"The Zax"

 Theodore Geisel (Dr. Seuss) was a modern prophet. At the same time that he entertained children, he used his books and poems to instruct their parents who were reading to them about all sorts of deeper issues. His books contained themes like learning to try something new (Green Eggs and Ham), environmentalism (The Lorax), nuclear armament (The Butter Battle Book), and that “a person’s a person, no matter how small (Horton Hears a Who!).” In his story The Zax, Dr. Seuss addresses the issue of noncooperation. 

One day, making tracks
In the prairie of Prax,
Came a North-Going Zax
And a South-Going Zax.
And it happened that both of them came to a place
Where they bumped. There they stood.
Foot to foot. Face to face.
"Look here, now!" the North-Going Zax said, "I say!
You are blocking my path. You are right in my way.
I'm a North-Going Zax and I always go north.
Get out of my way, now, and let me go forth!"

Through the rest of the story, those two Zax never can solve their problem. Neither of them will budge, and each of them insists that the other has to move. By the end of the story, they say:

“I'll stay here, not budging! I can and I will
If it makes you and me and the whole world stand still!"
Well...
Of course the world didn't stand still. The world grew.
In a couple of years, the new highway came through
And they built it right over those two stubborn Zax
And left them there, standing un-budged in their tracks[i].

Have you ever had a relationship like that? One where two people reach an impasse, and it seems that no matter what you do, there’s no way to reach peace or get around it? This can happen in any relationship—at home, at work, at school, at church. People get their egos all tangled up so that they feel like they can’t back down without becoming the “loser.” So they stand toe to toe for all time, while everything changes around them and they become more and more irrelevant to other people because of their stubbornness.

On this week of Valentine’s Day, when we focus so much on love, we ask ourselves, “Isn’t there a better way than to live like a Zax?” In Romans 12:9-10[ii], the apostle Paul gives a solution: “Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor.” Whether you’re talking about your spouse with whom you’re fighting, or an argumentative church member, God’s Word calls Christians to let love be real. In other words, don’t say that you love someone while at the same time you’re refusing to budge. Instead of looking at their bad points, hold fast to what’s good in them. Show honor to them, even if it means you have to back down.

Paul continues in verse 11, “Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord.” How can you possibly do this? When relationships are difficult, how can you not lag in zeal and be ardent in spirit? By remembering that it isn’t the other person you’re serving anyway. If you can’t bring yourself to care for the other person, remember that it’s God in them that you’re honoring. Verse 12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.” God knows how difficult it is for you to yield to someone who isn’t treating you fairly. But isn’t that what Jesus did as he submitted to arrest and torture, showing love to his persecutors? Just as God sustained Him through prayer, God will be with you. Paul writes, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them (verse 14).” On your own, you can’t do this, but by the power of the Holy Spirit you can “live in harmony with one another (verse 16).” God will help you so that, “If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, [you can] live peaceably with all (verse 18).”

In the story of the Zax, the two who refused to budge remained there until the world grew up around them. Their stubbornness and refusal to yield didn’t result in them getting their way. It only resulted in them living their lives stuck and powerless. They became more and more irrelevant and obsolete to the surrounding community. This is what happens when churches can’t resolve their issues and fight against growth. Interpersonal relationships that refuse to give in are really going nowhere—they get lost in obstinacy.

The line at the center of Seuss’ poem says, “Then the North-Going Zax puffed his chest up with pride.” This shows that pride lies at the center of the issue. When you refuse to move and someone else just will not budge, there’s nothing happening besides two pigheaded people butting heads for eternity. Instead of letting pride overtake your life and causing you to stop in your tracks, Paul says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (verse 21).” This is the good news of the gospel—this is living like Jesus, who refused to let the evil of his tormenters overcome him, but who instead transformed their sin into salvation. Anyone who calls himself or herself a Christian is called to do the same. Today I pray that you’ll be able to stop, reconsider, and repent (which means to turn around and go the opposite direction). That way the two of you will be holding hands and walking side by side.




[i] Geisel, Theodore. “The Zax.” From The Sneeches and Other Stories. 1961.


