John 15:9-17

In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "You did not choose me. No, I chose you, and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit."

In the fourth gospel Jesus says: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (vs. 9-11) The commandment Jesus gives his disciples is that they love one another, as he has loved them. This is why he has chosen them to be his disciples. And this is what the author of this gospel believes the church is to represent to the world.

Do we feel chosen to bear the fruit of the gospel in the world? Is our love for one another great enough to call the world to greater compassion and forgiveness? Is the joy of Christ in us, so that our joy is full? And can we share this joy with others? May this be our prayer for the new year.

Grace and peace...Bob
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Luke 11:9-13

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you."

This passage ends with the affirmation: "If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (v. 13) Perhaps we are not "evil," but certainly we are self-centered. Nonetheless, our children melt our hearts, and we sacrifice a great deal for them. As the children of God, we are similarly blessed.

Prayer, however, should not be asking for what we want, but opening ourselves to God. God offers the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Ask, receive, and celebrate.

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke 6:20-23

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says to his disciples: "Happy are you who are poor, the kingdom of God is yours."

The Beatitudes are in the gospel of Luke, as well as in the gospel of Matthew, but the version in the gospel of Luke is less familiar. Here Jesus says the poor are happy, but in the gospel of Matthew he says "the poor in spirit" are happy. The gospel of Matthew, unlike the gospel of Luke, does not emphasize that the good news is for those who are poor and oppressed. The third gospel also contains teachings by Jesus about "woes," which are absent from the gospel of Matthew. "But woe to you that are rich, for you have received your consolation. Woe to you that are full now, for you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all men speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." (vs. 24-26)

No wonder we are unfamiliar with this teaching! We are rich, we are well fed, we are laughing and enjoying our prosperity, we enjoy a good reputation among our peers. The gospel of Matthew lets us off the hook, but the gospel of Luke forces us to reflect on our faith.

Grace and peace...Bob

Colossians 3:12-17

"Bear with one another and forgive whatever grievances you have against one another. The Lord has forgiven you, do the same in your turn."

There are conflicts in the church at Colossae, or Paul wouldn't be urging forgiveness and "love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony." (v. 14) Paul prays that the "peace of Christ" will rule in their hearts, and that the word of Christ will guide them in their teaching and worship." (v. 17)

As God has forgiven them, Paul writes, they should forgive one another. Otherwise, how will the world see the good news of the gospel?

Grace and peace...Bob

A Christmas Faith?

Luke 2:1-20

It is hard for Christians to imagine not celebrating Christmas. Yet, there is no evidence of a Christmas celebration in the church until after the conversion of Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. Thereafter, the Feast of the Nativity appears in the Julian calendar on December 25th, at the time of the winter solstice when pagans celebrated the rebirth of the sun.

European Christians later adapted the story in other ways. The manger was represented as a wooden rack or "crib," although in Palestine it would have been a stone ledge in the wall of a stable. And in Middle English the Feast of the Nativity was called "Christes masse," the mass of Christ, which eventually was shortened to "Christmas."

When the Puritans came to power in England, Christmas was outlawed as a Catholic festival. The prohibition against celebrating Christmas led to riots in 1647, and after Puritans were voted out of office Christmas was once again made legal. In New England, however, Puritan zeal persisted, and in Massachusetts Christmas celebrations were not permitted until the second half of the nineteenth century. The flood of immigrants to the New World turned the tide. Germans brought their Christmas tree. Irish put lights in their windows. Catholic immigrants from Eastern Europe sung their native carols and protested having to work on Christmas Day!

Eventually, a surge of enthusiasm swept away all resistance. Neither the moral authority of the church, nor the power of the state could prevent the celebration of Christmas. It is almost as if the spirit of Christmas has a life of its own ― undisciplined, chaotic, commercial, fantastic, seemingly irrepressible!

At its best, Christmas represents the human hope that love may someday rule all creation. Of course, this is fantastic. A king born in a stable, angels singing, a star in the heavens lighting the way, shepherds and wise men gathering around a manger… Legends also tell that vines flowered, bore grapes, and produced wine, and that the ox and the ass in the stable received human speech so they could join in praising the wondrous birth. The Christmas fantasy not only transforms the lives of men and women, but also plants and animals.

The stories and legends of Christmas tell of the unity and serenity in God's whole creation. The peace that we celebrate is nothing less than the peace of God. In two millennia, however, we have not been able to bring the miracle of Christmas into the affairs of nations, let alone into our daily lives. May we allow the spirit of Christmas to transform our faith.

Christmas is a mirror in which we see reflected what life might be. We see ourselves ― moved by generosity, inspired by hope, uplifted by love. The homeless family is seen as Mary and Joseph. The orphaned child ― cast off by the millions because of war, poverty and AIDS ― becomes the babe in the manger.

Let the spirit of Christmas catch your fancy, and live a Christmas faith!

Grace and peace...Bob

1 John 1:1-4

"Life itself became visible, we saw it and testify to it. We proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us."

This letter begins very much like the gospel of John, which is why it was assumed in the church that the same author wrote both. The letter itself, however, does not give the name of the author. The author affirms that the word made flesh is the eternal life that has been revealed to the church: "that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." (v. 3)

The letter expresses the joy of an early Christian community. Its members celebrate their life together and their experience of the presence of God. This is Christian witness.

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke 2:22-38

The gospel of Luke reports that when Simeon saw the child, Jesus, he praised God and said: "Now, Lord, you can let your servant depart in peace as you promised. For my eyes have seen the salvation you have prepared for all people to see."

