Day 22 of Advent - Luke 1:39-55

Luke 1:39-55 

Israel has anticipated someone to come and liberate them from their suffering for more than four centuries. Waiting was/is part of their identity. As we’ve walked through the Advent season together, we’ve tried to focus on the hope, peace, love, and joy that comes with waiting on God. Waiting is often hard, but it is worth it when you know the one whom you wait for. Now, imagine yourselves in a military occupied land. There are continual rumblings of revolution. Everyone is eagerly anticipating that God would return and bring someone to liberate them from their bondage. An angel visits you and tells you that you are going to give birth to the one everyone has been anticipating. What kind of joy would swell up in your heart? 

Go back and read Mary’s song with this kind of joy and hope for the future. How do people express joy? Do they jump, skip, clap their hands, sing a familiar song, or just shout out for joy?! Sometimes in these moments, song lyrics come readily to mind and we just start singing them and even add in our own bits. 

Mary and Elizabeth celebrate together because they share a common dream. It was the same ancient dream of Israel. The same dream all of the prophets said would come true. In Mary’s song, we see the reversal of positions. These reversals will play out in Luke’s Gospel as we read through Jesus’ ministry. The humble will be lifted up. Those without food will no longer hunger. Those without water will no longer thirst. Liberation is coming. Mary, in her beautiful song, gives us the gospel before the gospel. She gives us a song to sing and dance to. She gives us a song of revolution!

What about the coming of Jesus makes you sing and dance? How would hearing this song in the voice of a pregnant woman help you hear it differently?

Day 21 of Advent - Luke 20:41-21:4

Luke 20:41-21:4

The way Luke 20 ends and chapter 21 opens is an odd juxtaposition, is it not? I mean, how can Luke go from answering this dense, challenging theological question, to discussing a widow being generous with her limited finances. That’s just a really odd transition and it doesn’t seem to make any sense, at least not at first. The issue at hand in the first episode, where Jesus poses the question of how he could both be David’s Lord and his son, is that people were simply missing the point. They were not recognizing that God’s way of viewing things is much bigger than the way that we view things. God’s presence in human form could not be limited by a finite understanding of the way that things were supposed to be. In the second episode, in which a widow made a seemingly small donation at the temple, the issue is the same: people were not viewing things in the way that God views things. All they saw was a woman giving a small amount of money. God saw a woman giving everything they had. When Jesus was discussing the issue with David, all people saw was an apparent contradiction. God saw His divine plan being carried out through the incarnation.

Far too often we can fall into the same trap of the people that Jesus was having this conversation with. It’s so easy for us to see things in the manner in which we have been trained to see them, but completely neglect to consider what it means for us to view things in the way that God views them. Our world is filled with injustices masquerading as if they were helpful services for all people. But, it is so easy for us to miss the injustice and buy into the belief that it’s a good thing. Only when we consider what it looks like to consider things as God does will we be able to see things as they really are. 

What are things that we see on a daily basis that many people may assume to be good things, but may not be as good as they seem?

In what ways does Christianity disguise injustice as a blessing? 

(By Cody Poinsett)

Day 20 of Advent - Luke 18:1-14

Luke 20:9-19

No first-century Jew would have needed to have been told that the owner stood for God, the farmers for Israel, and the messengers for the prophets. Jesus understood himself to be the rightful king to his father’s tenants. They were doing all they could to not lose the vineyard they believed they deserved. Israel was given the task of tending the vineyard and they have failed to do so. How have they failed? This question goes back to the Garden, where Adam was called to be co-gardeners with God. They were to be a type of “New Adam” in creation to partner with God to bring the creation back to fulness as God intends it to be. This is done through righting the injustices around them and spreading God’s grace and love to everyone. Instead, they wanted to keep God’s grace and love for themselves. So much so, they are willing to kill God in the flesh when he comes to check on the vineyard. It says that God will destroy the workers in the vineyard who kill his son. This seems harsh but which is worse, to remove the barriers that are keeping God’s grace and love from others or allowing those barriers to remain and continue to let people live without God’s grace and love. God has a mission and his mission has a chosen people. What happens when we’re no longer focused on God’s mission for the church? 

