Christ Like Us

Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect . . . 
 - Hebrews 2

Among the many noble titles ascribed to Jesus, two of my favorite are "The Son of Man," and "The Second Adam."

Where Adam was our one common ancestor: the single common denominator uniquely equipped to represent all of humanity and therefore bring death to our race through his disobedience, so likewise Christ had to be made in such a way that He could do the same.

He to be just like us. Same thoughts, same pains, same temptations. In fact, it is my own rather odd belief that Jesus was a DNA match of Adam. This is one of the reasons Mary was favored. It was why a single nation, or family, was chosen for the development of God's plan. It is why He came "in the fullness of time."

So for a number or reasons it's good that God planned it this way:

• Jesus knows what it's like to be human (the full experience, from the womb to the grave)
• He was Himself qualified and worthy to face the same tests as Adam and defeat sin and death

Perhaps that's why He waited until He was about 30 to begin his ministry. By the time you're 30 you're pretty well settled into your life: who you are, what you will do. You've had to manage a home, pay bills, deal with plenty of adversity, by then.

Perfect . . . 

Reflectionary XXIII

Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
 - Psalm 24

There was a theory that I remember reading about, that Gods could not exist without worshipers. If people ceased to recognize a God, he or she would just fade away into nonexistence. This was, I believe, a classic explanation for what happened to the gods of Greek and Roman mythology.

Now, keeping in mind that the One True God came first (the reverse of the theory above; that is, we disappear when He stops thinking about us), I have to allow that there is some element of truth in the idea. Maybe we do create our own higher beings. They become so real to us that they become . . . well . . . real.

It's all about the untapped power of the human mind; and unknowable force that we can engage, that brings to life our imagination. It can work magic, do wonders, make miracles. It is very easy to dupe humans.

What if we focused that power and energy on the Son of God? If the world stood in perfect unity, looked up, and lifted up the gates of our hearts to Christ; If humanity became accepting of Christ, and prayed Him back to earth to make things right . . . what would happen? Could even God's timetable be changed? (In theory).

The phrase from Psalm 24 looks like a promise: "If this, then that." 

Look up, open the gate . . . and the King will come.

Reflectionary XXII

For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room...
 - Psalm 84:9

A friend of mine quibbles over one distinct detail about the timing of God's Plan for the Ages. He frets that Christ did not return during the First Century. He asserts that Christ, and all the New Testament writers, promised the faithful that Christ would return in their lifetime.

And since Christ didn't return then, my friend finds the Bible guilty of one conclusive error that has thrown the whole thing in doubt for him. 

To have faith means that there are some things we do not, can not, understand. How does a finite, mortal being grasp an eternal concept?

Scripture is full of God's people being required to wait, sometimes for years, even decades, before God would make His next move. Think about Abraham, already an old man, being told one day that his descendants would number as the stars. And then God disappears and goes silent for fifteen years.

Or how about Moses, wandering about for forty years, making no discernible progress towards God's plan for his life.

Joseph sat in a prison for years.

Jacob waited fourteen years to be married to his true love.

John the Revelator spent probably decades alone on an island, expecting Christ to return any second. He never did.

Now consider Adam. God said "On the day you eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, you will die." But of course, he didn't die that day. 

We've all heard the phrase, usually in movies about organized crime: "You're a dead man." Usually this is said to a living person. But we know what is meant. It means your as good as dead. And so it was with Adam. On that day, he became mortal. He began to die.

So the same thinking needs to be applied throughout scripture. When God says something; when he prophesies something; when He promises something, it is as good as done. In reality, it has already been done in eternity. And this is the essence of faith.

When you realize that a day with God is like thousand of our days, then we have begun to get the meaning of God's promises. You cannot be a mortal and attempt to reason out immortal concepts. Just have faith. Believing is seeing.

Reflectionay XXI

For he is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap; he will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the LORD in righteousness.

This classic text from Malachi looks ahead to Christ's appearance in the Temple, both as a boy of about 12, and years later when he overturned vendors carts in the Temple courtyard. Levi is mentioned - the priestly tribe of Israel. Since we (members of the Church) are called "Priests", then surely it refers to us, the descendants of Levi.

Our role is to be priests in our communities. Think about that. What was the role of the priests? Well, they prayed for the community. In fact they spent a lot of time in prayer, maybe hours a day. They served others. They ensured that the Law was being followed (are we looking after widows, orphans, and aliens? Are we keeping ourselves morally pure?)

