Jesus

Why Would a Wise Guy Steal the Wise Men?

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I have a confession to make. I know many of you will be shocked by this, but I am a thief. Every year around this time, I go around my house and take all the Wise Men. I also take them from church if I see them and they can be removed. You might be thinking, “How can you do this? Steve, why would you do such a thing?” Well, let me tell you it is something I have done for the last 25 years and it has a purpose.

Many people don’t know or don’t remember that at the Nativity the Wise Men weren’t there that night. In fact, they did not arrive until Jesus was at least a year old. (Matthew 2:1-12) The only people who visited the young couple that night were the shepherds – the lowly people who were outside of town in the fields, watching their sheep. The Magi were important, but they didn’t come until later. So why steal them?

Well, I actually don’t steal them. I just move them. I move them around my house or around the church. I do it for two reasons.  First, I want it to be more biblically accurate. Too often I think Christians may not fully know the story of Jesus. We take it for granted and teach our kids the wrong story. This can be a challenge for kids as they grow up, when they think they were lied to or tricked. Second and more importantly, the Wise Men came during Epiphany. The story of the Wise Men is about a group of people outside the promise of Abraham receiving the promise of Jesus. It is a story worth telling. We celebrate it in the Church 12 days after Christmas. So this year if you come to church and find the Wise Men missing, just know that I or someone else may be trying to teach a lesson.

(P.S. – This year at church, I convinced the pastors that I should be able to move the outside Wise Men around the campus before Epiphany. So if you are around St. John, drive by and see if you can find them. They will travel during all of Advent and make their way to the house on Epiphany.)

Anticipation…from dread to hope!

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Anticipation is something we deal with on a daily basis these days.  It used to be with excited anticipation, but recently I think much of our anticipation is dread.  We are sitting and waiting for something to go wrong.  The anticipation of today is not what I enjoy.  It has been a tough season of anticipation.

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This January when I went to Israel I bought this Bethlehem wood sculpture. It is one my favorite things I bought there.  I bought a lot of things for teaching students and families. I got coins, prayer shawls, pictures, and a rams horn, all so I could teach about Jesus to others. This item however was for me.  It was supposed to be a reminder of what Jesus did for me from beginning to end.

I spent way too much on this item and if my wife knew how much it was she would have told me no.  Well maybe not, but she probably would have shook her head.  I couldn’t resist it though.  For me this little item has been a great reminder for holy week and our struggles with anticipation.  Here is what I see.  I see the baby Jesus with Mary and Joseph and  I see the cross.  From the very beginning of all the eager anticipation of the coming of Jesus it was all meant for the cross.

Today many of us are waiting in anticipation.  We are waiting for new numbers of people infected, or if a loved one is sick, or if someone in my family will pass away.  Our Anticipation is something we deal with on a daily basis.  It is certainly not the anticipation of joy we are used to.  And yet I imagine the Angles in heaven, from the time he was born looking on with baited breath in anticipation of when it all would happen.  When would God redeem his people and the whole world.  I imagine they looked on in wonder, or maybe sadness and fear as it all played out.  Even when God sent Jesus to the cross maybe they didn’t even fully understand everything that was going on.  Fear may have  even enveloped them as it did for His disciples.  Maybe fear is enveloping you in these days of anticipation.

For this week I would ask you to turn off your TV and focus on something else.  Focus on the cross.  The cross was where our place was taken and as we enter these days ahead we will make it to the empty tomb.  All of this Anticipation went from dread to hope.   Maybe today as we get closer to the cross, His death and Resurrection you can look on with anticipation of the hope we have in Jesus and throw off the dread that so easily takes hold.

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Romans 8:18-25 ESV

Reading the Gospels in Lent…Compassion and Hope.

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So I have made it a couple of days through my reading of the Gospels.  I will be honest I have never been very good and being consistent with reading the scripture on a daily basis.  So as I keep reading I pray God will continue to speak in these words to you and me. If you would like to journey by reading in this way don’t be afraid to start up.

If she could only touch his garment.  Those words from Matthew 9:21-22 touched me this week.

Matthew 9:21-22 English Standard Version (ESV)
21 for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” 22 Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.

This story has always been one that gets to me.  Here is a women who has no hope in anything but Jesus. As a women who bleeds she couldn’t go to the temple or be with God.  She would have been an outcast in her community. She would have been an outcast and no one would have had any compassion on Her. All she had left was Jesus.  In her head she says those words.  If only I could touch him.  Then I will be healed. Then I will be made well

I had two questions for us this week.  Do you and I long for Jesus in this way?  Do you and I think if I could just get to Jesus then my life might be different.  I know for myself I try to fix it all on my own most of the time. I trust I can fix everything but when things get out of hand and things get beyond my skills and abilities I don’t always do this.  I want to be someone to thinks, if I could only get to Jesus!

The second question to ponder this week is are you alone.  Do you feel like no one has any compassion on your or care that you are here.  Where are you on your journey?  Are you at the point in your life where you just need Jesus.  Are you at the point in your life where you feel you are an outcast or lost and it seems no one sees you are can help?

If you are in this place come to my friend Jesus.  He has compassion on you and He can make you well.

As we read more over the coming weeks I pray we all see Jesus bring us who are outcasts and lost closer to Jesus.  My prayer for all of you this week is that you will get to touch Jesus who has compassion on you.

  Matthew 9:36 English Standard Version (ESV)
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.