Tis that most wonderful time of the year. We are in the midst of what has become known as the Christmas season. It is a time of peace on earth and good will toward men, just ask anyone in retail. It is a time of confused celebration and traditions that have questionable origins. Even the time of the celebration of the Lord's first advent comes from Constantine's desire to somehow blend Christianity with the solstice celebration. The Scriptures give us no definitive time of the Savior's birth but it was not December 25th. More likely the spring time so some find the celebration unseemly. They have a feeling of pride that they reject this holiday and all of it's pagan roots and traditions. I have written before that celebrating the birth of the Savior seems like a good thing. It is a good thing to remember that John 3:16 is true. God did did love the world and did give His only begotten Son so we could believe and have life eternal. That, in and of itself, is a reason to bring God praise and a cause for celebration.
One of the common marks of the Christmas season is that of giving. We buy gifts to exchange and little things to tuck in those stockings hung with care. Thanks to Samaritan's Purse, many now give shoe boxes filled with fun stuff so children around the world can experience Gods love. We give change to the chilly folks ringing the bell outside grocery stores and shopping malls so the Salvation Army can spread God's care. We may exchange names as a "Secret Santa" in the place we work. These are all good things. Our God is a giving God. He gives the sun and the rain. He gives life to the fields and brings the harvest. He gives hope and joy and the fruit of His Spirit into the barren lives of His children. He gives comfort to the wounded and forsaken. For those who believe that Messiah Jesus has come, giving is one of the most powerful tools available to reveal the Son of God.
Giving in the simplest and most practical moments of life has multiple benefits and can cause a ripple effect in making the Savior real. For the giver, it is a reminder of God's sacrifice and gift to us. For the recipient there is a little joy added to their lives and a little light to shine into their darkness. I am aware that life is short and that we want to be efficient in the use of what time God has given us. However, maybe we need to remember that it really is God's time given to us. It is really not our own. It is a gift to be shared with others. So perhaps our goal should be to give up that prime parking space and enjoy a brisk walk from the distant parking lots while humming a Christmas carol on the way. It is a time to help someone unload their overloaded cart and then take the cart back to the store. Time to hold open a door, put a dollar in a kettle and smile a lot. take God's time to surprise the person ahead of you in the checkout line and let them go first. Even if their seventy-two items seems to outweigh your seventeen. Ask how their shopping is going. Take note of the contents of the cart and comment on how much someone will enjoy the choices they made. They may be resistant to step ahead of you but you can gently persuade them to take your spot. Imagine the conversation they will have when they share the story at home of how someone put them first. Be the thankful encourager to the retail associate. They really are making your life easier by working that day. Watch their countenance change when you express your gratitude for being there and wish them a Merry or Blessed Christmas. I for one want to be the story of the kind and grateful customer when they get home rather than the irritated, grumpy demanding one. All five of my children and my wife have worked retail. My wife and daughter still do. I get to hear the stories of the outrageous and demanding people who set out to ruin their day. However, I also hear of the kind, patient and pleasant folk who appreciated them for their help. Which one does God want you to be?
Whether you enjoy the season or are somewhat offended by the questionable roots and history that surrounds this time of year, the celebration should not rob you of the opportunity to let some light shine in the darkness. Take a queue from Linus and read the account from Luke chapter two and let this be what Christmas is all about. You can read it again in April when the event is more likely to have occurred. In fact you could read it once a month just as a way to refresh the wonder of Messiah's arrival and the joy it brought to simple shepherds just outside Bethlehem. We could actually celebrate Christmas everyday of the year. Always being giving to those around us. Always offering a helping hand to the guy trying to tie a mattress onto his Prius outside of Sam's Club or hep the woman with her seventy-five pound bag of kitty litter. Philippians 2:3 gives us the plan, "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself." Putting others first. That is what the Lord did for us. Remember the story? He left the glories of heaven and took on the form of a child. Born to a poor young woman in a stable there in Bethlehem. No glitz, no glory, just a few shepherds reporting a multitude of the heavenly host singing, "Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward men". It really is good news of great joy for all people. A joy we can share all year long by simply giving others the gift of being more important than ourselves. Humble service when we shop, when we drive, when we park our cars, when we hold a door or help the little league youngster with a $20 donation as we leave the grocery store and watch their eyes light up. The joy of Christmas giving can be ours every day of the year.
