WE NEED THIS

 

JANUARY 18, 2024

John 6:32-35

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.” Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.



Jesus understood that we as humans have an impulse to survive and that we need nourishment, food and water to live. Jesus uses this basic of human instinct to capture a necessary and powerful picture of our dependence and reliance on something beyond ourselves for survival. By calling Himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35), Jesus reveals to us who He is, Jesus exposes what we need, and then declares “I AM” the answer to your need.

We all have two kinds of hunger, physical and spiritual, and both must be sustained for a fulfilling life. In our reading today, Jesus announces that He is the bread of life, the one who satisfies us daily and for all time. He is the foundation for our ultimate satisfaction in life.

“I am the bread of life.

Whoever comes to me will never go hungry,

and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”

Let us all come to him today, our Bread of Heaven, and find our soul's satisfaction.

"I SHALL NOT HATE"

Above is a picture of the "separation wall" 

between Israel and the West Bank.

JANUARY 17, 2024

John 13:34-35

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Luke 6:35

"... love your enemies, do good to them"

1 John 4:8 

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

We are in the season of Epiphany in the Church calendar. Epiphany means a sudden manifestation or appearance of God, or the sudden realization of God’s presence. The experience of the Wisemen who travel a great distance to find the Christ child is an example of Epiphany. The sudden manifestation of a Star drove them to be seekers of God’s presence. This appearance of God that they travelled to witness, you will recall was not found in the Kings palace in Jerusalem, but in a house in Bethlehem. There they offered gifts “most rare.”

Where do we find epiphany?

Where do we meet God?

Epiphanies can come amid terrible pain.

I read about Izzeldin Abuelaish, a physician from Gaza who has a noteworthy story. He wrote a memoir with the title “I Shall Not Hate: A Gaza Doctor’s Journey”. He grew up in terrible poverty, a refugee in Gaza, but the kindness of people, both Arabs and Jews, encouraged him to become a doctor. As a doctor, he dedicated his career to nurturing life. Nurturing the lives not just of Palestinians, but also Israelis. During one of the uprisings in Gaza a few years ago, three of his daughters and his niece were killed in a tank attack on his home.

Abuelaish’s story is both dreadful and inspiring. The fact is he lived through so much violence, he was surrounded by a cloud of hatred and revenge. Yet he chooses not to hate. He has become an ambassador for peace. In his own words, “I understand down to my bones that violence is futile, a waste of time, lives and resources, and has been proven to beget more violence….There’s only one way to bridge the divide, to live together, to realize the goals of two peoples.”(p. 174 of “I Shall Not Hate”) His work involves trying to get people to put themselves in their enemies’ shoes. To feel their pain. To feel their fears.

Abuleish, somehow, can get a glimpse of the larger meaning of things. His faith, the love of his family, his community, his friends, and colleagues, both Arabs and Jews, help him to keep his eyes on the power of love.

I think that’s an epiphany that the world is ready and waiting for, longing for, I believe desperate for. Some days, would you agree, that it feels like anger, hatred, and revenge are the most powerful forces on earth? But in fact, it’s the power of love which triumphs.

You see, I believe that our calling as Jesus followers, is to be ambassadors of the power of love, right where we are. Most of us won’t have a story and experience like Izzeldin Abuelaish but I feel deep in my spirit if he can live in his context with love triumphing over hate, then surely we can too, right where God has us placed.

Jesus came to earth to tell us about that love, the power of that love. At the beginning of his life, and at the end, amid murder, (Herod; Pilate) an epiphany. God is with us. Love wins. Love is stronger than anger, hatred, and revenge, and other such wickedness.

LET US PRAY

We pray that our lives would be filled and overflowing with the power of your love so we can make a difference in this world and bring honor to you.

Lord thank you that your love is patient.
Help us show patience with those around us.

Lord thank you that your love is kind.
Help us to extend kindness to others.

Lord thank you that true love is not jealous.
Help us cast aside feelings of jealousy or hatred towards others.

Help us to love as you love.
Fill us with your Spirit so that we can choose what is best.

Thank you that you equip us to face each day with the power of your love, your forgiveness, and your grace.