God knew that someone has to take on this role. We need a few people to be focused on caring for the congregation, as a full-time avocation. But what if we all accepted that charge?

The text talks about purifying us. Priests (we) must be spotless, or we must become so!

And it ends with a mention of presenting offerings. God wants those bringing forth offerings to Him, through the Temple, to be pure. We are missing out if there are blemishes on our moral spirit. The offering is not readily accepted by the Lord. Our blessing may be hindered.

We need to take it all very seriously. But at the same time, be very thankful to the God that is working so diligently on us!

Reflectionary XX

Even now he lifts up my head above my enemies round about me.

From Psalm 27, we have this interesting statement interspersed in a bunch of declarations about how God is watching over us.

We all know that God certainly does not protect us from all temporal harm. Martyrs are made into saints! We should want misfortune to befall us!

Consider a scenario where you are surrounded by your enemies. If you're bring really honest and open, you might even admit that you are, indeed, always, surrounded by your enemies. 

The Psalmist says that when we are in the midst of certain danger: at the gallows, the electric chair, at the edge of a cliff, in a burning building, being taunted on the job, publicly, or on the Web, or in whatever circumstance we may find ourselves, subject to the whims of someone with greater numbers, or more power, than us, that God God lifts our head up.

He keeps us strong. If we are martyred for the faith, our head, or spirit, is lifted up, and God's kingdom grows. 

It's not about temporal safety, which doesn't matter in the long run. God really does protect is. Just wait.

Reflectionary XIX

"...but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations."

I'm sorry, but I just can't help myself. This famous passage of Isaiah 9 is almost always quoted from the words "The people that have been in darkness have seen a great light . . ." It has a lot of relevance to the Christmas season. And it's placement early in the Lectionary year strikes me as a Christmas "afterglow." Very nice.

But today the words above leaped out at me. I am drawn to the prophetic implications, that the prophet is describing a favored country in the latter times (the days prior to the Return of Christ and the End of Time). He talks about the way of the sea; that is, there is land that is reached only by way of the sea; and that this land will be great and prosperous in the end-times. 

Now, this could have been England. From Judea the only way to get to the British Isles, is by making some crossing over water. But any other great country in the world can be found by crossing the land. China, Russia, Persia, Arabia, Egypt, the parts of Africa . . . all of these nations are reachable by land, from Judea.

So by now you're thinking what I am. it must be describing the New World, or possibly Australia. 

The US stood alone at the end of the Second Millennium, as the one sole Great World Power. 

Granted, things are taking a turn in our times. Keep reading. Keep praying . . . 

Reflectionary XVIII

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

In John 1, we read this account of John the Baptist, and his testimony that Jesus is the "Lamb of God."

This declaration is noteworthy because it is one of the earliest accounts of Christ being introduced to the world, along with some description of His purpose.

Why did John, Jesus' cousin, (and the one that presided over the first public act of Jesus' ministry), when the time came to proclaim who Christ is, call Him "the Lamb of God"? Why not "King of Kings?" or "Son of God"?

I don't want to go over concepts that are already more than familiar to the reader. We know about lambs and sheep. We understand the significance in Hebrew culture. Go to maybe ten services in a row, at the same church, and you are almost certain to hear some reference to the Lamb of God, and of it's profound meaning.

My point today is that, as we move our study into the earliest time of Christ's ministry, let us be reminded that the title"Lamb of God" is a critical thing to keep at the front of our thoughts. When you look at Christ, don't ever stop seeing, along with the image of a lion, of a king, a healer, and a counselor, the image of a lamb. 

John was saying: "Here is Jesus. He will be slaughtered like a lamb is sacrificed in our temple. He will be brutally and bloodily executed. But the result will be the removal of all of our sins. Yes - - - that means that we will then be made eligible to live forever."

Always remember . . . 

Reflectionary XVII

I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity.

So often, we skip over little nuggets of truth in Scripture, especially when they are nestled adjacent to more famous passages. Take this line from Isaiah 49 (above).

We can all relate to this.

I have been musing about people that attend church for a while; even becoming quite active. Sometimes they lead great programs or missions. They contribute lots of money. They serve in powerful ways. They lead the congregation in prayer. They guest preach. Maybe they even become full-time ministers.