In what ways do you see people using their religion to protect their own privileged position? When you read through the ministry of Jesus, what does it look like for the church (the body of Christ) to shine light into the world? What does sharing God’s grace and love look like to you? 

Day 19 of Advent - Luke 18:1-14

Don’t you remember what it was like when someone mistreated you as a child? Perhaps you were at school and a classmate took a book you were reading. Or, maybe it was a sibling who intentionally broke one of your favorite toys. Whatever the issue was, there’s a pretty good chance that any child would feel as if it was the end of the world. Losing that book or that toy very easily could have ruined your day. Then, once this complete tragedy has taken place, the natural response would be to run off and tell the closest adult, whether teacher, parent, or other. And, if I had to guess, this younger version of you likely would have continued to pester that adult about the issue until something was done to make it right. 

It seems to me that as we grow older, we attempt to take these matters into our own hands. The stakes may be a little higher. We have likely lost more than a book or a toy, but our desire for vindication is still the same. While we may often get confused about what Godly justice should look like, our desire for justice is clearly a good thing. Part of expecting the return of Christ is expecting all things to be made right and whole. In the same way that a young child will run off to a teacher or parent to fix their problems, we have the ability to run to God with prayerful petition to make all things whole again. The truth of the matter is that when Christ returns, then justice and mercy, hope and love will reign in ways that we cannot yet imagine. I mean, if we can trust a parent or a teacher to bring justice, then how much more can we trust God to do the same? If we hope police officers and judges will vindicate us, then can we not believe that God will bring vindication in a way that is infinitely better? We serve a God who is coming back, and when He does all things will be made whole. Justice will come. Now, our responsibility is to trust Him to return and shape ourselves into the kind of people who are expectantly awaiting His arrival.  

Why is it so much easier for us to turn to the people around us for justice and vindication rather than believing that God will make those things right?

While we do believe that God will bring justice, we still have a responsibility to be just in the present age. There is an uncomfortable tension there. I don’t really have a question for you, but I would encourage you to consider what it means to trust and expect God will bring justice, while also engaging in practices that bring a holy form of justice now. 

(By Cody Poinsett)

Day 18 - Luke 11:42-54

Luke 11:42-54

Rules are good to have. This seems like an odd thing to say. Rules provide structure. If you remove a goldfish from its bowl, it’ll begin to quickly desire the rules that give life. We see rules as restrictive and oppose anyone who will impose rules on us. We’ve developed an unhealthy relationship with rules and even jump to calling people “Pharisees” when they try to point to rule following in Christianity. The debate gets confusing when we start saying that Jesus gives us freedom from rules and then we go read something like the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus seems to give lots of rules. These rules are a measurement of fruit. If you claim to be a follower of God and you don’t show love to others, the God you are following might be an idol you’ve created. 

To better understand deep emotion behind what Jesus is saying and the response of the scribes and Pharisees, we need to look at who they actually are. The Pharisees were a politically driven group who were concerned with imposing rules on others so that God might recognize Israel’s holiness and come to establish his kingdom. This has less to do with holiness of the nation and more about manipulation of people so that they might strongarm God into bringing the kingdom. When the kingdom is established, who would be at the top of political power? Is it right for political groups to legislate morality to make a nation holy? This conversation gets messy. Jesus’ major point to them is that they impose morality on others in one area while ignoring justice, mercy, and love in other areas. The Pharisees were not only a political group but also a social pressure group. They are like news reporters who blow the whistle on others but do not live to the same level of integrity they call out. The “scribes” were literally people who were trained in writing legal documents. They were the “lawyers” and “religious teachers” who were more focused on implementing God’s law while ignoring God’s grace, love, and justice. 