[ii] Scripture references taken from the NRSV.

"Know Thyself"

At the end of this past October, I attended the funeral of a dear friend named Earl Clore, who was my pastor for seven years. I was pastoring a church that he had previously served, back in the 1970s. He had gone on to other congregations, but when it came time for him to retire he moved back to that former church, where some of his children had married into the community. The whole time I took care of that congregation, Earl took care of me. When I was new there, he introduced me to people. When I was frustrated, he encouraged me. When I was trying to discern whether to stay or leave, he counseled me.

In September of 2012, during that time of personal searching, we had a baptismal service at the Hardware River, just like we did every year. We had a lot of baptisms, and a few people who had already been baptized, who were immersed again in order to reaffirm their original baptism. I was going through a lot of personal change and growth during that time, and felt that I also wanted to get immersed. Now, I had been baptized at the age of six when my family transferred membership from the Presbyterian to the Baptist church. But as an adult, I needed something to mark the time of personal change that I was going through, something like a sign post to point to the new beginning and new self-understanding that I was developing. So re-immersion was the perfect thing for me. And the beautiful thing was that Earl could do that for me. Imagine how my church responded, seeing their own pastor put under the water. For me, it wasn’t a baptism of repentance, but the marker of a new commitment, renewed faith, and a greater understand of the direction God was giving me.

Everybody goes through times of personal growth and change. These might be brought on by personal tragedy, or by ecstatic visionary ideas. What we need during those times is the ability to look into ourselves, hear the voice of God, and follow God’s call. The problem is that too often we are busy listening to other people’s opinions or expectations, to hear the word of the Lord. We get distracted by the activities of life that crowd out that voice. We need to be able to quietly reflect so that we can know ourselves.

The Greek mathematician and philosopher Pythagoras said, “Man, know thyself; then thou shalt know the universe and God.” In Luke 3:15-22, we read about two who took time to look deep within themselves, to find God’s direction, and to live their lives authentically, according to God’s calling. John the Baptist and Jesus knew themselves, their place in the universe, and the purpose that God had for their lives.

John’s family were strict adherents to the law and customs of the Hebrew people. As the only son of Zechariah the priest, John would have been expected to grow up to be a priest himself. Yet John knew himself well enough to buck the system, to seek his calling within himself, and to live it out to the glory of God. Verses 15-16 say:

As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”[i]

John knew both who he was, and who he wasn’t. He knew God’s mission for his life, but he also knew better than to claim authority that wasn’t rightfully his. He wasn’t the Messiah, and he didn’t try to be who he wasn’t. But he did try to live authentically, according to the person God made him to be. He knew himself well enough to refuse to follow other people’s expectations for what he should be. Instead, he concentrated on God’s expectations for him. His unwavering commitment to authenticity and truth landed him in prison and eventually led to his martyrdom, but at least he died a man who was faithful to himself.

There’s a Chinese proverb that says, “Those who understand others are intelligent;
Those who understand themselves are enlightened. Those who overcome others have strength;
Those who overcome themselves are powerful.” This is the kind of enlightenment and power that John and Jesus had. Verses 21-22 say:

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Jesus looked deep within himself and knew that in order to mark the beginning of his ministry, he needed baptism. It wasn’t a baptism of repentance for sins, but something that He did “to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15).” In other words, it was the right thing to do, according to the vision that God had given him when He took time to look inward and seek God and know himself. Sure, it was different than what his family or synagogue or anybody else thought he ought to be doing—but it was exactly what He needed to be doing. And at His baptism, Jesus got to hear God’s voice of approval.

There’s a story that “Rabbi Zusya years ago said, ‘In the world to come I will not be asked, Why were you not Moses? I will be asked, Why were you not Zusya?'"[ii] God means for you to be authentically who you are—not who other people expect you to be. God had a calling for John. God had a calling for Jesus. God has a calling for you. Lamentations 3:40 says, “Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the Lord!” He invites you to get quiet and take time to seek God, and “know Thyself.”

---

[i] Scriptures taken from the ESV.

