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Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Today's Frontline Devotion January 2, 2006 The Real Scandal of Christmas |
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FRONTLINE DEVOTION FOR MONDAY, JANUARY 2, 2006 by Fritz Foltz
Many people tell the Jesus story as if it were a cute tale. Jesus the Great Lover goes around healing the sick, forgiving the sinner, feeding the hungry, and hugging children while huge crowds applaud him. Any careful reading of the Gospels makes clear this is far from the truth. Jesus’ life was filled with scandal, at least with what seemed scandal to the people around him. He was always breaking laws: healing on the Sabbath, touching lepers, speaking publicly with women, associating with sinners, and of course in the end being arrested and executed as a dangerous criminal.
Many times we make the same mistake with the birth stories, telling them as if they were a pleasant account about the birth of a cooing baby. An accurate reading makes clear they are also answering charges of scandal. Matthew and Luke clearly try to explain how the Church proclaimed as Messiah a man whom others regarded as a bastard. Jesus’ critics claimed Jesus was the illegitimate son of a Roman soldier whom they named. So Matthew lets us know the struggles of Joseph who felt his betrothed was unfaithful, and Luke reports the fears of Mary who hides away during her pregnancy at the home of her cousin, Elizabeth.
John, on the other hand, seems to believe this scandal was minor compared to the big one critics used more often. The Church’s enemies thought the incarnation was either blasphemy or nonsense. To claim “The Word became flesh and dwell among us” seemed both sacrilegious and preposterous. The religious thought it profaned the holy. The intelligent thought it contradicted the definition of God. God could not become a human person.
But the incarnation became a basic teaching of the faith. “The Word became flesh and lived among us”. God became one of us in every way. Before Christ we could relate to God only through the written words of the law. Now we could know the meaning of the universe and the nature of God in a first hand relationship with a living human person. John claims, “No one has ever seen God. It is the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known” and “From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace”.
Grace, that is what it is all about. Common sense does see God as giving gifts but rather demanding obedience. But John claims this is our God’s glory. He is graceful; he gives gifts. And most important, in his love he gives even himself for his people.
We want to be clear about what John means when he says “we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son- full of grace and truth” Every time he speaks of this glory in his gospel John speaks of Christ being “lifted up”, meaning Jesus being lifted up on the Cross. Again we are dealing with scandal, the Messiah being executed as an enemy of the people. The greatest glory of God is when he gives himself on the Cross for us.
Most of us have heard the Gospel stories about Jesus many, many times. Over the years we come to take for granted meanings we received when we were very young. As responsible Christians we want to hear them now as mature adults. Stop as you read or hear the scriptures to be sure you hear accurately what they are saying. Listen for the words of love spoken in a very dangerous world.
Let us pray: I thank you, loving Father, that you have come to live among us. I thank you for the personal relationship you have established with me and with all other believers. Grant me always to know your grace and love that I might live without fear in a very critical world. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen
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All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world. Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily. Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback. Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org. |
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