This story appears only in the gospel of Luke. Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple to fulfill the requirements of Jewish law (Leviticus 12:2-8). Because of their poverty, they are permitted to present a pair of turtle doves, rather than a lamb and a dove, as a burnt offering to purify Mary (because her flow of blood has made her unclean) and as a sin offering to atone for any sins they may have committed. Simeon, an old man waiting in the temple to see the coming of the Messiah, takes Jesus in his arms and blesses God. His song of praise has come to be known as the "Nunc Dimittis," because these are the first words of the Latin translation.

Simeon says that Jesus will be "a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." (v. 32) At the time the gospel of Luke was written, Gentiles were already a part of the church in many cities of the Roman Empire. Moreover, the gospel seems to be written for Gentile Christians. But the words of Simeon come from Isaiah 42:6, which is generally translated: "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations . . .." The word "Gentiles" was not in use when Isaiah wrote his prophecy, because the descendants of the Israelites were not known as "Jews" until the time of the Roman empire, when Jews were recognized as having a different religion and were exempted from imperial rituals. The word "Gentiles" came into use by Jews to refer to non-Jews. The author of the gospel of Luke has changed the word "nations" to "Gentiles" so the text from Isaiah points to the Gentile church in the Roman Empire.

Grace and peace...Bob

Isaiah 9:1-6

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has shined. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. And his name will be: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

The prophet proclaims the coming of the ideal king, who will bring an end to war and provide justice for all the peoples of the earth. Jews have read these words as a promise that has yet to be fulfilled. Christians have read these words as fulfilled in Jesus Christ. But even Christians acknowledge that the reign of Christ is not yet complete, so both Jews and Christians together may look forward to the fulfillment of God's promise of peace and justice in our world.

This text is well-known to us because of Handel's "Messiah." The oratorio includes a dark baritone solo with the words, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." And the chorus sings, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders, and his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." What marvelous music for Christmas Day!

Grace and peace...Bob

John 1:1-18

"The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."

The beginning of the gospel of John affirms that Jesus Christ is the word made flesh, the word that was with God in the beginning, and the word that was God. This true light came into the world, but was rejected by the world. Those who received this word, however, were given the power to become "children of God," who are born not of flesh and blood but of God. (v. 12) The law was given by Moses, the gospel of John acknowledges, but "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (v. 17)

Grace and truth are Greek concepts, which do not appear in the Hebrew scriptures. The gospel of John uses these Greek ideas to translate the Jewish hope for a Messiah into an affirmation of faith that will speak especially to Jews who have been trained in Greek literature and thought. The God who spoke through Moses is now speaking through Jesus, and also through the gospel of John that was written for Greek-speaking Jews. The power of this gospel is evident in the way that it continues to speak to us today, in English, even though we know little about either Jewish or Greek culture.

Grace and peace...Bob

Deuteronomy 30:11-14

"God's word is very near to you, it is on your lips and in your heart for you to put it into practice."

In this last sermon by Moses he tells the Israelites that the commandments God has given them are not too hard for them. God's word, Moses says, is on their lips and in their heart, so they can keep the commandments. The book of Deuteronomy was probably the scroll that was discovered in the temple in the reign of Josiah over Judah. It led to a renewal of the covenant in their life.

When Christians read about the word of God being in their hearts, they think of the Holy Spirit or the presence of Jesus or Christ. But we should recall that this image is also in the Hebrew Bible. After all, at Christmas we celebrate the birth of a very special Jew who was born to a Jewish mother and who called Jewish disciples to proclaim the good news of the love of God that was revealed in the Jewish scriptures.

Grace and peace...Bob

Psalm 46

"God is our refuge and strength, and an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be in turmoil."

The psalm begins with this stirring affirmation of faith. Then it presents a vision of the "city of God," which shall not be moved by the turmoil on the earth. The nations may rage, and the kingdoms may totter. But "the LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." (v. 6) This LORD "makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear, he burns the chariots with fire!" (v. 9)

The New Testament resists this image of a warrior god by affirming that God was in Christ on the cross.  Our hope lies in rejecting fear for faith.

Grace and peace...Bob

Psalm 36

In you, LORD is the source of life; in your light we see light."

This psalm begins by describing how the wicked have no fear of God. Then the psalmist sings: "Thy steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, thy faithfulness to the clouds." (v. 5) LORD is all in capital letters because it stands for the name of God that was too holy to be spoken. Modern Christian translations sometimes render this four letter symbol YHWH as Yahweh, and traditionally this was often written as Jehovah. The Hebrew text does not give the vowels, and because the name was not spoken no one knows how the four letters should be translated into English. It is clear in the psalm, however, that LORD is the same as God, even though in Hebrew these are different words with diverse histories.

Twice more in the psalm we read of the "steadfast love" of God, and this is the source of our life and our hope. God is "the source of life" and the "salvation to the upright of heart." The psalm ends with a prayer that the wicked will not gain the upper hand over the righteous.

Grace and peace...Bob

Matthew's Christmas Story

Matthew 1-2  

The story begins with a genealogy that places Jesus in the line of descent from Abraham and David. It is Joseph in this birth story who is told by an angel in a dream that Mary's surprising pregnancy is the work of the Lord. Joseph accepts this as the will of God and takes Mary into his home. Jesus is born, and then the gospel relates the story of the wise men. After the wise men slip out of Judea, Herod sends soldiers to kill all the children of Bethlehem under two years old. But Joseph is warned in another dream and so he escapes with Mary and Jesus to Egypt. He only returns to Judea after the death of Herod.  