[ii] .  B. Larsen, Luke, p. 42. http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/s/self_discovery.htm.  February 6, 2016.

The Altar of Religion

When I was in college, I spent a lot of time with Messianic (Christian) Jews, and with the Christians who associated them. In 2014, I shared with you about my friend Chris:

One of our friends, a devout Christian, decided that in order to be truly fulfilled in his faith, he had to adopt all the Jewish practices of Jesus our Messiah. So, Gentile though he was, he began wearing yarmulkes, phylacteries, and prayer shawls. He kept the Sabbath from sundown on Friday til dusk on Saturday. He observed all the Jewish feasts and festivals. In fact, he probably followed the letter of the law more closely than the most orthodox of Jewish believers.

When Passover came, he wanted to share this earliest of Jewish traditions with his eight-year-old son. So he did as Hebrew law prescribed. He raised a pet lamb from the time of its birth until Passover. It was his plan to slaughter the lamb with his son, put the blood on the doorposts and lintel of his house, and then make a meal out of it.

Like my friend Chris, the Galatian Christians exchanged the freedom of Christ for a slavery again to the old law. In the book of Galatians, Paul addresses a church that is trying to make the new message of Christ fit into their old Jewish practices. They were more about following the right rules and keeping up appearances than they were about a relationship with the living Christ.

The Colossian Christians also struggled with a conflict between old and new ways of thinking. In the book of Colossians, Paul writes to a church struggling to force their new faith into the mold of their old Gnostic mindset. Gnosticism was an ancient philosophy that said that spiritual things were ultimately good, and that physical things were sinful. Therefore, like Jews did, Gnostics followed all sorts of dietary laws and other prohibitions. Their lives were full of dos and don’ts, or rules and regulations. In short, the Galatians and Colossians had different belief systems that they mixed with their Christianity, but both groups were very religious.

There’s a big difference between religion and relationship. Religion is a set of theological ideas about God that result in lists of directions, instructions, and procedures for governing daily life in the “correct way.” For an example of religion, see all 613 commandments and laws in the Old Testament. But relationship is having such close and personal interaction with God that you are completely one with your Creator who loves you. See the difference?

Religion is full of protocols for doing things correctly, to keep you from doing things incorrectly. For example, a lot of people insist on singing the Doxology after the offering, because that’s just the “right” way. As I write this in my office, my youth group is above me, painting the youth room blue—and some dear religious person is going to have a problem with that because “everybody knows church walls should be painted white!” According to some, right religion is about not smoking, drinking, or cussing. But is that how we define our relationship with God? Paul writes, “Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:16-17).”[i]

Paul says that these religious concerns are no concern at all. What matters is Christ. God doesn’t want us to be religious—He wants us to have relationship with our Creator. The problem is that we sacrifice relationship on the altar of religion. We put true spirituality to death, in favor of stale regulation and ritual. Paul continues, “Why do you submit to regulations, ‘Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch’? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence (Colossians 2:20-23).” So we need to quit being religious, and instead spend time with Jesus, letting His spirit permeate our own.

In his book, “God Without Religion,” Andrew Farley writes about Marie Antoinette, who left her home in Austria to marry the Dauphin of France. In a tent with the French countess, she undergoes her transformation.

Marie is…stripped down. Her Austrian clothes are replaced with the finest in French fashion. “The bride must not keep anything from her prior court,” the countess says.
…Marie is now French royalty, and there’s no place for former things in her life. Her upcoming marriage requires her to break free from all things Austria.

And there’s no returning.

Like Marie Antoinette, it’s through marriage that we make a clean break from the old way of religion. Prior to meeting Jesus, we were told that religion is a good thing and that we should do our best to abide by its rules. But we’ve now been married to Jesus Christ. Like Marie, we’ve become royalty (1 Pet. 2:9). That means our former affection for religion has no place in God’s kingdom…

Imagine if Marie Antoinette had asked the French court for permission to wear her old Austrian clothes alongside her new French fashions. Imagine if she’d asked to incorporate her Austrian practices alongside the new ways of France. You can bet the French would have frowned on that idea.[ii]

Today, I’m curious—what are the old religious things that you’re still hanging onto? How are you still trying to please your parents or grandparents, your former pastors from fifty years ago or your current pastor today? How much are you still trying to earn God’s love by your good behavior? How have you sacrificed relationship with God on the altar of religion? Is it possible that these very things you’re holding onto are the very things that are keeping you from real relationship with God? Today I’m going to suggest something radical for Christians—that we start being a little less religious. Because it’s only when we abandon religion that we can be set free.






