is an incident you can recall and give witness if anyone should question the presence of the Holy Trinity in scripture.

When you were brought to your own personal river Jordon—that is, the baptismal font, there your own personal John the baptizer—that is, your preacher, combined water with the Word of God and baptized you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. You came up out of that baptismal water having received the life of Jesus Christ, the Son. The Holy Spirit descended upon you, giving you the gift of faith. God, the Father, bears witness in love for you, his new child, and in satisfaction that all righteousness has been fulfilled (vs. 15). The entirety of the Holy Trinity is there, present and working, at your baptism and at every baptism done in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

For the rest of your mortal days, you will be a child of God, a brother or sister to Jesus Christ. You hold membership in the family of God. And, when your mortal days shall end, Jesus will take you to that place he has prepared for you (Jn. 14:3). There, you will have the run of the household. Until that day, your flesh—the body of sin and death—obscures and hides your membership in God’s family. During these days—the days of your baptism—your only guarantee of righteousness is this promise that all righteousness was fulfilled in your baptism and maintained by the ongoing proclamation that puts the forgiveness of sins into your ears and the bread and wine on your tongue.

Table Talk: Discuss your grasp of the Holy Trinity
Pray: Father, hold me in the fulfillment of all righteousness. Amen

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? 15 But Jesus answered him, Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he consented. 16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.

The Day of Epiphany, January 6, 2024

When confronted with the Christ child, those wise men—esteemed and honored in their own country—fell on their faces. They prostrated themselves. Throughout the Old Testament, this expression is commonly used to denote worship or the posture of worship. The posture can be as simple as kneeling and bowing forward until the forehead touches the floor or it can be as radical as stretching out prone on the floor, face pressed into the dirt. Either way, the position assumes an extreme vulnerability: the eyes and attention are taken off the person of worship, the back of the neck is bared, and the life is placed in the person of worship’s control. Essentially, the worshipper is saying, “My life is in your hands. Take it if you will.” The one worshipped had only to give the order… make the signal… and attendants would easily behead the prostrate one.

Those wise men from the east recognized in the baby Jesus what Simeon would prophesy: that in this child lay the salvation of the world. Their lives, indeed, were in that child’s hands. Once they had recognized the authority of the Christ child and presented themselves as vulnerable to him, then they presented their gifts of obeisance—the gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These gifts represented the emptying of themselves in humility before the honor and greatness of the one to whom they had just presented their lives.

So now, you. We have come to the end of the twelve days of Christmas and all their times of gift-giving, family feasting, going and coming, and celebratory worship. This humble account of the wise men… the magi… the travelers… who recognized in the baby Jesus the salvation of the world… who fell down before him and gave him their lives… who in humility emptied themselves of their treasures… this humble account, when held up against the extravagance of our own self-gratifying celebrations cannot help but judge such celebrations… and judge them poorly.

Table Talk: Discuss whether Christmas extravagance honors ourselves or the Christ child.
Pray: Father, forgive me my self-indulgence. Amen

Matthew 2:1-12

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

6 And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel.

7 Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him. 9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 12 And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.

The First Sunday after Christmas, December 31, 2023

Behold!  An incongruity presents itself in verses 33-35.  Initially, Jesus’ father and mother marvel at Simeon’s lifting up of their son.  Simeon equates Jesus with the salvation God has prepared in the presence of all peoples (vs. 29-30).  When Simeon completes his blessing of God, he turns to Joseph and Mary and gives them a blessing (vs. 34).  The words that follow, though, hardly seem like a blessing; they don’t necessarily convey a positive future.

Mary and Joseph’s son, Jesus is destined for the rising and falling of many (vs 34).  Rising and falling, a prophecy of social upheaval and the loss or gain of status, sounds only vaguely positive, at best.  “A sign that is opposed” definitely prophecies the persecution and antagonism directed against Jesus as he takes up his ministry.  The religious elite oppose him all the way to the cross.  And there… there is the sword that will pierce Mary’s own soul as well.  Jesus’ ignoble, shameful, and humiliating end hardly seems appropriate for the salvation prepared by God.  It is an end that Mother Mary may well have traded away all of Simeon’s accolades to avoid.  The glory of God’s people Israel went to the cross.  There in the humiliation of crucifixion, the glory of Israel was revealed.  Israel had a savior who would die for them… die at their hands… die because sinners wanted him dead… die so God’s people would have revealed to them the depths of sin forgiven by their God.