We love you Lord, and we need you today, and every day,

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

 

 

THE KNOWLEDGE THAT BRINGS PEACE

 

January 16, 2024



Isaiah 55:9

"For as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so my ways are higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”



One of the teachings that we encounter throughout the Bible is that God is unlimited in knowledge, and humans, not so much. Our verse today says that God’s ways and thoughts are higher than any human ways and thoughts. This reality though does not keep us from an unquenchable, almost ravenous desire for knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and information. That is a good thing.

Here is the thing, when I was younger, as a young graduate, I lived by an assumption that the more learning, the more knowledge, that I acquired would result in a peace of mind. Yet, that is not what I experienced. Psychologists have concluded that with more information comes what they’ve coined “information overload”. “Information Overload” rather than bringing peace of mind, they say it brings irritability, sleeplessness, shortened attention spans, and it diminishes our ability to concentrate and make decisions, among other negative effects. Any of those sound familiar?

I believe we all know this to be accurate, think of the information that was daily bombarding us during the pandemic, or presently the information coming at us from “War Zones” in our world, or from politicians who advocate their economic or environmental policies are the only way forward, or doom awaits. I do not know what it is like for you, but for me, wading through the deluge of opinion, information, and knowledge, creates a genuine lack of peace deep in my spirit.

Here is what I have found in my pursuit for knowledge, that what does bring peace of mind is, rather than seeking to know more, I moved toward a pursuit, a seeking to know more of the One who knows all, whose ways and thoughts are higher than mine. Do not misunderstand me, I still have a thirst for knowledge, I am a student to the core, but when I reordered things to pursue the one who knows all things, I have found a "quickening of my mind" and  I have experienced the fulfillment of the beautiful words of promise in Isaiah 26:3 that "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

So, I wonder what it might be like for us if we were to trade our insatiable desire for human knowledge, a listening to the voices around us, to a hungry and thirsty desire to know God. Proverbs 9:10 instructs us that: “The fear (awe, "holy Wow") of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

"Now this is eternal life that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."  ---- Jesus 

John 17:3

MERCY for ALL

JANUARY 15, 2024


Psalm 145:9

 “The Lord is good to all, 

and His mercy is over all that He has made.”

Our verse for today reminds us of truth that God’s mercy isn’t reserved just for us humans, but that God's mercy extends over all created things; the earth and all that it is in it.

Psalm 104 gives a beautiful recounting of God’s creative work and many examples of His goodness and mercy. Here are some excerpts:

“He makes springs pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
They give water to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
The birds of the sky nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.

He waters the mountains from his upper chambers;
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.
He makes grass grow for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food from the earth:
wine that gladdens human hearts,
oil to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains their hearts.

The trees of the Lord are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
There the birds make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
The high mountains belong to the wild goats;
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.

How many are your works, Lord!
In wisdom you made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
There is the sea, vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.
There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

All creatures look to you
to give them their food at the proper time.
When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied with good things.
When you hide your face,
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
When you send your Spirit,
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground. 

Psalm 104:10-18, 24-30

REFLECTION

Give thanks to God today for His creative and sustaining work in this world.

THE QUIET YEARS

 

JANUARY 12, 2024

Luke 2:39-40, 52

And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. And the Child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon Him ... And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.



The above passage really grabbed me this year as I read the various texts for Advent and Christmas. Think of the scriptures we have read, Angels appearing to Mary and Joseph with news that Mary was with child by the Holy Spirit’s action, being told “Do Not Fear.” Then there was this whole census thing, where a late in pregnancy Mary, travels with Joseph to Bethlehem, Joseph’s hometown, and the best accommodation they can find is a stable with the animals. I have often wondered if Joseph was from the Bethlehem region, was He and Mary not welcome because of her pregnancy among his family? Where was I, or yes, a stable and then the birth of Jesus and resting him a manger, a feed trough. Yet, things are not over yet, are they. Angels appear to Shepherds, Shepherds come and see that a Saviour is born, in David’s City. Then there is the Wisemen who show up, and the stir caused by their presence in Jerusalem, and ole King Herod gets enraged, and then orders the “murder of the innocents,” young boys in the region. Then we have the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, become refugees to escape Herod’s killing spree. Now go back and read our verse for today.