[i] All scriptures taken from the NRSV


[ii] Farley, Andrew. God Without Religion: Can It Really Be This Simple? Baker Books: Grand Rapids, MI. Pp. 40-41. 2011.

"Christ"

So, who are you most likely to vote for in the upcoming presidential election? Of course, the parties haven’t named their candidates yet, but surely you have some idea of who you’d like to see in office. A December 22 study from Quinnipiac University says:

Six weeks before the Iowa Caucuses open the 2016 presidential race in earnest, Donald Trump and Sen. Ted Cruz lead the Republican field nationally, but Trump trails either Democratic candidate, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and 50 percent of American voters say they would be embarrassed to have Trump as president, according to a Quinnipiac University National poll released today.

Trump has 28 percent of the GOP pack, with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas at 24 percent. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida has 12 percent and Dr. Ben Carson has 10 percent, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University Poll finds. No other candidate tops 6 percent with 8 percent undecided. But 58 percent of those who name a candidate might change their mind.

Among Democrats, Clinton tops Sanders 61 - 30 percent. Former Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley has 2 percent, with 6 percent undecided and 41 percent who might change their mind[i].

No matter whether you’ve decided, or whether you might change your mind, it’s important to know that no matter who makes it to the oval office, he or she won’t have all the answers. We elect leaders that we hope will do a good job, but government isn’t really the answer to our problems. We need a spiritual solution to the troubles that are facing society today. Politics won’t save us—God will.

In Isaiah 9, the prophet sings about God’s Messiah, the Anointed One who will shine like a beacon of righteousness. “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light; those who live in a dark land, the light will shine on them.”[ii] Isaiah’s prophecy reflects Judah’s great hope for the Messiah’s reign. The burden placed on the people by their oppressors will be broken, and their enemies will be defeated. Verse 6 says, “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders.” Because Isaiah used this word “government,” the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ day were looking for a political leader. Verse 7 says, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.”

The problem comes when we God’s people think that the Messiah as a political leader will bring the solution to the world’s problems. Jesus came (the first time, at least) to govern the human heart, rather than to rule on an earthly throne. But Jesus didn’t come to be a legislator. (Who wants more of those, anyway?) Recently, I read about…

A fellow [who] heard about an operation which would enable him to get a new brain. He went to the hospital where the surgery had been perfected and asked the doctors what was in stock. "Well," they said, "here is an excellent engineer's brain--a finely honed, precise bit of gray matter. It will cost you $500 an ounce."
"What else?" the man wanted to know.

"This," they told him, "Is a lawyer's brain--a collection of shrewd, tricky little gray cells. It is $1000 an ounce."

"Is that all you have?"

"No," they said. "Here is a doctor's brain, packed full of anatomical knowledge. It is $5000 an ounce."
"I don't know," the fellow said. "Don't you have anything else?"

The doctors looked at each other then motioned for the man to step over to a covered container. "This," they said in hushed tones, "is a legislator's brain. It costs $250,000 an ounce."

"Wow!" exclaimed the fellow. "Why so expensive?"

"In the first place," the doctors told him, "it is hardly used. In the second place, do you realize how many legislators you need to get an ounce of brains?"[iii]

The fact is, legislators aren’t what the world needs. What we need is a Savior. Isaiah prophesies, “And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” These divine qualities are far greater than anything that political parties have to offer. They make for more lasting change than any candidate could promise or deliver.

