Have we lost Jesus?

Just like his parents lost him when he was aged 12, sometimes I wonder if we in the churches have lost Jesus. He told his parents who had frantically searched for him for days, didn't you know that I had to be in my Father’s (Luke 2:41-52)? The last word in the sentence is left out in Greek. It could be mean either house or business as different translations render it. When the church wanders off track engaged in affairs of this world, chasing trivial material or political pursuits of mere mortals, making the house of God into a market place, doing anything other than God’s business, Jesus will still be doing his Father’s business. If we have lost Jesus, it is important for us to stop what we’re doing and get back on track. What is Jesus doing?

Lost family members

Legal immigration to the United States cost me about fifteen hundred dollars with trips half way across the country and paperwork like a doctoral dissertation. How does it feel for those that we separate from their families because of unfair immigration laws?

We were in a large department store in a strange land enjoying time as family when suddenly we realized that a child was missing. Panic! Where was he? We searched all over when unexpectedly an announcement came over the loudspeaker that a little boy in blue jeans, cowboy boots and a red western shirt had lost his parents. We went up to the appropriate floor where he was in the good hands of a customer service agent.

Can you imagine how it must have been for Jesus’ parents after he had gone missing for days (Luke 2:41-52)?

Finding Jesus

Germany in the 1980’s was an innocent society. We were there on church assignment. Village life was idyllic and peaceful, without crime, no school shootings and no gangs. We used to send our pre-teen son down the street for groceries. We felt perfectly safe. Perhaps that was a similar feeling in the society in which Joseph and Mary lived as they traveled up to Jerusalem for Passover season. Perhaps that’s why they were not so concerned at first about Jesus’ safety as we might be, thinking that he may be among relatives. Still, they must have gotten just a little frantic until they found him in the Temple, talking things over with the same group of people who would later falsely accuse him and demand his death (Luke 2:41-52). Who was this boy, interested in theology at age 12?

Advent’s message: fire

Among the many messages of John the Baptist as he prepared the way for Christ’s ministry was that people would be baptized by fire (Luke 3:7-18). The baptism by fire in Acts 2:1-4 is one interpretation of this passage. This is a problem for Baptists who believe that baptism must be a literal immersion, but this baptism by fire was only on people’s heads. That being said, Luke’s context reveals another side to the baptism of fire. The chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire. Hell is pictured by many metaphors, outer darkness, blackness, eternal separation from God and fire. One picture is that those whose names are not written into the book of life will be cast into a lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). This is a baptism of fire that nobody wants in their future.

Advent’s message: share

Among the many messages of Advent and the Christmas season surely none can create a more joyful experience than to share. In Luke 3:7-18 John the Baptist encouraged a crowd of people to donate extra clothing. Many Christians follow John’s instructions today. The Volunteer Guide reports that in America 3.5 million homeless people need clothing, more than a third of them are children. Donating clothing helps the environment by extending their life. Many charities actually do not follow the spirit of John’s instruction. Rather than give clothing away, according to ABC News many actually resell about 10% of clothes in thrift stores and 90% to clothing manufacturers for recycling. For the Christian who wants to do more than support another charity scam, find one that actually gives to the poor without cost or give personally to the needy.

Extortion and a just price

Thomas Aquinas

In Luke 3:7-18 John instructed a group of tax collectors and soldiers not to engage in extortion of money. Today, extortion is more commonly found in the price of goods and services. The question of what is a just price was proposed by early church theologians like Thomas Aquinas to combat usury, apply the Golden Rule and create fair standards in the marketplace. The argument is that an unjust price is a kind of fraud. For example, when retailers raise building material prices to profit from a disaster, that is extortion. When bankers charge poor people higher interest rates than wealthy people that is unjust. When manufacturers manipulate international politics so as to profit up to 1800 percent from wars that is legalized racketeering.* Charging a just price and treating everyone fairly is the goal of every sincere Christian.

* Butler, Smedley. Major General, USMC. War is a Racket. Speech. 1933

Repentance old and new

The Greek word for repentance means a change of heart. The Hebrew word shub means to turn back, but the Greek meaning focuses on the mind, not mere outward actions. It highlights a major difference between the Old and New Covenants. The Greek word comes from meta meaning after and nous meaning thought, so any definition involving actions alone is not sufficient. That being said, a change of heart is only genuinely proven by relevant outward fruits (Luke 3:7-18). The end result is the same even if the way we get there is now new. The problem with an outward repentance is that we can start in the wrong place. A change of actions can be from a wrong heart. Without a change of thinking in relation to sin, we have mere outward conformity and not real lasting change.

Advent’s message: snakes

I have often lamented that pastors are paid by those to whom they preach. It can be blackmail. “Don’t you dare preach against my political parties’ sins, just the other guys.” “Don’t you dare tread on my toes, just the lady across the room. She needs to hear it.” Eventually, if pastors are browbeaten enough, it’s either time to move on or the congregation gets over it and grows. We never will agree on everything, but we must love each other anyway. Loving our neighbors includes our pastors, even disagreeing lovingly. If we are offended by our pastors sometimes, imagine having John the Baptist or Jesus as our local pastor. Jesus told Peter get behind me Satan and John told one of his audiences, “You brood of snakes, who told you to flee from God’s coming wrath?” (Luke 3:7-18)*

* Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Advent’s message: repentance

When we think of fruits of repentance what comes to mind? Some churches speak about dancing, alcohol and card-playing none of which are explicitly forbidden by the Apostles and one of which Jesus even engaged in on occasion. In Luke 3:7-18 John the Baptist gave some examples which would show genuine repentance. Specifically, he mentioned donations of clothing and food to the less fortunate, not taking advantage of unjust government regulations for personal gain, not extorting money or being a false accuser. When I think of the trite rules that men make up as examples of godly principles, they are often easy outward forms, looking good externally without really needing to change our hearts. Biblical examples of what repentance looks like usually involve something deeper than a silly rule. Those examples of repentance involve real change from the heart.

Advent’s message: Nicholas

Who is the most popular Christian outside of the Bible? We may think of famous theologians or reformers but the most popular is Nicholas of Myra, who was loved by many in his time and those who read his story today. The fiction surrounding him has grown to the point that he is the second most important Christmas character after Jesus. Why is he so popular? Though he was very wealthy, he spent his life giving it away and touched the lives of thousands. He saved many from financial ruin, helped out in disasters, defended people in court from false charges, provided food during famines, saved children from slavery, travelers from murder and prayed and saved sailors from shipwreck. The real Saint Nicholas is loved because he made crooked roads straight and rough ways smooth (Luke 3:1-6). Shall we?