What really impressed me with this verse is that it describes, as one writer put it, “the quiet years of Jesus' life,” years when the most unusual thing that happened was the time that Mary and Joseph misplaced Him in Jerusalem for a couple of days and found Him again (see Luke 2). Other than that, a normal life for the Son of God. Learning basic life skills from His mother and carpentry skills from His father. Praying with His parents. Going to school with His classmates at the local synagogue. Learning to read and write. Learning to know the Bible expertly.

And throughout this time that our verse describes, there was also the world around Him, from which Jesus drew so many of His parables later. Harvest and planting. Shepherds with their sheep. Men out on fishing boats. Builders who did their job well—or poorly. Families and their disagreements.

During this time in Nazareth, Jesus was being prepared and made ready for the heart of His mission. He would teach, preach, heal, and ultimately embrace the Father’s loving will in His own suffering and death on the cross, the demonstration of God’s desire to save, restore, and lead us to abundant life, resurrected life, opening everlasting life to all of us who would love and follow Him. What Love!!

All of this has had me reflecting on my messy story, and the difficult struggle in our Church family in the past few years. So, I wonder what has, and is, God making you prepared and ready for from the hard places on your life? What has, and is, God preparing us for. as his community, to embrace the mission that is our calling?

Messy Years + Quiet Years + Preparation = God’s Loving Mission in the world.

Count me in!! You Too?

WHAT IS IT THAT YOU ARE BURNING?

 

JANUARY 11, 2024



1 Kings 19:19-21

So Elijah went from there and found Elisha son of Shaphat. He was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen, and he himself was driving the twelfth pair. Elijah went up to him and threw his cloak around him. Elisha then left his oxen and ran after Elijah. “Let me kiss my father and mother goodbye,” he said, “and then I will come with you.”



“Go back,” Elijah replied. “What have I done to you” So Elisha left him and went back. He took his yoke of oxen and slaughtered them. He burned the plowing equipment to cook the meat and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out to follow Elijah and became his servant.



In our reading today Elisha is showing his nothing-held-back commitment to follow Elijah and become his servant, which meant ultimately being God’s servant. He took the oxen that enabled him to make a living and used the plowing equipment to offer them as a sacrifice to God. Essentially Elisha’s actions indicated there was no turning back for him. And he did this publicly, sharing the meat with his people, declaring his intent to follow God’s invitation, and becoming a disciple of Elijah the prophet.

What we discover is Elisha’s commitment to Elijah and to God resulted in him also becoming a great prophet in Israel. He witnessed Elijah being taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, and then followed in his footsteps. He was one who performed miracles, advised kings, and through God’s Spirit defeated armies.

When you commit yourself to God’s calling in your own life, you have no idea what God will do with your discipleship and your life. What you can know, and this is a promise, God will honor your commitment and work in and through you to accomplish His purpose. “…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13).

In what ways has God called, or is God calling you, to be fully committed to Him?



I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

I have decided to follow Jesus

No turning back, No turning back.

AMEN

 

 

GIVE THE KING YOUR JUSTICE

January 10, 2024

 

Psalm 72:1

Give the King your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the King’s son; that he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice.




Last week as I was preparing for Epiphany Sunday service, I read through Psalm 72, a suggested Psalm reading for Epiphany worship. We did not read it in our service but its words have been on my mind. Today, I saw a headline that said most Canadians think our Prime Minister should step down before the next election, I saw another headline that called into question the US President’s competence, then there were headlines about other world leaders, Netanyahu, Putin, Kim Jung Un, and others. Most articles were pointing out the flaws and inabilities of these world leaders. Remember, I had the words of Psalm 72 floating around in my mind, so I found myself comparing these articles to this Psalm.




Psalm 72 is an earnest prayer for a leader. I wonder how often we pray for our political leaders. The leadership blueprint of Psalm 72 is clear.

· Lead with God’s justice.

· Defend the needy among the people.

· Rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.

· Deliver the poor who cries out in distress and

· the oppressed who has no helper.

Outcome of such a leader is that,

· The righteous shall flourish, and

· there shall be an abundance of peace

· Enemies and foes will bow down.