These future events intrude upon the sentimentality of Christmas and its extended twelve days of celebration.  The events intrude because the sword that pierces Mary’s soul also pierces your soul… because the thoughts of your heart, sinful beyond comprehension, are revealed… because Jesus, the child, the infant that nursed on Mary’s lap, suffers and dies for you… you with the blood-stained hands still clutching hammer and surplus nails… Jesus, the Son of God, dies so that you will know that there is no sin… THERE IS NO SIN… which will separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Ro. 8:39).

Table Talk:  Discuss your understanding of the incongruities of vs. 33-35.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, so deliver unto me the forgiveness of my sin that my heart, too, is pierced and its contents revealed.  Amen

Luke 2:(22–32) 33–40

(22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace,

according to your word;

30 for my eyes have seen your salvation

31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and for glory to your people Israel.)

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.

39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

Christmas Day, December 25, 2023

You cannot will yourself to be a child of God (cf. vs. 13).  Only the will of God makes you a child of God.  A child of God does not come into being in the usual way, for being born of the flesh yields only flesh (Jn. 3:6).  A child of God is born of water and the Spirit (Jn. 3:6)—that is, born of baptism where the water is used together with God’s Word, an instrument of the Holy Spirit.

Because we are sinners, there is great controversy over the claim, “You cannot will yourself to be a child of God.”  Even though the Word tells us here in verse 13, “born… not of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man…,” some still insist there’s a role for the human will.  Verse 13 concludes by reserving this birth to God alone, “born… [of the will] of God.”  God, and God alone, determines who will be his sons and daughters… who will be the brothers and sisters to his Son, Jesus Christ.

Theologically this reservation to God alone is known as God’s election— “…even as he chose us in him [Christ] before the foundation of the world…” (Eph. 1:4).  God’s choosing precedes our having faith.  When the apostles had finished preaching in Antioch, this is the consequence, “…as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” (Acts 13:48).

Because we are sinners, the truth of God’s election provides for our faith.  Without the truth of God choosing us… without the assurance that, in such choosing, God does not lie… without complete confidence in the faithfulness of God even as we are unfaithful (2 Tim. 2:13) … without these, faith would not be a gift of the Holy Spirit but merely another work of sinful and broken human beings.  As the Apostle Paul declares, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…” (Eph. 2:8).  You’ve been elected… You’ve been chosen… by a God who does not lie, all so you can enjoy the gift of faith.

Table Talk:  Discuss the importance of God choosing you rather than vice versa.  \

Pray:  Heavenly Father speak to me again and again that the news of my election will ever fill my ears.  Amen

John 1:1-14 (15-18)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

(15 (John bore witness about him, and cried out, This was he of whom I said, He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.) 16 And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023

Joseph was a just man (vs. 19).  He did not, however, use his righteousness to shame Mary.  Her pregnancy provided all the proof needed that she had broken the betrothal bonds.  In the face of such adultery, Joseph could have publicly denounced her.  But rather than shaming her that way, Joseph committed himself to a quiet divorce.  Whether that would have stopped the wagging tongues is an open question.  Mary would have been an unwed mother in an honor/shame society, and she had no public honor, none.

She did, though, possess a private honor.  She had been chosen.  The angel Gabriel had told her so.  She had been chosen to be the Mother of God’s Son.  Her child… her son… conceived in her virginity… was not the product of adultery but of the Holy Spirit.  Privately, Mary was a most favored lady, chosen by God to be honored with the birthing of God’s only begotten Son.

Joseph knew none of this.  He only saw the onrushing public humiliation.  He needed a revelation… a revelation of Mary’s private, divine honor.  So, the angel of the Lord came to visit him, letting him in on the honor their God had bestowed on her, and instructing him as to the name which Joseph was to bestow upon this Holy Spirit conceived child.  Joseph, being a just man, did as the angel instructed him, and he called his name Jesus.

How about you?  Do you, as Joseph did initially, attempt to satisfy a public honor, displaying your justness before the crowd, or flaunting a righteousness to elevate yourself as better than others who don’t possess your obvious moral rectitude?  Joseph needed a revelation to change his mind.  Like you, Joseph needed a divine messenger convincing him that there is a “private” honor in contrast to the public shame leveled at hypocrites.  And so, God sends you an angel…. a messenger… a preacher… delivering your private honor of being elected by God, chosen by him to be the recipient of salvation in Jesus’ name alone.  And your preacher shall call you Christian.

Table Talk:  Discuss this notion of private honor versus public shame.
Pray:  Heavenly Father, continue to hold me in my election to salvation in the name of Jesus.  Amen

Matthew 1:18-25

18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. 20 But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

23 Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall call his name Immanuel

(which means, God with us). 24 When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Easysoftonic

Looking for an exhilarating online casino experience in Zambia? Your search ends here with Bwin Zambia!