Showing posts with label Luke 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luke 2. Show all posts
Saturday, December 8, 2018
Monday, December 19, 2016
The Biblical Evidence For Santa
It is that remarkable and wonderful time of year when millions of Christians around the globe anticipate the celebration of the birth of the Savior,Yeshua, Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is that time when the community of believers has the opportunity to find new and old ways to disagree and separate one from another. The time to celebrate "Peace on earth and good will toward men"
can be replaced with judgemental attitudes and divisions over traditions
and questions of worship. Believers vary from those who immerse themselves in virtually every tradition to those who piously proclaim that they will have no part in a celebration that was once based in paganism. "To tree or not to tree, that is the question." What of lights and wreaths and stockings and presents? And what of the big guy in the red suit. What should be done about the Santa Question? Wouldn't it be nice to have some clear Biblical guidelines to clarify these questions? What if I told you that you could find some Biblical answers to the Santa question and some other sticky issues Christians face? Interested? Then keep reading.
The Santa question is answered in Zechariah 2:6, "Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD." This has to be the clearest Scriptural evidence to prove the existence of Santa Clause you could ever find. Who else goes "Ho, ho" and flees to the north? Who else is spread abroad the four winds of heaven bringing gifts to all the good boys and girls? Seems pretty convincing to me. And if you really want that expensive gift like a sports car or motor cycle, remember Isaiah 58:14, "then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land". I am not sure if the Triumph is a motor cycle or a sports car but I am sure they did find joy in the Lord cruising around on the heights of the land. If not a Triumph you could probably find joy in a Harley as well. While we are at it we should deal with the health issue of Santa's pipe. Lots of Christians think smoking is wrong. However, Genesis 24:64 says, "And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel." It appears Rebekah was so nervous when she saw Isaac she needed a smoke to calm her nerves. There seems to be little difference between lighting up a Camel and lighting up a pipe so maybe we have been a little too critical of Santa's smoking habit.
I do hope that you, my readers, recognize that this is all said in jest. Though, I must make a bit of a confession. For those who do not know me I have a pretty full and very white beard. I wear wire rimmed glasses from time to time and also wear a red sort of puffy coat on chilly days. I honestly get some pretty wide eyed looks from small children at the shopping malls. One day I could not resist when a little boy stared at me as we rode in an elevator. I held the door for him and his mom and leaned down to look him in the eye and asked, "Have you been good?" His eyes got really wide as he nodded yes. I winked at him and went on my way realizing, as I walked, that I had just embedded the reality of Santa in the heart of a three year old. The verse in Zechariah 2 has nothing to do with Santa. Isaiah does not refer to motor cycles nor does Genesis 24:6 justify putting dry tobacco leaves in your mouth and setting them on fire. It is obvious that these verses were taken out of context and made to say something other than what God intended. It is like saying Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” has anything to do with prayer or worship. We all know that is taken out of context and does not represent what Jesus intended. Right? Not so sure? Let's check out the context.
Jesus, the Jewish Rabbi, is talking to His Jewish disciples and a Jewish crowd about relationships. The passage is about forgiveness and restoration, Matthew 18:15, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." The Lord then goes on to give instruction should the brother not receive your instruction. “But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Matthew 18:16). The italicized portion is a quote for Deuteronomy 19:15. The Jewish audience would recognized this instruction from Torah. The issue here is a violation of God's Law. The grievance is not because someone took their spot at the synagogue or that they said they had seen a high school girls' soccer team play better football than the Jets. It was understood that these petty things would be quickly forgiven and forgotten. The matter here is a sin that puts the brother at odds with God's Word and thus with God Himself. The next step is in verse 17, "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." One needed correction here. There is no church when Yeshua is speaking. The word is simply assembly referring to the Jewish community not a group of Gentile followers of Jesus. This is spoken to Jews who immediately thought of the passage in Deuteronomy. Failure to repent in the face of clear evidence confirmed by three or more witnesses of a clear violation of God's Law would compel the Jewish Community to treat their Jewish brother like a Gentile or tax collector. They would have to exclude the errant brother from the feasts, table fellowship, some business dealings, social events like weddings and bar mitzvah celebrations. It would be a crushing separation designed to bring the guilty brother to repentance and restoration. This is no easy thing and never to be taken lightly. However, if the procedures are followed, those who are leaders in the community and synagogue have assurance from Deuteronomy 19 that when two or three are gathered for the purpose of disciplining and restoring a sinning brother, the Lord, Himself is in their midst. They are not taking such an imposing action on their own. God's Word must be honored and God's community must be pure. There is nothing in Matthew 18 or Deuteronomy 19 that promises us that Jesus will be with us when two or three gather to pray or when we gather to worship. He is always with us and He inhabits the praises of His people. Right thought. Wrong verse.
Just a closing thought about the Christmas season.There is really no doubt that the birth of the babe, spoken of in Luke chapter 2, was born in the spring or fall. This winter birth date is highly unlikely. It is rare to find a Christian that thinks of druids when they see a Christmas tree, but believe me they are out there. I, for one, am fully convinced that the birth of the Savior was not on December 25th. We do not know when his birth occurred. However, I find it hard to find fault with setting aside time to worship the Lord and celebrate His arrival to live among humanity with the purpose of rescuing us from death. It seems any day is a good day to worship God's Son and to celebrate His love and grace poured out upon us. So, I wish you and yours a very blessed Christmas.