But then, you look around years later, and they're gone - gone from Church, that is. On Sunday mornings they have drifted back into the comfortable pattern of the morning paper and news programs.

Why?

What would the size of the Church be, if people would just stay?

I attend a medium-sized, and growing, church. But when I think about the people that were regulars fifteen years ago (when I began), I notice that only a fraction of the present attendance is composed of those same people. And most of them have not moved away. They just stopped coming to church.

I think a big part of the reason, is that they are feeling what Isaiah was referring to in this passage. Isaiah 49 itself is about God working his plan for the ages, through Isaiah, through each one of us. We all have a sacred mission, a calling, and it is one that builds the Kingdom.

I can say that the work that I do, what I believe is my "calling", has been all for naught, for twenty or thirty years now. My activity level increases, it builds in momentum and intensity. My focus is much greater now than it was five years ago, or five months ago (ask me if you want specifics on my calling).

But the vision, which is so clear to me; is utterly out of reach of the people that need to embrace it, if it is to become sustainable and relevant to building the Kingdom.

I feel like I have labored in vain. I feel like my strength has been spent for nothing; and for vanity - just to make me feel important. And this conclusion is affirmed all the time, by people around me.

But if I read these words of Isaiah, and realize that one of the greatest prophets in history had the same frustrations as me, then I can be encouraged.

Words of doubt and defeat are turned into a call to arms.

Reflectionary XVI

This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.

This is where I introduce a crazy idea.

The birth and baptism of Jesus are two crucial events, that form part of a single narrative. It is God's Second Essential Act of Creation.

The first was when He created the Heavens and the Earth, in the first place. He created humanity, and pronounced it "Good."

Now - - - these "good" creatures were "good" because they had something very desirable: the ability to choose. They could become noble creatures with their own will. That's the root of everything. But "good" is not the same as "perfect." A "good" thing is not the same as a "holy" thing.

Maybe "good" in this sense is the same as "This is good fishing weather!" 

Favorable. On target. On time. Just right for it's purpose.

It also is not the same as being "pleased." Imagine someone, after a long, painful illness, finally succumbing to death. Her loved ones might mutter "good." But this does not mean we're happy about it. It does not mean we're pleased (pleased, and pleasure are from the same root).

"Good" can mean a lot of different things.

But in the fullness of time, Mary came along, and she was just right to become the mother of the Messiah. I believe that it took a lot of tinkering around the edges, of directing history, without violating too much, man's intense will to do whatever he wants. God finally had the woman, and the circumstances, so that he could introduce the male function of procreation, in a non-sexual way, and produce a son for Mary, that would be in every way the DNA equal to The First Adam (this is the crazy idea).

Christ needed to be in every way identical to Adam. If you saw the face of Christ, you saw the face of Adam. And now - - - the difference is that Jesus would be obedient, where Adam wasn't.

All of the preliminaries are over, and it's time for the Son of Man to go out, and express a humble, obedient spirit. The first such act was to accept the baptism of John. And when He did so, something finally happened, in God's plan, with which He was "pleased."

Read on . . .

Reflectionary XV

...he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed.

As Peter indicated in Acts 10 (above), immediately after Christ's baptism, he began His ministry. The first phase involved a demonstration of His legitimacy. If God is Love, and God is the Creator; If He holds all things in His hands, then His Son would have to demonstrate His mastery over nature. As humans we worry about ourselves most of all (this is why we are such good complainers), and so Jesus struck a blow right at the focus of our thoughts: ourselves, and our ills.

Notice that He didn't begin with the brutal scene at the Cross. He didn't start by commanding the weather, or walking on water. His first act wasn't to raise Lazarus. He didn't even begin with the Sermon on the Mount. He began by doing "good" things: helping others, healing the sick.

This is what it took to establish His authority, to get the attention of the masses, and to gain some traction in building the Kingdom.

Imagine the good things He did. Perhaps He:

* Helped gardeners plant, water, weed, winnow, sow
* Helped an animal stuck in some briars
* Took an old person out for a walk
* Hung out with the children of a widow
* Helped out servants, so they could take an early break
* And then, He got around to healing people:
 - Broken arms fixed
 - Fevers reduced
 - Rashes removed
 - Coughs relieved
 - Sight and hearing restored
 - ADHD removed
 - Alcoholism and drug abuse defeated
 - Cancer stopped
 - Hunger addressed
 - Ignorance reversed
 - Thirst quenched
 - Hate melted

The first thing Christ did, is the easiest for us to match.

