Mass Prep Sunday January 6th 2019

Sunday January 6^th 2019           The Epiphany (Cycle C)

Where Were They Going Without Even Knowing the Way?

The tie in between today’s readings: Jesus Breaks Down the Walls

Psalm 72, Isaiah 60:1-6, Ephesians 3:2-6, Matthew 2:1-12

     One of the most intriguing parts of the Christmas story is the visit of the Magi (Matt2:1-12). You can understand an impoverished family arriving in a crowded town and having to use a stable as an emergency Labor and Delivery Unit because there was no other place to go. Shepherds and angels are a nice touch too, but the thought of kings coming from the east with gold, frankincense, and myrrh is just way out there. The Bible isn’t much help on the topic either. We don’t even know how many kings there actually were. They just arrive out of the blue at Herod’s palace asking for directions. From there, they are directed to a small village with a billboard that reads: “Welcome to Bethlehem, Future Birthplace of the Messiah!” Their guiding star like a MapQuest ®marker points out the house where the Holy Family is staying. They knock and greet a stunned Mary and Joseph with a surprise that could only be compared to winning the Publisher’s Clearing House Sweepstakes®. They worship the toddler Jesus and present their gifts. Shortly thereafter, everyone bolts out of town just in time to escape the oncoming carnage. What can we say about a bunch of rich guys slepping across the desert on the first recorded Star Trek®? Well, one observation that’s certain: something big was happening and they wanted to be a part of it.

     Whether they realized it or not, they were fulfilling the prophesies found in today’s readings: Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72. The Magi are the first in a long procession of Gentiles that will come to worship the King of the Jews, soon to become the King of the world (Philippians 12:10, Romans 14:11). Up until this point, God’s promises to Abraham were allotted to the Jews; God wanted Israel to be a shining beacon on the hill drawing the nations to Jehovah.  It didn’t work out that way. The Jewish people lost their way. Instead of reaching out to the world, they made an exclusive club out of their Abrahamic pedigree. They had the inside track to the All Mighty. Everyone else was on the outside looking in. They were the uncircumcised, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the promise of the covenant that God made with their forefathers, and without hope in this world. Now the Messiah has arrived and the wall of separation between Jew and Gentile is coming down.  Jesus’ worldwide message and mission trumps all other earthly considerations. When everyone is a sinner in need of salvation and it is a terrifying thing to be morally guilty before a holy judge, the foot of the cross becomes level ground. All are in need. All who believe receive forgiveness. All live for something bigger than themselves: the Kingdom of God.  Everyone is unified in Christ who is all in all.

      In our last reading, in Ephesians 3, the Apostle Paul discloses the opened mystery hinted at throughout the Old Testament, namely that the Gentiles are fellow heirs with the Jews in the promises of God to Abraham.  By His cross and resurrection, Jesus established the “Jew at heart” scenario. All believers in Christ are true Jews and children of Abraham regardless of background and will inherit the earth to live with Jehovah forever in the New Jerusalem. I think the Magi in some sense saw this and considered it an honor to recognize His Majesty.  How about you? Have you come to saving faith in the sacrifice of Jesus?  Have you been born again into God’s family where there is no pride or prejudice of race, sex, or social class? If not, it’s time for you to go on a trek of your own to find the King of Kings and salvation in Jesus. Wise men still seek Him.      

Mass Prep Sunday December 2nd 2018

Sunday December 2, 2018   1^st Sunday of Advent (Cycle C)

Coming From a Good Background

The tie in between today’s readings: A Proof of the Virgin Birth

Psalms 25:1-14, Jeremiah 33:14-16, 1 Thessalonians3:12-4:2, Luke 21:25-36

     The holidays are here. During this time of year, we make special plans to spend time with the close strangers in our lives that we call family. Whether we want to or not, we will trek out to share food and alcohol with the few people in the world who look like us and with whom we share a close common history. This is not lost on Madison Avenue. You may have noticed the increase in advertising for ancestry companies. For a multitude of reasons, many of us will give up our charge cards and DNA to take them up on their offers. It could be in order to satisfy some sort of curiosity, possibly to verify our own family folklore, or perhaps to build a stronger bond with the person sitting across the mash potatoes from us that we may someday need to ask for a kidney. Strangely enough, genealogy plays an important role in the Christmas story as seen in our reading today in Jeremiah. In fact, the Bible doubles down on it by giving both sides of the family tree through Joseph and Mary. Getting it right is absolutely essential to fulfill prophesy and to leave no mistake that Jesus is the Messiah and heir to David’s throne.

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     Joseph’s line comes directly from David through Solomon (Matt 1). Legally, the Jews looked on Jesus as Joseph’s son (John 6:42). Here’s the catch: Jesus would not have been able inherit the throne if He was a blood descendant of Joseph. Because of the wickedness of Jechonias, God cursed this line and no other descendants could be king (Jeremiah 22:24-30). This is a proof of the virgin birth, since Jesus was the actual Son of God the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit and only Joseph’s through adoption. Enter Mary. Luke 3 traces her line back to David through another son, Nathan. Unlike Joseph, there was no block on Jesus to claim the throne through Mary’s blood line. The problem here was that in Jewish law, inheritances passed through the sons not the daughters. Mary could not give Jesus the throne unless she was an only child (apparently she was) and married within her tribe, which she did when she married Joseph (Numbers 27:1-8; 36:6-8).  Joseph inherited the right to rule on David’s throne by marriage to Mary and passed it onto Jesus. Jesus is heir by adoption and the seed of the woman. Ironically, if the kings of Judah had remained obedient to God, Joseph could have been ruling in Israel at this time with his queen Mary at his side and Jesus would have been born in a palace instead of a manger. There’s a butterfly effect for you.

     But the pauper prince is a king nonetheless. He rules over a nation as real as any country on the map: the Kingdom of God. Its people are supernaturally born into citizenship through the election of the Father, the sacrifice of the Son, and the power of the Holy Spirit. As we see in today’s Psalm and 1 Thessalonians, the laws of God are taught and written on each of their hearts. Thy will be done, is their motivation. The Great Commission, their life’s work. Jesus is working through His people today with the gospel call to believe in His sacrifice as Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. You can receive this salvation by faith and be granted citizenship into His kingdom. He offers this to you with the simple invitation of “Come.” Do not delay. Join the ranks of the blessed whose destiny is GLORY! Time is short. He will come back to claim the Earth as His Kingdom and take His place on the Throne of David as noted in today’s reading in Luke 21. Be part of it!