"He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
Here, Jesus, in beginning His public ministry, uses yesterday's passage from Isaiah as a mission statement, declaring His purpose. And He really makes it sound appealing, doesn't He? I mean who among us would not be on board with Jesus' social justice plan? And yet, just a few verses later, everyone who heard this was prepared to throw him off a cliff! Why? Because Jesus' plan wasn't going to happen the way they wanted. It seems that they wanted to be the recipients of all the "good news" the freedom, the release from oppression, but they wanted to be able to choose others to be the sufferers of the poverty, the imprisonment, and the opression.
Let us be careful not to order Jesus around. I can't tell you how many times I've prayed for something and then told God excatly how He could make it happen for me. How arrogant. "God's ways are not our ways, and His plans are not our plans."
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Day 18-Isaiah 61:1-3
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."
I won't spend a great deal of time on this passage today, other than to say that it indicates something of the qualities and the mission of the Messiah who would come. What I will draw our attention to today is verse 6 of this same chapter:
"And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God." In God's new economy, in the new reality that Jesus came to establish, we, the participants in that economy, will be priests and ministers. Is that how we think of ourselves? Do we take seriously enough the fact that we have been given a great gift, that we know the One who will bring comfort to mourners, praise to those who despair, and who can repair the brokenhearted?
What are we doing with that gift each day? Let's use today as a reminder that we are ministers of God's grace through Christ, and we have a mighty responsibility.
I won't spend a great deal of time on this passage today, other than to say that it indicates something of the qualities and the mission of the Messiah who would come. What I will draw our attention to today is verse 6 of this same chapter:
"And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God." In God's new economy, in the new reality that Jesus came to establish, we, the participants in that economy, will be priests and ministers. Is that how we think of ourselves? Do we take seriously enough the fact that we have been given a great gift, that we know the One who will bring comfort to mourners, praise to those who despair, and who can repair the brokenhearted?
What are we doing with that gift each day? Let's use today as a reminder that we are ministers of God's grace through Christ, and we have a mighty responsibility.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Day 17-Matthew 2
"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."
Just as prophecied (see Day 16's passage), kings indeed worshipped Jesus, even from birth. And why? For no other reason than the fact that God is faithful to fulfil His promises. They didn't wait for Jesus to do something for them. They didn't even wait for Him to crawl, or walk, or speak wise words, or be crowned. They worshipped Him just becauase He was. The great I Am came, as promised, and that alone is reason to offer Him all that is precious to us.
Let's praise Him for who He is, and not be dependent on what we think He should do.
Just as prophecied (see Day 16's passage), kings indeed worshipped Jesus, even from birth. And why? For no other reason than the fact that God is faithful to fulfil His promises. They didn't wait for Jesus to do something for them. They didn't even wait for Him to crawl, or walk, or speak wise words, or be crowned. They worshipped Him just becauase He was. The great I Am came, as promised, and that alone is reason to offer Him all that is precious to us.
Let's praise Him for who He is, and not be dependent on what we think He should do.
Day 16-Psalm 72:8-14
"He will rule from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth. The desert tribes will bow before him and his enemies will lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores will bring tribute to him; the kings of Sheba and Seba will present him gifts. All kings will bow down to him and all nations will serve him. For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight."
This prophecy is clearly a reference to the Messiah. In verse 5, Solomon, the author, mentions that this king in question will endure for all generations, so he must be more than human. What is interesting to me is that all kings will bow down to this king, the Messiah. We see this when the wise men bring gifts to Jesus. And certianly the bbile indicates that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. But why will they bow to Him? Because He soundly defeated His enemies? Because He establishes a flourishing economy? This passage tells us that He will be worshipped because He will deliver the needy, the afflicted, and the weak.
If they are precious to Him, what are we doing today to rescue them from oppression and violence?
This prophecy is clearly a reference to the Messiah. In verse 5, Solomon, the author, mentions that this king in question will endure for all generations, so he must be more than human. What is interesting to me is that all kings will bow down to this king, the Messiah. We see this when the wise men bring gifts to Jesus. And certianly the bbile indicates that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. But why will they bow to Him? Because He soundly defeated His enemies? Because He establishes a flourishing economy? This passage tells us that He will be worshipped because He will deliver the needy, the afflicted, and the weak.
If they are precious to Him, what are we doing today to rescue them from oppression and violence?
Day 15-Luke 1:45
"Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"
The gospel of Luke tells of two births, one of John the Baptist and one of Jesus. As we contrast the two stories, we see that Zechariah is given a message from an angel, and he doesn't believe. But Mary is given a message, and she does believe.
It seems to me that her faith may well have been the only qualification she had to be the mother of Christ. And isn't that all He asks of us? To simply embrace His will for us, to trust that He is who He says He is. It didn't make any more sense to Mary than it does to us, but her only response is obedience. God wants to use us to glorify Himself, and the only qualification we must have is willingness to be used.
The gospel of Luke tells of two births, one of John the Baptist and one of Jesus. As we contrast the two stories, we see that Zechariah is given a message from an angel, and he doesn't believe. But Mary is given a message, and she does believe.
It seems to me that her faith may well have been the only qualification she had to be the mother of Christ. And isn't that all He asks of us? To simply embrace His will for us, to trust that He is who He says He is. It didn't make any more sense to Mary than it does to us, but her only response is obedience. God wants to use us to glorify Himself, and the only qualification we must have is willingness to be used.
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