If we listen closely to the story in the gospel of Matthew, we will hear that events are taking place according to prophecy. Mary's pregnancy, the birth in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, the slaying of the children-all, the narrator of the story tells us, were foretold by the prophets. This theme is present throughout the gospel of Matthew. Jesus is the fulfillment of the hope of the people of Israel, as expressed through the prophets, who were speaking for God. Jesus is the fulfillment of the covenant of God with Israel. The gospel of Matthew was written for a Christian community that had a more Jewish understanding of Jesus than did the Gentile and Greek-speaking Jewish Christians for whom Luke wrote his account. It is in Matthew's gospel that Jesus gives the famous Sermon on the Mount, in which he says he has come to fulfil the law not to abolish it. This gospel was a powerful argument in the hands of Jewish Christians against the growing power of the Gentile churches.  

Yet, the author of the gospel extends the hope of Israel beyond any narrow interpretation of ancient prophecy by masterfully telling the story of the three wise men. They represent the non-Jewish world of wisdom, which recognizes the sovereignty of Jesus and comes to pay him homage. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh carry symbolic meaning for his readers. Gold reflects the kingship of Jesus. Frankincense, which was used in worship in the temple in Jerusalem, symbolizes his priestly role. And myrrh, because it was used in embalming and for burial, points to his crucifixion and resurrection to a heavenly throne.  

If Luke's birth story is about women and shepherds, Matthew's story is about men and kings. (Later in the life of the church the wise men are called "kings" because of a verse in Psalm 72 that refers to kings bringing gifts to the king of the Israelites.) The three wise men come looking for the one born to be king of the Jews. They come to the ruler of Judea, bringing gifts fit for a king. And this ruler massacres the young boys of Bethlehem in an effort to kill the threat to his throne. In contrast to the birth story in the gospel of Luke, the story in the gospel of Matthew is not about poverty and the reception of the Holy Spirit. It is about the coming of a new ruler into the world.  

In the East, which followed the older Alexandrian calendar rather than the Julian calendar introduced in the Roman Empire in 46 BCE, the 6th of January was the winter solstice. In the third century eastern churches began to celebrate Epiphany on this day. In fact, Epiphany was celebrated in the life of the church before Christmas became a feast day. Originally Epiphany commemorated four manifestations of Jesus: his appearance to the shepherds and to the three wise men, his baptism in the Jordan, and the first miracle at Cana where he changed water into wine. I

n the West, Epiphany on January 6th became part of the Julian calendar in the fourth century, although in Jerusalem the Feast of the Nativity continued to be celebrated on January 6th until 549, a practice still followed in the 20th century in the Armenian Church. As the two birth stories from the gospels of Luke and Matthew were both included in the liturgical calendar, they became one story in the minds of most Christians. In the Middle Ages apocryphal religious books thought to have been written at the time of the early church, elaborated the birth and infancy stories in the Bible. 

These accounts were very popular and circulated in Arabic and Armenian as well as in Latin. The three wise men became personalities: Casper, Balthazar, and Melchior. An ox was added to the manger scene, because of two texts discovered in the Old Testament. Isaiah 1:3 reads "The ox knows his owner, and the ass his Master's crib." And Habbakuk 3:2 (in the Septuagint version) reads: "Between two beasts are you known." Thus an ox and an ass came to represent the expected Messiah. In Europe the Christmas liturgical plays often included representations of the flight into Egypt related in the birth story in Matthew's gospel. And in the art of this period there are many paintings of angels guiding Joseph, with his four sons (understood as from a previous marriage) leading an ox, as Mary rides on an ass with Jesus in her arms. A procession of the prophets, each one foretelling with a passage from Scripture the birth of the Messiah, became a standard part in the Middle Ages of the "Christ mass" or "Christmas" liturgical play. A Feast of the Ass was added to the season to celebrate the animal who carried Mary to Bethlehem and then to safety into Egypt. But the dramatic enactment of these journeys became so raucous and ribald that in the 13th century this feast was forbidden by church authorities.  

What might the birth story in Matthew's gospel mean for us today? I suggest, first, that it emphasizes God. If the story in Luke stresses the humanity of Jesus, the story of the three wise men reminds us of the sovereignty of God. Jesus is the presence of God on earth, and he returns to heaven to rule. The story tells us that God's mysterious plan is being worked out through history.  

Second, this story reminds us that human rulers are subject to God. The star created by God summons the three wise men. Herod is foiled in his attempt to destroy Jesus, who will be king. Furthermore, Matthew's gospel relates the story of the ministry of Jesus, his death as the king of the Jews, his resurrection as the king of kings, and his commissioning of the disciples for a ministry to the whole world.  

Third, the birth story in the gospel of Matthew tells us that the promises of God will be fulfilled. The story calls us to faith by affirming that God is faithful. The covenant that God established with Israel has been renewed through Jesus. If we have faith in him, and follow his commandments, then God will keep faith with us. Prophecy and promise will be fulfilled. Even as the wise men and Jesus avoid the wrath of Herod, so will we come to new life through faith. No matter how dark the future, no matter how unjust the suffering, no matter how close we are to death, there is hope.  

Grace and peace...Bob

2 Corinthians 8:7-15

"Our Lord Jesus Christ became poor for your sake, so that through his poverty you might become rich." Paul is taking up a collection for the poor in the church of Jerusalem. He promised to do this, when Peter and James, the brother of Jesus, told him they would support his ministry to the Gentiles. (Galatians 2:9-10) 

Paul tells the Corinthians that they should give out of their "abundance," remembering how much Jesus has given to them.  