As the Christ Candle is lit to usher in the Light of the World, as the Christ Child is worshiped and adored, we place our hope not in politicians, but in the One who can make real social change. We trust in the Messiah who says:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, Because the Lord has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To grant those who mourn in Zion, Giving them a garland instead of ashes, The oil of gladness instead of mourning, The mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.
Then they will rebuild the ancient ruins, They will raise up the former devastations; And they will repair the ruined cities, The desolations of many generations.[iv]

[i] http://www.quinnipiac.edu/news-and-events/quinnipiac-university-poll/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2311. December 23, 2015.


[ii] Isaiah 9:2. All scriptures taken from the NASB.


[iii] Quoted by James Dent in Charleston, West Virginia, Gazette. http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/politician.htm. December 23, 2015.


[iv] Isaiah 61:1-4; Lk 4:18-19

"Love"

Recently, I read about Robert Louis Stevenson’s story of…

a storm that caught a vessel off a rocky coast and threatened to drive it and its passengers to destruction. In the midst of the terror, one daring man, contrary to orders, went to the deck, made a dangerous passage to the pilot house and saw the steerman, at his post holding the wheel unwaveringly, and inch by inch, turning the ship out, once more, to sea. The pilot saw the watcher and smiled. Then, the daring passenger went below and gave out a note of cheer: "I have seen the face of the pilot, and he smiled. All is well."[i]

When life gets tough, sometimes you just want to look into the pilot’s face. You just want to see him smile. You just want comfort and consolation, and to know that all is well. In Luke 2, we meet an old man named Simeon, who is waiting for the consolation of Israel. This word “consolation” is also translated as “comfort” and “encouragement.” Basically, he wants God to show them some love. Israel has been like a ship in a storm for so long, that Simeon wants to know that for his people, all will be well.

Israel was a nation that was birthed in pain. Four hundred years of slavery in Egypt threatened to dash them on the rocks even before they got established. Then there had been the time of wandering, the instability of a time when they were simply a loose confederation of tribes, and finally a unified monarchy under Saul, David, and Solomon. But pretty soon, things fell apart. The kingdom was divided. Civil war and unrest made the nation vulnerable so that they were easily conquered by empires. In the history of the Jewish people, very rarely did they have peace or self-rule. The Philistines, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans oppressed them. Simeon just wanted to look in the pilot’s face and see him smile. He just wanted comfort, and consolation from the God of Israel. He wanted to know that God’s people were special, that they were loved, and that God was looking out for them. Sometimes that’s all you want, isn’t it? But sometimes love surprises us.

The Bible says that Simeon is led by the Spirit to the Temple, where he encounters Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Jesus. The Holy Spirit gives him a word of prophecy in which he declares the love of God in two astonishing ways.

The first surprise is the scope of God’s love. This man who had been looking for the consolation of his oppressed nation prophesies instead about a comfort that God wants to give to everybody. “For my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a Light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.”[ii] So salvation and revelation aren’t just for the Jewish people—they are for the Gentiles, too. That means all people—even the oppressors. What amazing love God shows the world!

The second surprise is the cost of God’s love. Simeon meets the holy family in the context of sacrifice. They have come to the Temple to dedicate their child in a ritual that involves the offering of two young birds, one as a burnt offering and one as an offering to atone for sin. It’s in the context of blood and sacrifice that Simeon sings of salvation. Grace is free—it’s never earned. But it certainly is costly. It was upon the cross that Jesus bore the worst cruelty that humankind could dream up. Yet it was from the cross, while enduring our torment, that Jesus pronounced atonement with the words, “Father, forgive them!”[iii] Without Jesus’ shed blood we would never know the extent to which God’s love is willing to go. A college professor of mine, Rabbi Spiro, used to say, “God loves us, even to the point of self-sacrifice.” God demonstrates this great love in the person of Jesus. This costly gift would be a sword that would pierce Mary’s soul, yet it would bring salvation to the world.

In John 3:16-17 (NIV), Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God loves you so much that He never wants to condemn you, but always to save you. That’s why Jesus came, to give God’s saving love to the world as the ultimate Christmas gift. Simeon knew that this love was costly, and would involve sacrifice. Simeon sang that this love would include not just some segment of “special people,” but that Jesus came as the Light of the Gentiles—the Light of world. I pray that you’ll know the love of God through Jesus, and I pray that you’ll share that light.