Go out. Go about. Do good. Help people.

Reflectionary XIV

The LORD sits enthroned above the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as King for evermore.

In this week's lectionary, we read of the baptism of Christ.

Psalm 10, referenced above, is mostly about "The Voice of the Lord." Nature is moved by, creation bends to his voice.

The same voice that said "Let there be light," is the same that said "This is my Beloved Son, in Whom I am well-pleased." In Genesis: "It was good." In the Gospels: "I am pleased."

God's first act of creation was Good. It was satisfactory. It was up to specifications. The plan was proceeding. But "good" does not mean that God was "pleased" . . . yet.

The New Testament is God's second major act of creation. Using His mastery of nature and of human history, He directed events until His Son could be born. Now as a grown man, Jesus first steps out, The Second Adam, in every way like Adam our original father. Now as the First Adam could represent all of humanity, so too could the Second Adam. And in Jesus' first action as an adult, his decisions and movements are pleasing to God, His Father, and ours.

Adam was good, but did not please our Father.

And the baptism scene itself reminds us that God was working above the water, even as he stirred up the oceans when the earth was first created. Water is an important element of these two major creative acts of God. It's interesting that God launches each testament, via water.

Reflectionary XIII

He will not grow faint or be crushed until he has established justice in the earth . . . 

Yesterday I posed the question, "Now what?" in response to the Christmas season having just ended.

From Isaiah 42 we read these immensely satisfying words of hope for all generations.

Now, realizing that Christ now occupies Eternity, (a place or concept far beyond our our limited time-based reality), we sit and contemplate the meaning of "He will not grow faint . . . until . . . "

Imagine Jesus and His Father, for now over two thousand years, working unceasingly to end injustice.

God cursed His creation, because we were disobedient. But behind all that, is this idea that there is injustice. The just sentence to all of us, is that we must die, because we are sinners. But when we go about judging one another: hurting, abusing, using other humans, and all of creation - that's injustice. 

It's the injustice that Christ will end. And we are so messed up that it takes millennia to finish the job.

When Christ grew up to manhood, He went out and got baptized by John. Immediately thereafter, he commenced His epic work: to establish justice in the earth. 

It's still a work-in-progress, and Jesus has not rested yet.

Reflectionary XII

"Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews?"

What now?

The urgency with which we transition from Christmas to Post-Christmas speaks volumes.

Before Christmas, we were probably in a daily routine that did not involve us being reminded of the King of Kings, almost moment by moment. The Christmas Season gives us leave to think about Jesus, or, I mean . . . "The Baby Jesus," and to even say that name, openly, publicly, to others.

I remember being around a friend of mine, years ago, and her toddler daughter. This friend fancied herself a Christian, but engaged in a lifestyle that did not elevate self-control and Christ-likeness. She was showing a creche to her daughter, and said: "And there's a donkey, and a lamb, and a shepherd, and three wise men. And there's Mary, and Joseph . . . and THERE's . . . ummm . . . The Baby!"

Interesting - - - she couldn't even mouth the word "Jesus", to her four-year old child!

Now, in the case of this woman, like so many of us, the word "Jesus" would fly out of her mouth quite readily, when she's angry, frustrated, or drunk.

But even if we get around to some semblance of holiness, during the month December, it can be attributed to Society's general "feel-good" attitude in the air that time of year. 

But what now . . when all those reminders are gone?

Let's get back to normal, so that I can figure out ways to ignore Jesus, the adult Jesus, and what his life meant.

These three wise men . . . from decidedly non-Christian, non-Jewish roots, came near the star over Bethlehem, and said "Where is the child . . . ?"

So perhaps that is our best response. Start the year off be asking: "Where is Jesus?" Whether you believe in Him or not, if you're at all interested in any kind of response to the Christmas season, and how it should impact the year 2014 for you, why not start there?

Where is the child?

Reflectionary XI

May (God) give you the spirit to find wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, brightening the eyes of your heart to let you see what His calling means, what hopes it contains, what a wealth of glory He means to distribute among the holy ones, and what an overwhelming power He exerts on us believers by activating the controlling force of His might.

From Ephesians 1, The Unvarnished New Testament

What an excellent prayer for the start of the year, on this, the 10th Day of Christmas!

It is hard to add to this.