The rules are supposed to there to liberate people, not restrict them. When our own human agendas get in the way of God’s love and mercy, rules and laws become restrictive rather than liberating. Where do you see people using God’s law for their own benefit? In what ways do you see the rule of Christ as liberating in your life? 

Day 17 - Luke 10:1-16

As any college student can tell you, there is a very different mood on campus during the last two or three weeks of each semester. This is the time that everyone starts to realize that the projects they’ve been avoiding, the bad grades that have been earned, and the general apathy displayed up until that point are going to come back and bite them very quickly. You can go to any on-campus library during the first couple months of a semester and have no problem finding the books your looking for and a good place to sit, but during those last few weeks, things will be much more crowded. People are starting to realize that if they don’t get things done immediately, then it will be too late. It takes a while to get there, but there will eventually be a real sense of urgency toward the things that need to be done. 

This is the same sense of urgency that we see from Jesus in today’s reading. He recognizes that he is not going to be around much longer and people need to be prepared. So, he sends out 70 leaders to go before him and let people know that the Kingdom of God is at hand. He wants them to be prepared because he doesn’t have much time. He knows that if they reject him now, then that will probably be their last chance because they likely won’t see him again. In order to prepare the hearts of the people to accept Jesus, he sends out 70 of his followers to preach a message of peace and expectation. Their job was to go to all of the places that Jesus would soon visit and let the local community know that they brought with them a message of peace, which was not a common message within this culture. These people wanted war. They wanted the Messiah to bring violence upon Rome so that they could once again be the dominant force in the world. But, they were missing the point. 

Jesus sent these men and women before him so that they could prepare the world for a better way. They were sent to say that Jesus is coming, and with him comes peace. Our job is the same. We have been sent out in order to prepare the world for Jesus to come back. We carry with us a message of peace and hope. When our lives expect Jesus to return, then we have within us a sense of urgency that cannot be contained. If we truly believe that Jesus is on his way back, then we usher in Jesus’ ideals of justice and peace, rather than allowing ourselves to be carried away by worldly ideals of what justice should look like. 

-In what ways does Jesus’ definition of justice differ from a secular definition of what justice looks like?

-Do you feel any sense of urgency within yourself in regards to the return of Christ? Why or why not?

(By Cody Poinsett)

Day 16 of Advent - Luke 4:14-30

Luke 4:14-30

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, …” Can you finish it? “Wretch” seems a little harsh doesn’t it? There’s a line in a song I heard over 15 years ago that kept ringing in my ears as I read for today’s Advent reading, “Paul said he was the worst of sinners, but I know I’m not that bad…” The song goes on to point to all the ways that we get offended by the sinfulness of others all while ignoring our own. We are amazed that God would choose us to be his people yet astonished when God would choose others.

This is the tension that develops in Jesus’ reading of Isaiah to the people. He spoke with inspiration that drew everyone to him. They were astonished by his words of sheer grace. How amazing is it that this is the God who chose us?! Jesus then pushes them further and points to Elijah and Elisha. I’ve read this passage numerous times and it was only now that I’ve caught the deeper meaning. On first blush, Jesus is pointing to the rejection of the prophets and how he too will be rejected. Is this what made them fly into a rage? Looking deeper, we hear the message that they refused to hear. Jesus came to liberate the oppressed. Like Elijah, who helped a widow, and Elisha, who healed a leper. Not seeing the offense yet. Look closer. Elijah helped a widow, but she wasn’t Jewish. Elisha healed a leper, but he wasn’t Jewish. Not only was he not Jewish, he was the commander of the enemy army! It would appear that God was rescuing the wrong people. 

They were astonished by Jesus’ words of grace because grace was for everybody, including the nations, instead of grace for Israel and fierce judgement for everyone else. The servant-Messiah came to bring God’s love and mercy to the nations, fulfilling Israel’s calling to be a light to the nations. This message was, and continues to be, shocking. The Gospel challenges all of our personal interests and agendas and all forms of injustice and oppressions with the news of God’s love and surpassing grace. 