Of course, Jesus did not give money to them, but he entered into death so that they might have life. Thus, Jesus did not literally "become poor." A literal reading misunderstands what Paul is saying. We need to read this passage figuratively.  

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke 1:26-38

In the gospel of Luke the angel says to Mary: "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus." In the gospel of Luke the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to tell her that she will bear a son, who will be called "the Son of the Most High" and "the Son of God." (v. 35) 

This story is only related by the gospel of Luke. In the gospel of Matthew the angel comes to Joseph to announce the coming of a special son. One of the most distinctive differences between the four gospels is the way they begin. Only the gospels of Matthew and Luke have birth stories. The shepherds are in the gospel of Luke, and the wise men are in the gospel of Matthew. The gospel of Mark begins with the ministry of Jesus, and the gospel of John begins with a philosophical prologue.  

The wonderful story in the gospel of Luke of two women, Elizabeth and Mary, who bear special sons, John and Jesus, reminds us that women were leaders in the churches organized by Paul. In these Greek-speaking congregations women who owned property and who had a measure of independence, because they enjoyed certain rights under Roman law, found in the church an opportunity to respond to God's love. 

Mary, the mother of Jesus, has symbolized that response through the ages in the life of the church, as the Virgin and Mother of God to whom many Christians have offered their prayers. But whether we pray to Mary or simply delight in her story, we remember her with love as the mother of Jesus.  

Grace and peace...Bob

Matthew 6:31-34

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Strive first for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness. Do not worry about tomorrow." In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that they should not be anxious about what they will eat, or drink or wear. "For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (v. 32) 

What would it mean to strive for the kingdom of God and God's righteousness? This statement occurs in the Sermon on the Mount. Earlier in that sermon Jesus has taught his disciples that the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, and the pure in heart will be blessed. He has told his disciples to keep the Jewish law but also to go beyond it by loving their enemies as well as their neighbors. They are also to beware of practicing their piety in public as a way of gaining recognition.  

What would it mean for us to seek first the kingdom of God? We think our world is so different from the ancient world of the gospels. Yet, the challenge to mourn, to be merciful and meek and pure in heart, remains the same. And surely we should not seek public recognition for our piety. We are called not to have the right beliefs about God but to be faithful in the way that we live.  

Grace and peace...Bob

1 John 4:7-11

"Let us love one another, for love is of God and whoever loves is born of God and knows God."

The author affirms that "God is love." (v. 8) This love enables us to love and thus to know God and to share God with others.

Love is the fruit of faith.

Grace and peace...Bob

John 8:12

In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark but will have the light of life."

The gospel of John uses light to refer to life in Christ. Those who reject Jesus as the Messiah will, the gospel author says, live in darkness. There is an argument in the church of this gospel's author, and some are withdrawing because they do not believe Jesus is the Messiah. This is a conflict among Jews, who all believe in Jesus but have different beliefs about him.

In the gospel of John, Jesus calls his followers to discipleship. They are to be light for the world, as Jesus is. They are to be the presence of Christ in the world, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, given to them after Jesus is no longer there to lead them. The good news of the gospel of John is that this light will not be overcome by the darkness of the world.

Grace and peace...Bob

Acts 20:17-38

In Acts, Paul says: "Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who said, 'There is more happiness in giving than in receiving.'"

This passage contains a speech given by Paul before he travels to Jerusalem with the collection he has taken up for the poor there. In this speech Paul defends his ministry, because he knows he will face criticism once he reaches Jerusalem. The apostles in Jerusalem are unhappy with his outreach to the Gentiles, because he has not required Gentile converts to be circumcised or to keep the basic dietary restrictions of Jewish law (see Acts 15).

Paul is bringing a collection from the Gentile churches because he intends to keep his promise to do so, which was given in return for support for his ministry among the Gentiles by James, the brother of Jesus, and Peter, the church leaders in Jerusalem. (Galatians 2) It is Paul's way of trying to shame the apostles in Jerusalem into supporting his ministry to the Gentiles, as its leaders pledged they would. So, he tells the Gentile members of the churches he has organized, they will be blessed for giving to help the church in Jerusalem. Perhaps he means not only that God will bless them, but that the church in Jerusalem may cease to press Gentile converts to submit to Jewish law.

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke's Christmas Story

Luke 1-2

The gospel of Luke begins with the story of the birth of John the Baptist. Elizabeth and Zechariah are elderly and without a child. Yet Elizabeth conceives and an angel tells Zechariah that the child's name will be John. Six months later the angel Gabriel comes to Mary to explain that she will give birth to a child with the help of the Holy Spirit and to tell her that Elizabeth is also pregnant. When Mary visits Elizabeth, the older woman feels her babe leap in her womb. Elizabeth says to Mary, "Blessed are you among women . . .." Then Mary sings praises to God, in words which have come to be known as the Magnificat -- words that bring to mind (for those who know the Bible well) Hannah's song of praise after her prayers for a son have been answered with Samuel's birth.

The story of the birth of Jesus follows. We hear of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem, finding no room in the inn, and taking shelter in a stable. During the night Jesus is born, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger, and shepherds are directed by angels to come and adore him.

