Luke 1:26-33

“The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus.’” vss. 30-31

So how was it that Mary had found favor with God? She was likely quite young, maybe even a teenager, but no one knows much about her. Our scriptures say nothing–only that she had found favor with God. Of course that hasn’t stopped the speculation. In the third century it was taught that she had been born to an elderly childless couple and had been conceived without sexual intercourse. Stories like that led to an emphasis on her lifelong purity, and it was taught that she had never sinned. Ultimately in 1854 Pope Pius IX issued a papal bull making her Immaculate Conception an infallible dogma–not only had she never committed personal sins, she was also born without original sin. It was taught and believed that in order for her to be the mother of Jesus, her record had to be impeccable. Obviously this teaching did a lot to elevate the status of Mary in the Church, and the December 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception has become a major holy day for Roman Catholics. Millions flock to her shrines all over the world–but others wonder. For them it isn’t important how pure Mary was–what impresses them is her obedience. We know God loves sinners, and if Jesus had a mother who was a sinner, well, what’s the big deal?

Thought for the Day: What are the qualities of a pure person?

Romans 16:25-27

“Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages, but is now disclosed,” vss. 25-26a

Paul must have breathed a sigh of relief as he completed his letter to the Romans. He’d laid everything on the line and believed that he had successfully revealed the essence of the gospel. He hadn’t invented anything new, but had simply told the old, old story in a way that made it accessible and applicable to all of God’s children, most especially the Gentiles. And now it’s our turn. His letter has been preserved in our scriptures, but it’s not always easy to understand. He used a style of interpretation and words that were familiar to the people of the first century, and sometimes his points can seem obscure to folks in our time. What a blessing it is to have teachers and pastors who can make Paul’s gospel come alive to their readers and listeners. Again, it’s not that they’re inventing anything new; it’s just the old, old story being retold in a manner that will touch our hearts and minds and bring peace to troubled hearts. In a few days, faithful folks all around the world will gather to hear that message and be reminded of God’s unconditional and incarnational love. It’ll be a mixed crowd, believers and agnostics together, all drawn by the momentum of the season to bow at the manger, and give glory and praise to God. 

Thought for the Day: What are people yearning to hear?

Luke 1:52-53

“He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.” vss. 52-53

The text of the Magnificat comes from Luke 1 and is the song sung by Mary when she was greeted by Elizabeth after being told by the angel that she was to bear a son. It’s regularly sung in churches all over the world during the Advent season as a part of the liturgy. People love to hear it sung as a solo–the melody is beautiful and quite naturally lifts our spirits. The lyrics however can be challenging for those living in lands where hunger and homelessness are on the increase, and where the rich and the powerful occupy the positions of power. Mary is convinced that the birth of her son will be the great reversal, that the lowly will be lifted up and the rich will be sent away empty. That’s what the poor have always expected from Jesus, and that’s why they were among the first to proclaim their faith in the Risen Christ. That expectation has gone for centuries without being fulfilled–there is incredible power connected with wealth, and the whole system favors the rich. What’s ironic is that the wealthy love the Magnificat too, and have somehow been able to ignore its obvious message. But the poor continue to hope–it just might be that one day Mary’s vision will become a reality!

Thought for the Day: When will the fortunes of the rich and poor be reversed?

Luke 1:46b-50

“Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” vss. 48b-49

It didn’t take long for Mary to receive an exalted position among believers in the early church. By the time Luke wrote his gospel, about 50 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection, there was already an anticipation that she was going to be remembered as a rock star of the Jesus Movement. In a few centuries she had become a favorite prayer partner for millions. Some believers even preferred offering their petitions to her, perhaps believing that they could get a more favorable response from the Mother of God than from her Son. Of course Protestants tried to shut-down the Mary connection as a kind of idolatry, even destroying the statues of her that remained in their churches after the Reformation. But Mary is resilient, representing for many  the feminine dimension of God, and her simple submission to the Holy Spirit has become a model of faithfulness for the whole Church. She reminds us every Christmas that each of us is called through the Spirit to give birth to Jesus in all we say and do. Sometimes we worry whether we’ve been born again, but what really counts is that Christ is born again in us. When we say with Mary, “Let it be with me according to your word,” the Spirit begins to change us from the inside out, and blessings abound!

Thought for the Day: Why is praying to Mary so natural for many?

2 Samuel 7:1-3

“Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’” vs. 3

As soon as David established himself as the king in Jerusalem he began to think of his next step on the road to glory and honor. He would build a temple for the Lord! And Nathan, his trusted advisor, gave him the answer he was looking for, “Go for it! The Lord is with you!” We can’t blame Nathan for his answer. He was only following a pattern that had been established long before and that is modeled by political advisors to this day. We see it happening in government again and again. Every president, governor, congressional leader, or mayor is surrounded by sycophants who maintain their positions by telling their bosses what they want to hear. Some even put a Christian spin on things and add things like, “I’ve prayed about this and the Lord told me you’re doing the right thing.” Sometimes we even get that feedback from our friends as we ponder important decisions. If they’ve listened well they’ll know what our desires are, and they’ll tell us to go for it. Sometimes they’ll even give their advice the God stamp of approval. What a blessing it is to have someone like Nathan around! When he realized that his words were misleading, he quickly changed course and set David straight. Blessed are those who tell us what we don’t want to hear!