How does God’s grace challenge your human interests and agendas? Identify interests and agendas in our culture that cause forms of injustice in the world today. How does the Gospel of God’s love and grace speak to those situations? How should God’s love and grace shape the way you see situations in the world? 

Day 15 of Advent - Luke 3:7-18

I’m really blessed to have the ability to study the Bible at the graduate level. Over the last 6 or so years, as I’ve been studying religion, Christianity, and Scripture, my eyes have been opened to so many different things. I’ve begun to think about my spiritual journey in completely new ways that likely would have never happened if not for my education. However, while I have been very blessed to be able to study these things, they have also presented plenty of challenges. At times, I’ve caught myself becoming so enamored with philosophy that I fall into the trap of emphasizing right belief over faithfulness. Sure, I can ponder the different views of divine foreknowledge, describe different atonement theories, and enter into debates surrounding transubstantiation, but that’s completely meaningless if I’m not pursuing a life that is emulating the life of Christ.

This struggle I’ve described is very similar to the one John the Baptist is addressing in Luke 3:7-18. His message is simple: don’t overcomplicate things. When it comes down to it, your beliefs can be absolutely perfect, but that doesn’t mean a thing if it’s not leading you to a life of love. John tells his audience that  their primary motivation should be to simply care for the people around them. Treat others fairly. When you see something unjust happening, intervene in a Christlike manner.  Basically, all you have to do is pursue justice. But, justice doesn’t mean getting even with someone who did something wrong. Justice isn’t about revenge. Unfortunately, it seems that we get justice and revenge confused far too often. The kind of justice that John is talking about pursues a level playing field for all people. This is a justice that doesn’t just get back at the bad guy, but watches out for the impoverished and the widow. Justice like this is rooted in love above anything else. If our beliefs don’t lead us to live in a manner that encourages love and justice, then it doesn’t matter if we have a perfect theology. Anticipating the return of Christ means getting involved in the world around us and helping to bring heaven to earth.

-Consider injustices that you may have seen in the news lately. What would Jesus’ response to these situations be?

(Bt Cody Poinsett) 

Day 14 of Advent - Luke 19:1-10

Luke 19:1-10

If you read Luke’s Gospel closely, you’ll see a number of themes rise to the surface. Three of his regular themes are found in this story: the problem of riches and what to do with them, Jesus associating with “sinners,” and the discovery of new life which comes in faith and recognizing Jesus as Lord.

There is one thing I want to connect with Zacchaeus on. He was willing to risk embarrassment and public humiliation just to catch a glimpse of Jesus. He’s heard the stories. He has a pain in his chest that comes with the guilt from cheating your own people. When you carry that kind of burden around, you want some sort of relief. His desire to meet Jesus is something that I want to experience in my life. He was willing to risk making himself look like a fool to just catch a glimpse of Jesus.

Now, we have the issue of finances. The position of Zacchaeus isn’t one that makes him popular. We’re not enthused about tax collectors in our day but back then he made his money based off what he skimps off of the people, and the collectors that work below him. When he gets the upgrades on his house, his wardrobe, etc. the people around him know who paid for it. They did. He stole their money. Not only that, he has the government backing him to do so.

The promise Zacchaeus makes to Jesus will greatly reduce his circumstances. He could even be poor when he repays his debts. But, he doesn’t care. What he found in Jesus Christ is far more valuable! Jesus then offers salvation to his house. “Where Jesus is, there salvation is to be found, for those who accept him as master and reorder their lives accordingly.” - N.T. Wright, Advent for Everyone.

What is the hardest part of your life to reorder to be in the presence of Christ? What are some ways you can bring restoration to areas of your life where you were wrong? What does all of this tell us about the peace that we should have in the coming of Christ?