The Christmas story in the gospel of Luke gives a prominent role to women, unlike most of the narratives in the Bible. The story also emphasizes the humble birth of Jesus in a stable, attended only by his mother and father, and then by shepherds. At the very beginning of Luke's gospel we read that the author is writing his account for Theophilus, a Greek-speaking Christian. If we know our Bible well, we also know that the Acts of the Apostles is a companion volume written by the same author. Thus the story of Elizabeth and Mary, and their children born in Judea, is the beginning of a story that includes not only accounts of the ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, but also of the conversion of Saul (who becomes the apostle Paul) and of Paul's missionary work until his imprisonment in Rome.

What meanings might this birth story have had for Theophilus and the other Greek-speaking Christians of his largely Gentile church? We know that there were conflicts in the early church between Jewish and predominately Gentile congregations. The Jewish Christians led by Peter and James, the brother of Jesus, emphasized the Jewish law that they believed Jesus had sought to renew. Gentile Christians and many Greek-speaking Jewish Christians, on the other hand, believed that Jesus had freed them from Jewish law altogether. The birth story in the gospel of Luke sets the birth of Jesus within the Roman Empire at the time of a census decreed by Caesar Augustus. When Luke's narrative concludes in Acts 28 with Paul proclaiming new life in Christ in Rome to both Jews and Gentiles, it seems clear that the humble and Jewish beginnings of Jesus are part of God's plan for the whole world.

In the second century some Christians began to claim that Jesus was a divine being who merely appeared to be human. Luke's gospel became a defense against this "Gnostic" heresy, because the birth story emphasizes Mary's pregnancy and the human birth of Jesus. Yet we don't hear of a Christmas celebration in the life of the church until the fourth century, when it is listed in an almanac as the Feast of the Nativity. Most likely this feast began in churches dominated by Gentiles during the reign of Constantine, after he was converted to Christianity in 312. In the Julian calendar of that period the Feast of the Nativity was celebrated on December 25th, which was the winter solstice. As the birth story in the gospel of Luke does not mention any date, the winter solstice was undoubtedly chosen to coincide with the pagan celebration of the rebirth of the sun. Thus, Jesus was proclaimed in the Roman Empire as the "true sun."

Probably the Christians in Rome were unaware that shepherds in Palestine did not tend sheep in the fields during the winter. When Christian scholars in the Middle Ages were confronted with this factual inconsistency, they concluded that the shepherds had stayed in the fields because of the winter solstice. European Christians adapted the story in other ways. The manger was represented in painting and creche scenes as a wooden rack or "crib." But in Palestine it would have been a stone ledge, trough or a niche in the wall of a stable, in which fodder was placed. In Middle English the Feast of the Nativity was called "Christes masse," that is, the mass of Christ. This eventually was shortened to "Christmas."

It is interesting to recall that after the Protestant Reformation, Christmas was rejected by most of the Protestant denominations because it emphasized the baby Jesus rather than the risen Christ. In 1659 the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony made the observance of Christmas a punishable offense, and Protestant suspicion continued in some denominations well into the 19th century. It was the Roman Catholic Church that kept the "Christ mass" tradition alive until the holiday became acceptable to all Christians and to many others as well.

If this is some of what Christmas has meant in the life of the church, as the story is told in the gospel of Luke, what meanings might it have for us today? I suggest, first, that as a very human story of mothers becoming pregnant and giving birth, it reminds us that life, as we know it, is the medium in which God chooses to dwell. Jesus is the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the gospel of Luke tells us that the Holy Spirit moved and inspired him throughout his life. The Acts of the Apostles describes how the Holy Spirit also guided the churches after Jesus ascended to heaven. Luke's gospel tells us that in the Holy Spirit, we are one with Jesus, and with God.

Second, the gospel of Luke reminds us that poverty is not a mark of human failure or divine rejection. The origins of the church are very humble and poor. The gospel story shows that the kingdom of God is not for those who claim to have earned salvation because of their success in the world, but for those who have faith.

Third, this story of women, a baby in a manger, and shepherds in the fields who come in wonder to the stable, should elicit in us a renewed sense of awe and gratitude for life. Each child is a wondrous creation, and the birth of a child is cause for joy. The Christmas story in the gospel of Luke points to the miracle of life - to the life of Jesus, but also to our lives - for, as Paul reminds us, we are the church, which is the body of the living Christ.

At Christmas, therefore, we celebrate the birth of the true sun, the light that enters the darkness and is not overcome by it, the life we know together in Christ, and the joy we share with one another and with the world.

Grace and peace...Bob

Matthew 5:1-12

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus says: "Happy are the clear in heart: they shall see God. Happy are the peacemakers: they shall be called children of God."

This passage is from the Beatitudes, as they are known, because in Latin the first word of each verse begins with "blessed." A more modern translation of the original Greek is "happy." These blessings begin what in the gospel of Matthew is known as the Sermon on the Mount. The blessings are surprising, even shocking. The poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those who are persecuted for righteousness sake - they are blessed, or happy.

Of course, they are not happy, so when Jesus says they are happy we are confounded. Jesus seems to be saying that we are blind. Those who are suffering now will receive their rewards, so they can be happy now in anticipation of what is to come. "Rejoice and be glad," Jesus says, (v. 12) "for your reward is great in heaven." The kingdom of heaven is what Jesus is bringing into being, so "heaven" is not a place where those who have died go but is the eternal presence of God among us. Therefore, Jesus is saying, have faith and rejoice, because God is with you!

Grace and peace...Bob

John 1:19-27

In the gospel of John, the Baptist says: "I baptize with water; but standing among you - unknown to you - is the one who is coming after me; and I am not fit to undo the strap of his sandal."