· lives will be redeemed from oppression and violence.

And nature, the mountains, the hills, the abundance of grain, and elements of gold shall bring prosperity to the people.

This is God-shaped justice according to Psalm 72.

This is a Old Testament leadership model

that I think we all could get behind.


What does justice look like for you today?

How can we, in all that we do, wherever we are, lead and live with this kind of God-shaped justice?

How might we incorporate some of Psalm 72 in our prayers for national leaders and international leaders? What if we just prayed that our Country’s leaders would lead with God’s justice? What might God do in their lives? and our national lives?

Give the King your justice, O God, 

and your righteousness to the King’s son; 

that he may rule your people righteously and the poor with justice.

Read all of Psalm 72 below.

 As you do consider how you can incorporate 

its words into your life?

Endow the king with your justice, O God,

the royal son with your righteousness.

2 May he judge your people in righteousness,

your afflicted ones with justice.

3 May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,

the hills the fruit of righteousness.

4 May he defend the afflicted among the people

and save the children of the needy;

may he crush the oppressor.

5 May he endure as long as the sun,

as long as the moon, through all generations.

6 May he be like rain falling on a mown field,

like showers watering the earth.

7 In his days may the righteous flourish

and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

8 May he rule from sea to sea

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

9 May the desert tribes bow before him

and his enemies lick the dust.

10 May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores

bring tribute to him.

May the kings of Sheba and Seba

present him gifts.

11 May all kings bow down to him

and all nations serve him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,

the afflicted who have no one to help.

13 He will take pity on the weak and the needy

and save the needy from death.

14 He will rescue them from oppression and violence,

for precious is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!

May gold from Sheba be given him.

May people ever pray for him

and bless him all day long.

16 May grain abound throughout the land;

on the tops of the hills may it sway.

May the crops flourish like Lebanon

and thrive like the grass of the field.

17 May his name endure forever;

may it continue as long as the sun.

Then all nations will be blessed through him,

and they will call him blessed.

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,

who alone does marvelous deeds.

19 Praise be to his glorious name forever;

may the whole earth be filled with his glory.

Amen and Amen.

WHOLE or HOLE?

 

January 9, 2024

Psalm 119:2-3

Blessed are those who keep his statutes
and seek him with all their heart—
3 they do no wrong
but follow his ways.



I read the following quote the other day, “The difference between being whole and having a hole in our hearts is a “W,” and that “W” stands for worship”. Perhaps this is what the Psalmist was trying to get at in Psalm 119, that it makes a difference who or what we worship. It matters who or what we “seek” with all our hearts. That the path our life journey takes, whose ways we follow, can make the difference in whether we live in a place of wholeness, completeness or Shalom or in a place trying to find the missing piece, a life lived that feels empty, disordered and incomplete.

I suppose, the question becomes: who or what do you worship? What is the story you follow? Is it a story of babies being born from barren wombs, faith the size of mustard seeds that can move mountains, or a teenager who slays giants? A story of hope about how a life in Jesus conquers death, brings new life, transforms, and gives an expectant world view.

Our Psalm today says that in seeking God with our whole hearts, we bring our everything to God: the light and the darkness, the joy and the despair, the shame, and the pride. God knows the desires of our hearts. The bible reminds us that no secrets are hidden from God. And so, we seek to follow God’s ways and keep God’s statutes, not perfectly and not without stumbling. We do pursue and chase after God. To Worship him in spirit and in truth. To live life, being “whole” versus living life with “a hole in our hearts.”

The Psalmist is saying that authentic life and joy are found when what we say we believe is reflected in what we do in our lives, that points to the story we live by.

Psalm 63

1 You, God, are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
my whole being longs for you, …”

 

 

RENEWED VISION

 

JANUARY 8, 2024

John 1:2-3

“He was in the beginning with God.

All things came into being through him,

and without him not one thing came into being.”



Oh, the beautiful Creation!! God is all around, revealing God-colors and God-sounds and God’s wonderful designs. This is true no matter the season, yes even in Winter. Even in the lightest dusting of snow, where the fresh fallen snow sits resting on the barren branches of trees, or lays undisturbed on our lawns. How about the cool designs that frost leaves on our windows? Doesn’t the appearance of the Sun even for few hours in those darker days of winter lift our spirits toward our Creator.