What if we kept a growing list of friends and loved ones, and each day added a name to it. And for each of those days, said this same prayer for each of them? By the end of the year, we would have 365 names of people that we care enough about, to pray for.

And what could be more important than praying that your loved ones have the following:

* A spirit to find wisdom
* A spirit to find revelation
* To find wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of, or knowing, God
* To have the eyes of your heart brightened
* To understand what it means to be called by God
* To feel the hope contained in God's calling
* To be convinced of the glory we will experience
* To be known as a "holy one"
* To feel God's power
* To be controlled by God - - - the One that makes all of this happen

This prayer is better than a prayer for healing, or health. It's better than a prayer for a job, or income.

It's better than a prayer that people stay out of trouble, or that they make wise decisions, or that they avoid accidents.

It's better than a prayer that we are provided "traveling mercies".

It's better than a prayer that God bless "this food and the hands that prepared it."

A person with these special gifts from God has everything they need. All that other stuff will fall into place.

And so . . . this is my prayer for a growing list of friends, family, and loved ones, in 2014.

Reflectionary X

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will praise thee evermore.

   Psalm 84 (Septuagint)

I love how the Christmas narrative introduces this idea of dwelling with God, living in His house.

Imagine a sleepover at God's.

Whatever you want to do, or play, He will do with you. Before you even realize that you want some hot chocolate, He begins making it. He has set aside your two or three favorite DVDs, without even asking you what they are. He fixed up a little pallet for you on the floor, just the way you like it, for movie watching, or even to sleep in.

But you are not planning to sleep on the floor. He's got this room in the back, with a large king-size bed, for guests.

When you wake up in the morning, you can already smell the bacon, eggs, gravy, biscuits and coffee. You don't plan to drink any coffee, but it smells good.

You notice that God always has this gentle smile on His face. He doesn't wise-crack with you. When you arrive, He says "I'm so glad you're here!" Most of the time, He does not initiate any conversations. He waits for you to speak, and when you do, He smiles in agreement. You can't say anything that makes Him look troubled, or worried. These are emotions that you don't think He has.

But come to think about it, when you're around God, you never think to even talk about stuff that isn't positive. He doesn't make a point to correct you, but in His presence you never say or do anything that He would correct anyway.

God has a friendly, playful dog, maybe a Shelty, that you love.

When you go outside, it's always sunny, and about 78 degrees. Unless you love skating on God's frozen pond, in which case it's 21 degrees and sunny. If you forgot to bring all of your winter gear, God has lots of spare stuff.

And then one day, years later, you're reading Galatians 5, and notice that God perfectly models the "fruit of the Spirit": love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. 

The boy-king-Savior Jesus makes it possible to dwell in God's house. We recognize it the moment we enter, for it is the perfect embodiment of every good memory from our past. 

Merry Christmas

Reflectionay IX

Happy New Year!

Here is the first post in our year-long study of the common Lectionary, Year A. Beginning at the Beginning.

Most days, we will take something from the readings for that particular week.

Today is the 8th Day of Christmas.

From Jeremiah 31:11 (using Septuagint language):

For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, he has rescued him out of the hand of them that were stronger than he.

The birth of Christ, The Redeemer, the Ransomer, is now a done deal. The Lord (God), has ransomed (saved) Jacob (God's people - all those that trust in Him) out of the hand of them (a plural number) that were stronger than he (anybody giving you trouble).

It's over. It is done. Christ is born, which pretty much settles it. Or, in God's timetable, it is as good as settled.

God speaks a thing, and it's as good as done. We humans pay attention to time. If it doesn't happen right away, or make the expected difference, soon enough, we get worried, impatient, doubtful.

But once God entered time, by way of His Son, Jesus, we are certain that our redeemer, our savior, is here, and all will be well.

But I love the promise that we are saved from people stronger than us:

* Bullies
* Bosses
* Wealthy people
* Physically strong people
* People with unique talents
* Popular people
* People from functional families
* Smart people
* Hard workers
* Healthy people
* Corporations
* Unions
* Doctors
* Politicians

Doesn't the list, of people that take advantage over us, just go on and on?

In 2014, keep this in mind. Those people giving you trouble . . . God will take care of them. Or He has already taken care of them. You may not see it yet, because you think in terms of time, as a straight line with a beginning and end. In God's realm, there is no Time. It's only eternal Now.

It's done. You'll see.