[i] http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/c/comfort.htm. December 18, 2015.


[ii] Luke 2:30-32 (NASB)


[iii] Luke 23:34 (NASB)

"Joy"

Do you remember the old “Peanuts” cartoon and movies? This time of year, a lot of people love to watch A Charlie Brown Christmas. At one point, when Charlie Brown is having difficulty getting into the Christmas spirit, Linus says, “Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem.” If we’re honest with ourselves, sometimes we can feel like we’re having a Charlie Brown Christmas—spindly tree and all. Sometimes it even feels like we’re having a Charlie Brown life. Sometimes our religion reflects the same attitude as well.

Pastor Chris Layton tells the story of a young boy who visited his grandfather on the farm:

There was once a young boy who went to spend the week with his grandfather on the farm. While walking around he noticed the chickens, they were scratching and playing around. The little lad said, “They ain’t got it”. Next he saw a colt in the field playing and kicking up its heel’s to which he replied, “He ain’t got it”. After examining all of the animals on his grandfather’s farm and see that none of them had “it”, this boy finally found the old donkey in the barn. When he saw the donkey’s long, frowning face and the way that the donkey just stood there he screamed for his grandfather to come quick. “I found it, I found it” the boy kept yelling. When his grandfather asked what he had found he said, “Pawpaw, I found an animal that has the same kind of religion that you have.”[i]

Yes, sometimes we can allow our circumstances to dictate our attitude. We can let life rob us of joy. Like Charlie Brown, we can turn everything into a problem. But the Christian message declares joy even in difficult situations, and despite the pain of life. I’ve heard many Christmas messages (and probably preached a few myself), talking about how the angels appeared to miserable shepherds, huddled in the cold, announcing joy despite their suffering. These messages often focus on the shepherds as penniless outcasts, and so they were. In these sermons we hear that the angels appeared to the poor in order to declare their acceptability in God’s sight, giving the gift of joy to those who sorrow and struggle. And this can be true. Certainly, when we are in pain, this is a comforting thought. But recently, I’ve come to think of it in a different way.

Perhaps the shepherds weren’t chosen because they were miserable, and because God wanted them to perk up. Maybe they were chosen because they weren’t like Charlie Brown—because they already knew joy. Joy isn’t the same as happiness. Joy is close to contentment. These shepherds were homeless vagabonds who owned nothing and had to learn to be at peace with that. They knew how to draw from a deep well of joy, rather than trying to be fulfilled by all the things that made other people happy. The angels’ song declares, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests (Luke 2:14 NASB).” But some translations render it, “on earth peace to men of good will.” In other words, peace will come to you on earth if you are the kind of person who has good will. This was exactly what was happening when the angels appeared to the shepherds. They appeared to those who already practiced joy and contentment.

These shepherds remind me of King David, in his younger days when he was just a simple shepherd. In the solitude and simplicity of this life he sought God, and wrote some of the most beautiful poetry in the Bible. Perhaps it was because of this uncomplicated, joyful contentment that he grew close enough to the Lord to be a “man after God’s own heart.” Rather than seeking the things of this world, he sought God and found joy.

These shepherds remind me of an old Puerto Rican homeless man named Victor whom I once knew. Victor had long stringy gray-blond hair and wore rags on his body. He spoke a mixture of Spanish and English and was at times hard to understand. He had nothing, except joy. At random moments you could see Victor jumping up and down, shouting, “Thank you, Jesus! Ay-eee! Holy, holy, holy!” His exuberance was infectious, and lifted my spirit whenever I saw him. Joy is unlike happiness in that it doesn’t require everything in your life to be going well. It doesn’t require creature comforts or even happiness. As Victor showed, it doesn’t even require sanity. Joy simply needs contentment, and results in peace.