Our reading says that "All things came into being through God and without God, not one thing came into being." What if we looked at the world through this lens? What if we looked at life, people, and situations through "God-goggles"? I wonder, how that would change the way we treat each other, the natural world around us, and even ourselves. Pause and reflect on such a notion, what might be different if we viewed “all things” that we encounter daily as revealing God’s presence, as signs that point to the experience of Immanuel: God with Us.

Perhaps our prayer today might be to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to look around with great intention and humbleness, to see the world the way God sees it.

Here is a challenge for us today, look in the mirror and think about seeing yourself as God sees you. What changes in your view of the image in the mirror?

FORWARD into LIGHT

JANUARY 5, 2023

Numbers 8:1-3

The LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell Aaron that when he sets up the seven lamps in the lampstand, he is to place them so their light shines forward.” 3So Aaron did this. He set up the seven lamps so they reflected their light forward, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.

 

Have you noticed that the scripture story, and the history and events it describes are going somewhere, they are moving God’s story of revelation forward. Repeatedly God’s word encourages us to have hope for what is ahead. We experience this during Advent and Christmas, when we both look back at the Old Testament scriptures of the past, and at the same time we read them with our eye on the future. That is what fills us with such hope as we light candles and sing songs like “Hark! The Glad Sound the Savior Comes”, or the longing and hope and promise in one of our favorites “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus”.

We witness this forward emphasis in God’s instructions to Moses regarding Tabernacle worship in the Old Testament. It is fascinating that God told Moses to have Aaron position the lamps in the Tabernacle in such a way that the light was projected forward, not backward. (Details are important to God) There certainly are lessons here for us––life principles we need to understand and embrace.



Here are a few:



· God’s light is found when we look forward, not backward.



· God has something positive ahead for us––His light is drawing us to our future, not to our past.



· God’s light always goes before us.



· We are invited to live with a forward-focus.


God lights our way. Psalm 119:105 reminds us that God’s “word is a lamp for our feet, a light on our path..” Psalm 27 says “The LORD is my light and my salvation” Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” When with the Apostle Paul we determine to “forget what is behind and press on into what is ahead” we find and experience that the past, is just that, past. When we decide to walk in the light we journey in hope. From God’s perspective, yesterday’s experiences whether they are great moments or moments we would like to forget, do not need to be an obstacle that keep us from pursuing and knowing the thrilling future full of great promise(s) that God has for us. One of the special verses that I often call to memory that helps me stay focused on looking ahead is found in Isaiah 43:18-19 where God says through the prophet “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness.” So, let us lean into “Forward Living.”



“God today I pray, that you would help me to know that your light shines ahead of me. I ask that you help me stop wasting time, energy and focus on what is behind me. Help me to turn my focus to what you have ahead for me. I thank you that your light illumines a path for my future. Help me to daily walk in your light. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

RESPONSIBILITIES

 

JANUARY 4, 2024

Matthew 2:13-15a

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the Child and His mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the Child, to destroy Him." And he rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod.

Isn’t it surprising, as we read the story of the birth of Jesus, how much trust God put in Joseph. Look at today’s reading, when Jesus' life is threatened, God doesn't strike king Herod down, or carry Jesus to safety in a whirlwind. Instead, He speaks to Jesus' earthly father Joseph. God speaks to him in a dream, warning him about Herod's plans. God trusts him with the safety of the Son of God Himself.

And Joseph comes through. Joseph listened. Joseph did what God told  him. Joseph leads Jesus and Mary safely out of the country. As a father, Joseph does everything in his power to keep his little family safe. He doesn't expect praise for it. He just does it.

That's true for us as well. We all have responsibilities God has given to us, in our families, in our neighborhoods or churches, at work. What we do may look tiny, ordinary, what any decent and honourable person would do. Remember that God is using us, even when we can't envision how.

This isn't surprising, is it? For a God who came down from heaven to earth to become a Man, a carpenter, a traveling teacher, and healer? What Jesus did, He did with all His love and obedience, whether it was healing the sick or rescuing and restoring the people of the world through His death and resurrection. And now God trusts us with His work in the world, just like he trusted Joseph.