In all four gospels of the New Testament, Jesus begins his ministry after an encounter with John the Baptist. In this gospel John does not baptize Jesus, as in the other three gospels, but John directs his disciples toward Jesus, after describing him as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." (Jn. 1:29) In the fourth gospel John does not say that Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit, as he does in the other three gospels. But unlike the other gospels, here John bears witness that he saw: "the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him." (Jn 1:33) In the other three New Testament gospels the author narrating the story says the Spirit descended like a dove upon Jesus.

John was baptizing Jews, who were confessing their sin and repenting. His baptism was a sign of God's forgiveness. Jesus, too, preached repentance and forgiveness, but the New Testament carefully distinguishes these two ministries. Jesus bears the Holy Spirit of God, whereas John baptizes only with water. John's baptism reconciles Jews to God, but the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is proclaimed by the church as bringing God into the lives of all those with faith in a way that offers eternal life.

Grace and peace...Bob

John 17:11-21

In the gospel of John, Jesus prays for his disciples, saying: "Father, may they all be one, just as you are in me and I am in you, so that they may also be in us and the world may believe that you sent me."

This prayer by Jesus is found only in the gospel of John. Jesus is praying for his disciples, because he is about to be killed and they will be left alone in the world. But Jesus tells them that they will not be alone. They are united by the mystery of God, through the Holy Spirit. Jesus also prays for those who come to have faith in him through the ministry of his disciples.

This prayer was written to strengthen a young church struggling to define its faith over against Jews, who saw Jesus as a teacher but not as the messiah. As a teacher, Jesus was dead. Only his words continued to live. As the messiah, however, Jesus is resurrected and so lives on, not only in his words, but in the flesh through the life of the church. In this gospel passage the church for which the gospel was written proclaims it is the continuing word of Jesus Christ, because it is united not only with Jesus by keeping his commandments but also with God by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Grace and peace...Bob

1 John 2:7-10

"The darkness is passing and the true light is already shining. Whoever loves their neighbor remains in the light."

The author of this letter says he is reaffirming an old commandment, but it is also new because "the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining." The light of Christ, the letter assets, helps us love our neighbor. And if we do not love our neighbor, we will find that we have moved out of the light of Christ and into the darkness.

This is true whether or not we remain in the church. Attending worship and reading the Bible is not a guarantee that we will remain in the light of Christ. We must also love our neighbor. But this, we all know, is easy to say and hard to do. It is hard to love the neighbor who is unkind to us or who takes unfair advantage of our kindness. It is hard to remain in the light of Christ, even once we have known it.

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke 1:67-79

In the gospel of Luke at John the Baptist's birth Zechariah says: "Blessed be God, for he allows us to serve him without fear."

In this story an angel of the Lord has appeared to Zechariah in the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and told him that his wife, Elizabeth, is to give birth to a special child, who "will be filled with the Holy Spirit." (Lk. 1:15) The angel also tells him this child is to be named John. When John (the Baptist) is born, Zechariah "is filled with the Holy Spirit" and prophesies that the "promises of the Lord God of Israel" to deliver the people from the hands of their enemies will be fulfilled, so that the people might serve the Lord without fear.

The story of John the Baptist is found in all four gospels of the New Testament, but only the gospel of Luke tells this story of his birth. Only in this gospel do we learn about John's parents, Elizabeth and Zechariah, or hear the prophecy of Zechariah. The presence of the Holy Spirit, not only in Mary but in Elizabeth and Zechariah as well as in John and Jesus, is at the heart of this gospel's story. The witness of the gospel of Luke, that God enables us to be faithful without fear, continues to strengthen Christians today.

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke 1:26-38

In the gospel of Luke, Mary says to the angel: "I am the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said."

The gospel of Luke relates that the angel Gabriel has come to Mary to say that she will bear a special child, who will be called "the son of the Most High." (v. 32) When Mary protests that she is not yet married, Gabriel explains that the "Holy Spirit will come upon" her and that the power of the Most High will give her this child. (v. 35) Then Mary assents to the will of God.

This story only appears in the gospel of Luke, where the author begins with stories of two women conceiving special sons. Elizabeth bears John, who will become the Baptist, and Mary bears Jesus, who will become "the Son of God." (v. 35) In the story of the birth of Jesus in Matthew, the angel communicates with Joseph, not with Mary, and the gospels of Mark and John do not contain any birth stories. Once again, we see the hand of the author shaping the story for his audience, which in this case probably included women leaders of the fledgling church.

Grace and peace...Bob

1 John 3:14-20

"Let us not love just with words and in speech, but with actions and in truth."

The words of this passage are obvious yet always compelling. It is so easy to speak of love, but all those who have loved know it is difficult to be faithful in love. The author of this letter is writing to a church and encouraging its members to love one another. He is not saying they have to love everyone in the world or even in their neighborhood, but he is arguing that they cannot proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ if they do not exemplify the love of God among themselves in the church.

"By this we know love," the author writes, "that he laid down his life for us." (v. 16) This may mean we will be called to lay down our lives "for the brethren," but it surely means responding to the material needs of others in the church: "If any one has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?" (v. 17) How indeed! We close our hearts (and our wallets) all the time to those who are in need, even those within the church. How does God's love abide in us?

Grace and peace...Bob

John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:2-11, Luke 3:7-17, John 1:6-8, 19-34

Why was John out in the desert of Judea preaching repentance and offering a water baptism for Jews who came to repent of their sins? Because he believed the promises of scripture were about to be realized. His message was fearsome: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Mt. 3:2) John preached that the Day of the Lord was at hand.