Thought for the Day: Who will tell me what I don’t want to hear?

John 1:19-28

“This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’” vss, 19-20

The question of identity was important in the gospels. The priests and Levites asked John the Baptist, “Who are you?” Jesus later asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” In those days speculation about the Messiah was on every person’s mind. There were a couple of viable candidates, but which one was authentic? John or Jesus? The gospels make it clear that Jesus was the one hoped for, but that didn’t mean John was an imposter. He just had a different role–he was the one sent to prepare the way. We’ve pretty much got things squared away with Jesus and John–and have long ago accepted the testimony of scripture. But the question remains, “Who are we?” It’s not likely that we think of ourselves as the messiah–that kind of thinking can easily get us hospitalized. But we do wonder if we have some higher purpose. How is it that we’ve ended up in this place at this time? Could God have had anything to do with it? We can really drive ourselves crazy with this kind of thinking, and we might do well just to imitate John. We are called, but our role is more that of a loving, caring, self-sacrificing servant. Perhaps it would be wise to let Jesus be Jesus, and then be the best me that we can possibly be!

Thought for the Day: Who am I?

John 1:6-8

“There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.” vss. 6-7

As the gospel writers retold the stories about John the Baptist, they all refer to his baptismal ministry in the wilderness and his interaction with Herod, an encounter that eventually led to his death. But the gospel writer John also writes that the Baptizer was sent from God to be a witness who would testify to Jesus as the Light of the world. And that’s what he did. He was the first witness, but he was by no means the last. In fact the rapid growth of the Jesus movement was due entirely to hundreds and thousands of witnesses who testified to Jesus in both word and deed. It might seem to some that we’ve reached a point where witnesses are no longer needed. Sometimes it appears that everyone has heard the good news and knows that Jesus is the Light of the world. Now it’s certainly true that people know about Christmas, and would be able to say that it’s about the birth of the Jesus baby, but we can wonder how many have actually seen the Light. That’s a different story entirely, and it may be that there is still a need for witnesses, people who will actually share their faith stories, and testify to the joy they have in Jesus. And if we don’t tell those who have never heard, who will?

Thought for the Day: What is my testimony about Jesus?

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

“May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” vs. 23

This is a tough time of year for us to be worrying about being pure and blameless in the eyes of God. Temptations abound, and we are faced with an endless stretch of eating, drinking, and buying that is unparalleled at other times of the year. Some of us might even worry about falling out of God’s favor as indulgence invites us to engage in semi-riotous living. Paul knew better than to heap that burden on his friends. He knew that if it were all up to us, we wouldn’t stand a chance on the road to repentance. We’d fall off the wagon at the first hint of temptation! Paul told the folks in Thessalonica that he was praying for them, and that God would be in charge of change in their lives. And because what Paul wrote is true, any of us can become the person God has programmed us to be. Not because our own will, but because the Spirit of God is continually refurbishing our spirits and souls. So if God has planted an image of our better self in our minds, we shouldn’t be concerned, because as Paul wrote, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.” We don’t have to “prepare to meet our Maker.” That’s the Spirit’s job, and it’s being taken care of.

Thought for the Day: What does my “better self” look like?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-22

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” vss. 16-18

At first glance it appears that Paul is giving the Thessalonians a new set of impossible rules for their new life in Christ, that it would be their duty to rejoice, pray, and give thanks continually. That would be a grim set of directives indeed, a whole new series of things to feel guilty about at the end of the day. But that’s not what he has in mind. He’s simply describing what it’s like to be in Christ, that it’s a total transformation of our manner of living. And he’s right! No longer will an onslaught of tears rob us of joy, no longer will prayers be confined to a fixed time of day, and always we will find occasion to give thanks to God for the great privilege of life in this spectacular world. And we live this way, not because we’re following rules, but because the Holy Spirit has touched our spirits with serenity and incomprehensible peace. At this time of year, as we see the secular world joining our spiritual celebration, we are having a multitude of opportunities for exultant rejoicing, fervent prayers, and effusive thanksgiving. We can behave as though we haven’t a care in the world, because by God’s standards, we really don’t! We don’t even need that old Christmas movie to remind us that it really is a wonderful life!

Thought for the Day: How would I describe my wonderful life?

Psalm 126

“May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.” vss. 5-6

Most of us are well aware of the awful things that can happen in the course of a lifetime. We read about them in the papers, see the reports on the news, and hear the sad tales from our network of friends and acquaintances. We know all about dread diseases, sudden deaths, horrible accidents, and devastating break-ups, but for the most part we’ve figured out ways to insulate ourselves from the pain and sadness of it all. For years at a time we can go blithely on our respective ways, mostly carefree and happy, and then one day, it happens to us! And it’s awful! We imagine we’re the first ones ever to feel such pain– it’s overwhelming, and our laments know no bounds. Time stands still and sleep eludes us–friends try to console us but their words seem empty. It’s hard to imagine that we will ever feel joy again! It’s in that moment that people of faith make an astounding discovery. Out of the darkness comes a glimmer of light, and after crying our eyes out, we rediscover laughter. The psalmist was right. Those who sow in tears do reap with shouts of joy, and broken hearts are filled with hope. We emerge from the valley of the shadow of death with goodness and mercy as our companions and rediscover what it is to live and love.

Thought for the Day: How did I recover from my deepest pain?