God, show me what You want me to do, and I will obey. Enable me by the help of your Spirit, to fulfill my responsibilities faithfully, that you would be glorified. Amen.

 

LEAD ME, GUIDE ME

JANUARY 3, 2024

Matthew 2:9-10

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. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.



The experience of the Wisemen must have been difficult and troubling. They saw the star and traveled expectantly to the king's court in Jerusalem, expecting to meet the new "king of the Jews" among Herod's family. Instead, they encountered a King who knew nothing, and had to bring in his staff to help him respond to the question of these travelers. I find it interesting that these Eastern travelers seemed to understand better than Herod the Messianic expectations. They were not expecting what transpired in Jerusalem.

Now the Wisemen are headed to Bethlehem. I wonder what thoughts occupied their minds. “Are we even on the right path anymore?” “Have we travelled all this way for nothing?” Perhaps this is the backdrop to their rejoicing when the star reappeared. It was confirmation that they were going the right way. They continued their faithful steps led by this Star and they found the baby King in a house instead of a palace. They saw and understood that where the infant messiah is found, Palace or house, matters not, only that their eyes behold the “new Born King.”

Does this sound like your experience as well? There are times in our own lives where things start off “bright”, only to take a difficult turn that makes us wonder if somehow, we've lost our direction or misunderstood God's will. But we haven't. As we follow faithfully, we will discover what the Wisemen did, that God is still caring for us, guiding us, holding us up, even when unexpected things happen. Even when things in life have a different shape to them than we thought, or had hoped. Remember this: Through Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, God has made us His children. He has promised to be faithful, and he won't let go of us, even when the world around us turns dark. He will lead us to our destination, as the Wisemen experienced so long ago.

God, when I don't know what to do or where I'm going, guide me and uphold me. Amen.

 

THE LIGHT SHINES

 

JANUARY 2, 2024

Matthew 2:1-3, 7-8

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, 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." When Herod the king heard this, He was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him ... Then Herod ... 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." 

Herod was a cruel, paranoid king who had recently killed his own wife and sons when he thought they were a threat to him. And now he says, "Let me know when you find the baby, so I can come and worship him, too" What an obvious lie!

It's clear that Jesus was born into the same dark world we see around us today, a world that is not safe, where wickedness destroys human lives. We see this in the conflicts that are raging in our world don’t we? Amos 5:13 records this message from our Creator:

For I know how many are your offenses
and how great your sins.
There are those who oppress the innocent and take bribes
and deprive the poor of justice in the courts.
13 Therefore the prudent keep quiet in such times,
for the times are evil.

 

And yet God has not deserted us. He has come Himself to rescue us, to make His light shine into the darkest corners of our world. Back to Amos 5

 

14 Seek good, not evil,
that you may live.
Then the Lord God Almighty will be with you,
just as you say he is.

 

John at the beginning of his Gospel teaches that the pre-existent, eternal, and incarnate Word both acknowledges the darkness of the world and makes a promise that Jesus, the true light the enlightens everyone, shines on in the darkness and, even more, that the darkness has not overcome it.

That is different, take note, than saying that Jesus’ light vanquishes darkness, dispelling it once and forever. That day will come, but it is not yet. Rather, Jesus’ light shines on. Darkness is still there, but it has not, and cannot, overcome the light.

We are at a time when it is, I believe, so important to acknowledge the darkness of loss, grief, and fear that still permeates our world and lives. No devotion, sermon or Christmas carols can or should seek to deny that. Rather, we are reminded that the light of Christ shines on, perhaps never appearing brighter than just now, and will light our way forward. For this is the light that no darkness can overcome.

Jesus laid down His own life to make it happen and then rose from the dead. Death and evil cannot put out His light. Let us remember that death, and wickedness, and the terrible evils we witness in our world cannot destroy us either, because, as we are told in the Bible, that the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus' light and makes us children of light through faith in Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:5).

Lord, keep us in Your light and help us against the powers of darkness. Amen.

 REFLECT

When have you seen Jesus bring light into a dark situation?