The Santa question is answered in Zechariah 2:6, "Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD." This has to be the clearest Scriptural evidence to prove the existence of Santa Clause you could ever find. Who else goes "Ho, ho" and flees to the north? Who else is spread abroad the four winds of heaven bringing gifts to all the good boys and girls? Seems pretty convincing to me. And if you really want that expensive gift like a sports car or motor cycle, remember Isaiah 58:14, "then you will find your joy in the LORD, and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land". I am not sure if the Triumph is a motor cycle or a sports car but I am sure they did find joy in the Lord cruising around on the heights of the land. If not a Triumph you could probably find joy in a Harley as well. While we are at it we should deal with the health issue of Santa's pipe. Lots of Christians think smoking is wrong. However, Genesis 24:64 says, "And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel." It appears Rebekah was so nervous when she saw Isaac she needed a smoke to calm her nerves. There seems to be little difference between lighting up a Camel and lighting up a pipe so maybe we have been a little too critical of Santa's smoking habit.
I do hope that you, my readers, recognize that this is all said in jest. Though, I must make a bit of a confession. For those who do not know me I have a pretty full and very white beard. I wear wire rimmed glasses from time to time and also wear a red sort of puffy coat on chilly days. I honestly get some pretty wide eyed looks from small children at the shopping malls. One day I could not resist when a little boy stared at me as we rode in an elevator. I held the door for him and his mom and leaned down to look him in the eye and asked, "Have you been good?" His eyes got really wide as he nodded yes. I winked at him and went on my way realizing, as I walked, that I had just embedded the reality of Santa in the heart of a three year old. The verse in Zechariah 2 has nothing to do with Santa. Isaiah does not refer to motor cycles nor does Genesis 24:6 justify putting dry tobacco leaves in your mouth and setting them on fire. It is obvious that these verses were taken out of context and made to say something other than what God intended. It is like saying Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” has anything to do with prayer or worship. We all know that is taken out of context and does not represent what Jesus intended. Right? Not so sure? Let's check out the context.
Jesus, the Jewish Rabbi, is talking to His Jewish disciples and a Jewish crowd about relationships. The passage is about forgiveness and restoration, Matthew 18:15, “Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother." The Lord then goes on to give instruction should the brother not receive your instruction. “But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established" (Matthew 18:16). The italicized portion is a quote for Deuteronomy 19:15. The Jewish audience would recognized this instruction from Torah. The issue here is a violation of God's Law. The grievance is not because someone took their spot at the synagogue or that they said they had seen a high school girls' soccer team play better football than the Jets. It was understood that these petty things would be quickly forgiven and forgotten. The matter here is a sin that puts the brother at odds with God's Word and thus with God Himself. The next step is in verse 17, "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector." One needed correction here. There is no church when Yeshua is speaking. The word is simply assembly referring to the Jewish community not a group of Gentile followers of Jesus. This is spoken to Jews who immediately thought of the passage in Deuteronomy. Failure to repent in the face of clear evidence confirmed by three or more witnesses of a clear violation of God's Law would compel the Jewish Community to treat their Jewish brother like a Gentile or tax collector. They would have to exclude the errant brother from the feasts, table fellowship, some business dealings, social events like weddings and bar mitzvah celebrations. It would be a crushing separation designed to bring the guilty brother to repentance and restoration. This is no easy thing and never to be taken lightly. However, if the procedures are followed, those who are leaders in the community and synagogue have assurance from Deuteronomy 19 that when two or three are gathered for the purpose of disciplining and restoring a sinning brother, the Lord, Himself is in their midst. They are not taking such an imposing action on their own. God's Word must be honored and God's community must be pure. There is nothing in Matthew 18 or Deuteronomy 19 that promises us that Jesus will be with us when two or three gather to pray or when we gather to worship. He is always with us and He inhabits the praises of His people. Right thought. Wrong verse.
Just a closing thought about the Christmas season.There is really no doubt that the birth of the babe, spoken of in Luke chapter 2, was born in the spring or fall. This winter birth date is highly unlikely. It is rare to find a Christian that thinks of druids when they see a Christmas tree, but believe me they are out there. I, for one, am fully convinced that the birth of the Savior was not on December 25th. We do not know when his birth occurred. However, I find it hard to find fault with setting aside time to worship the Lord and celebrate His arrival to live among humanity with the purpose of rescuing us from death. It seems any day is a good day to worship God's Son and to celebrate His love and grace poured out upon us. So, I wish you and yours a very blessed Christmas.
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