Maybe this Christmas, you’re saying, “I hear what you’re saying—but I can’t just turn on Joy like a light switch. Where do I begin?” You begin with things that are a little easier— things like simplicity, gratitude, and trust. Add in a little giving, spiced with a bit of expectancy. Spend some time caring for someone else, rather than focusing on your own problems. Work on these things, and joy will gradually creep up on you.

When joy latches onto you, you can’t help but do something about it. You want to share it with others. The shepherds left their flocks to go and find the baby whose birth was proclaimed. They spread the word, not only about the child, but about what the angels had said concerning him. Like Victor, you can find joy if you start with gratitude and contentment. Then, when the word of God visits you like it came to the shepherds through the angels, these things can be transformed into joy. That joy then spreads to others, eclipsing both the struggles and the happiness of the world. This Christmas, I’m not praying for personal happiness—I’m praying for joy. And I’m praying the same for you as well.






[i] http://www.sermoncentral.com/illustrations/sermon-illustration-chris-layton-humor-joy-3079.asp. December 11, 2015.

"Peace"

When I read that America has had more mass shootings in 2015 than there have been days in the year, my jaw dropped. In the wake of the Planned Parenthood shooting in Colorado Springs, and the San Bernardino shooting which is the deadliest since Newtown, how do you deliver a message on peace? In the Advent calendar, this is the week of peace. What shall I say?

Each of us longs for peace—deeply and desperately. This has been the human dream since the beginning. We work for peace, but peace eludes us. We argue back and forth about whether gun control is the problem or the solution—but the fact is that the problem is the human heart, and the solution only comes from God.

In the first chapter of Luke’s gospel, Zechariah sings a song at the birth of his son John, who will grow up to be the forerunner of the Messiah. In verses 68-69a[i], he says, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, For He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people, And has raised up a horn of salvation for us.” In our longing for peace, this word “salvation” is used. It comes from the word “salve,” or a healing balm. In this context, it can mean many things.

First, it can mean physical safety. Zechariah sings of “salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all who hate us (v. 71).” He prays, “grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear (v. 74).” Being able to serve God without fear of terrorism would a wonderful thing. Everybody wants to live free from those who hate them and wish them harm. Certainly, this is part of the salvation for which Zechariah prayed in his violent world, and for which we pray in our broken world as well.

Then, this “salvation” or “healing” can mean also a purposeful existence for our children. In his song, Zechariah turns to his baby and says, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways (v. 76).” Every parent in every culture longs to see their children grow and be safe and free to find their life’s mission. It’s not just American parents or Christian parents who want these things for their children—every sane parent wants the same thing.

Next, Zechariah anticipates the coming of the Lord “To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins (v. 77).” Salvation, or “healing” isn’t just a social or political thing; it is also spiritual. Jesus, the ultimate expression of God’s love, wanted us to know that God forgives all our sin. Nothing you could ever do is excluded from God’s forgiveness—and because of that, God wants us to extend that forgiveness and peace to others.

Just as God called John as an agent of change in the world, God calls us “To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (v. 79).” This is how we bring salvation, the healing of God, to the world. Granted, it can be a difficult task to swallow our anger over the world’s violence and become shining lights. Our initial reaction is to respond to violence with violence—but that isn’t the way of Christ. Instead, the Lord calls us to realize that the hearts of our enemies are simply bound in darkness, to have compassion on them, and to walk the path of peace.

This desire for peace spans every generation. On Christmas day of 1863, in the wake of his wife’s death and the severe wounding of his son Charles at the Battle of New Hope Church, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his famous poem, “Christmas Bells.” Lamenting the vast difference between the Christmas ideal of peace, and the reality of violence, he writes:

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men."

Longfellow ends his poem not with despair, but with hope. The bells reply to his grief with an affirmation that God and good will win in the end. In Psalm 98:3, a different poet echoes the sentiments of Zechariah and Longfellow. “[God] has remembered His loving kindness and His faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.” Hope for peace is found in the knowledge that not only has God remembered “our” people, but that all those from the ends of the earth are God’s people as well. Knowing that, we trust God to “To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace (v. 79).”






[i] Scriptures taken from the NASB