What did this mean for him and for those who came to be baptized by him? "Even now," John proclaims in Mt. 1:10, "the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." A time of judgment is at hand, John declares, for the one who is coming after him: "will clear the threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (Mt. 1:12)

In the gospels of Matthew and Luke John castigates those coming to be baptized as a "brood of vipers," announces "the wrath to come," calls for repentance, says the ax is laid to the root of the trees, and declares the trees not bearing fruit will be "cut down and thrown into the fire." (Mt. 3:7-10, Lk. 3:7-9) In the gospel of Luke when the crowds ask, "What then should we do?" John replies: "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." (Lk. 3:11) When tax collectors coming to be baptized ask what they should do, John tells them: "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." To soldiers who ask, "What shall we do?" John answers: "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages." (Lk. 3: 14)

The gospel of Luke not only adds to the teaching found in the gospel of Matthew, but also opens the message of John to Gentiles as well as Jews. Soldiers were not Jews, for under Roman law Jews were exempt from military service because they would not fight on the Sabbath. When crowds ask John what they should do, he does not tell them to keep the commandments of the Torah. In the third gospel John’s message is the same for Jews and Gentiles. To repent, they are told to share their clothing and food with the poor, and to be honest and fair.

In the gospel of John, there is no message for Gentiles, as in the gospel of Luke. Nor does John say the ax is laid to the root of the trees or that chaff will burn in unquenchable fire, as in the gospel of Matthew. In the fourth gospel John the Baptist says nothing about repentance, but instead identifies Jesus as "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world." (Jn. 1:29) In all the New Testament gospels John the Baptist says he was sent to testify to Jesus, who will baptize "with the Holy Spirit." But only in the fourth gospel does John the Baptist identify Jesus as "the Son of God." (Jn. 1:34)

In the gospel of Mark, John the Baptist calls people from Jerusalem and Judea to repent of their sins and announces the coming of one with greater power who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. (Mk. 1:4-8) The gospel of Matthew adds to this story of John threats of unquenchable fire burning trees that have not borne fruit and also burning the chaff from the final harvest, and in this gospel we hear that the one coming after John will baptize "with the Holy Spirit and fire." (Mt. 3:1-11). The gospel of Luke adds teachings for Gentiles, as well as for Jews, that urge honesty, justice and compassion. The gospel of John tells the story of the Baptist without referring to repentance or a coming time of wrath. The fourth gospel identifies Jesus as the sacrificial Lamb of God.

The four gospels differ considerably, yet the stories have much in common: John is baptizing, Jesus comes to him, a dove descends as a sign of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is identified as the son of God, and John prophesies that the one coming after him will baptize with the Holy Spirit.

All four gospels also quote Isaiah 40:3, which says: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God." This may be simply a way of having John confirm that Jesus is the Messiah. But in the gospels of Matthew and Luke, John and his followers are not easily convinced, for John sends messengers to ask Jesus, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" (Mt. 11:3, Lk. 7:20)

Moreover, in these two gospels, Jesus speaks at length about John’s ministry. Jesus says that John is a prophet and identifies John with Malachi 3:1 ― "See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me." In Malachi this passage continues with a frightening prophecy: “The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight ― indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire…" (Mal. 3:1-2)

In the gospels of Matthew and Luke, Jesus says, "I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." (Lk. 7:28, and similarly Mt. 11:11) In these two gospels Jesus says John the Baptist abstained from bread and wine, whereas "the Son of Man came eating and drinking" yet the people rejected both. However, Jesus proclaims that "wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." (Mt. 11:19, and similarly Lk. 7:35)

In Acts, which was written as a sequel to the gospel of Luke by the same author, 19:1-5 relates that in Ephesus Paul met disciples of John, who knew only his baptism. This reveals the staying power of John’s ministry, which has spread from Judea to at least one major Roman city. After Paul explains to these men that "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus," Acts reports that John's followers of "were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus" (v. 4) and then received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The story in Luke-Acts clearly represents the teaching of the church that the ministry of John the Baptist precedes and points to the ministry of the church. The author of Luke-Acts also has John born to Elizabeth and Zechariah, who are identified as relatives of Mary, the mother of Jesus. This birth story portrays John as chosen by God to pave the way for Jesus. (A similar account is in Sura 3 of the Qur’an.)

The gospel of John makes the same point by having John the Baptist explain to two of his disciples, one of whom is Andrew, that Jesus is "the Son of God" who "baptizes with the Holy Spirit." Andrew and his companion leave John’s disciples to follow Jesus, and when Andrew brings his brother Simon to meet the Messiah, Jesus gives Simon the name Peter. (Jn. 1:29-42)

Whoever John the Baptist was, the New Testament gospel writers cannot leave him out of their stories. In the Christian Bible the ministry of Jesus begins with John, who had his own disciples and his own ministry. In the gospels of Mark and Matthew, Jesus is actually baptized by John, and in the gospel of Matthew Jesus begins his own ministry by using the same words as John: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Mt. 4:17, as in Mt. 3:2)

Grace and peace...Bob

Luke 12:22-31

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus says: "Do not be anxious about your life. Can any of you, by worrying about it, add a single moment to the length of your life? If such a small thing is beyond your power, why worry about the rest?"

This teaching is in both the gospel of Matthew (6:25-34) and the gospel of Luke. The only difference is the "put down" of Gentiles in Matthew 6:32 for seeking food, drink and clothes, which does not appear in the gospel of Luke. This is evidence that the gospel of Luke was written for churches with Gentile Christian readers, whereas the gospel of Matthew was written for a Jewish Christian congregation.

In this passage Jesus is teaching his disciples to seek the kingdom of God and to trust in God for everything else. These are not simply words spoken in the past, but advice being read in the early church by its leaders and their followers (and by us, as well, today).

Are we to understand these words literally to mean that if we are hungry and have faith, God will give us food? And that, if we are thirsty and have faith, God will give us water? Or, should we understand this passage to mean that Christians, who have food and water, should share what they have with all those seeking the kingdom of God, particularly those who are devoting themselves to the leadership of the church? Which of these "interpretations" of this passage makes the most sense to you?

Grace and peace...Bob

Mark 1:1-8

In the gospel of Mark, John the Baptist says: "After me will come one more powerful than I. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

The gospel of Mark begins with the statement: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God." We learn the point of the story before we've gotten beyond the first verse of the first chapter. None of the other three gospels in the New Testament begins this way, so we may conclude that this is the choice of the author.

All the gospels in the New Testament, however, tell the story of John the Baptist, although with some differences. In the gospel of Mark we learn that John was in the wilderness baptizing those who repented of their sins. We are told that Jesus came to John in the Jordan River to be baptized.

The gospels do not explain why Jesus comes To be baptized. As John was baptizing those who confessed their sins, we might assume that Jesus, too, confessed his sins to John before baptism. John does say there is someone coming after him, who will baptize with the Holy Spirit, but in the fourth gospel we are not told that this is Jesus.

The memory of John the Baptist is so strong in the church that it appears near the beginning of all four New Testament gospels, which subordinate John to Jesus. Yet, Jesus seems to find his calling by participating in John's ministry.

Grace and peace...Bob

2 Corinthians 3:16-18

"All of us, with our unveiled faces reflecting God's glory like mirrors, are being transformed into the image that we reflect."

In verses 12-14 Paul says that followers of Christ: "are very bold, not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not see the end of the fading splendor. But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away." In Exodus 34:29-35 we read that Moses put a veil on to cover his face because it shone so from being in the presence of God that the people were afraid.

Thus Paul's statement is doubly offensive to a Jewish reader, because it misrepresents the reason why Moses wore a veil and it refers to the covenant with God that was secured through Moses as "the old covenant." The Christian phrase "the Old Testament" comes from this passage and carries with it to this day the meaning that the revelation to the Israelites has been replaced by the revelation in Jesus Christ.

Paul makes this point explicitly earlier in the third chapter, where he asserts on behalf of the church: "our sufficiency is from God, who has qualified us to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life." (3:5-6) Here is the idea of the "New Testament," which is not written at this point but is present in the Spirit of Christian faith and witness.

Paul does not expect that his letters will be part of scripture at some later date. He is writing to the church at Corinth because there are controversies that he hopes to resolve.

Paul's critique of Jewish scripture and law is unfair, but it was effective in defining the church's witness. Today, however, after centuries in which Christians have persecuted Jews, we cannot tolerate the polemic of the past against Jewish faith and practice. Instead, we need to remember that Jesus read what Paul called "the old covenant" as scripture and that Jesus was shaped by Jewish faith and practice. Furthermore, Jesus must have respected Jewish law, even though he criticized hypocrisy in enforcing it, because his disciples as apostles leading the church in Jerusalem were keeping the commandments of the Law of Moses.

Grace and peace...Bob

John 14:19-23

In the gospel of John, Jesus says: "Anyone who loves me will keep my word, and the Father will love them, and we shall come to them and make our home in them."

In this part of the gospel of John we find Jesus preparing his disciples for his arrest and death. He tells them, "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you." (v. 18) And he assures them, "In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (v. 20) This passage is read as evidence of the unity of Jesus with God, but we see that there is also a unity with the disciples, who keep his word. Jesus says that the Father will love these faithful disciples and that "we" will "make our home in them. Presumably, "we" refers to Jesus and the Father, but immediately after these verses Jesus says "the Counselor, the Holy Spirit" will come to them. So, we might say that the "we" refers to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The word "Trinity" does not appear in the New Testament, but passages like this are read as evidence of the concept of the Trinity in scripture. The church developed the doctrine of the Trinity to express the meaning of this and other passages in the New Testament that emphasize the unity of God, Jesus and the Spirit of God, or Holy Spirit. But some Christians have also seen that this passage from the gospel of John unites the disciples with God and Jesus. The idea that God and Jesus will make their "home" in those who are faithful is a powerful image of the presence of God, not only in the church but also in the heart or soul of each person of faith.

Grace and peace...Bob

Isaiah 43:18-21

The LORD says: "Look, I am doing something new, even now it is emerging, do you not see it? Yes, I am making a way in the desert and my people will sing my praises."

The prophet is looking forward to the conquest of Babylon by the Persians and the release of the Judeans held captive there, so that they can return home. This is the "new thing" that the LORD is doing. Making a way through the desert for the exiles to return to Judah should remind us of the Israelites being led through the wilderness from Egypt to the promised land. God is once again leading the chosen people and renewing the covenant with them. So, how can the people not sing God's praises?

What would it mean for us to trust that God is leading those with faith through the desert of our times to a time and place of greater promise? If we had this sense of God's presence, even in the midst of our difficulties, might we be filled with rejoicing?

Grace and peace...Bob