Category Archives: Holidays & Holy Days

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March 6, 2025

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Attitudes & Behavior, Church & Worship, Holidays & Holy Days, Obedience, Prayer, Salvation: A New You

OBSERVING LENT

‘We have fasted before you!’ they say. ‘Why aren’t you impressed? We have been very hard on ourselves, and you don’t even notice it!’ “I will tell you why!” I respond. “It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves. Even while you fast, you keep oppressing your workers. What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord?” [Isaiah 58:3-5 (NLT)]

grey catbirdEvery evening, a man went to the local pub and ordered three beers. When asked why three, he explained that he ordered the two extra beers in honor of his two dear brothers who lived far away. One evening, when the man ordered only two beers, the bartender assumed the worst and extended sympathy for the loss of a brother. Correcting the bartender, the man said his brothers were both fit as fiddles and the beers were for them. “It’s me that’s not drinking tonight,” he explained. “You see, I’ve given up beer for Lent!”

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, a period of forty days (not counting Sundays) that commemorate Jesus’ forty days of fasting and temptation in the desert. Originally, Lent was a time of fasting, penitence, and reflection in preparation for an Easter baptism. Today, many people continue to observe this tradition with some sort of fast or spiritual discipline before Easter. While they tend to “give up” something in the way of food, entertainment, or pleasure, the most common fasts usually have to do with desserts, alcohol, chocolate, social media, television, or coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin’. Since Lent’s observation isn’t founded in Scripture, the choice to observe this season in some way is a personal one.

What we must never do is err in thinking that God will love us more for our Lenten sacrifice or that giving up something like gum, candy, beer, eating out, or YouTube has any bearing on our salvation. Jesus took care of our salvation on the cross and God’s love could never be greater than it is right now. No amount of sacrifice can earn God’s free gift of grace.

If we do choose to give up something for Lent, we make a mistake if we focus only on our sacrifice. After all, fasting from carbs or alcohol without prayer and Scripture are nothing more than a diet or “dry January.” Rather than focusing on ourselves, Lent is a time to focus on Christ and the sacrifice He made to give us the gift of salvation.

Although Jesus fasted, He never commanded us to do so. His words on fasting tend to focus on people’s hypocrisy when fasting—they often fasted to impress people with their holiness rather than grow closer to God. Self-sacrifice is not to be done ostentatiously but humbly, quietly, and privately. Regardless of how we choose to observe Lent, unlike the man at the bar, it should be done sincerely. God sees into our hearts and knows when we’re repentant and genuinely seeking Him or just going through the motions!

The purpose of Lent is not to force on us a few formal obligations, but to ‘soften’ our heart so it may open itself to the realities of the spirit, to experience the hidden ‘thirst and hunger’ for communion with God. [Alexander Schmemann]

“No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help.” [Isaiah 58:6-7 (NLT)]

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January 6, 2025

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Bible Stories, God's Plan, Holidays & Holy Days, Obedience, Trusting God

MARY’S HUSBAND

And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.” [Matthew 1:19-20 (ESV)]

JosephWhile putting away our nativity, I looked at the figure of Joseph. For the man who played a pivotal role in the Christmas story, once Christmas is packed away, Mary’s husband rarely gets a second thought until the next December. Neither Mark nor John mention the man who served as step-father to Jesus and the author of Hebrews didn’t even list him in its “Hall of Faith.”

Unfamiliar with 1st century Jewish marriage customs, we probably take Joseph’s presence at the nativity too lightly. Rather than an agreement between two people, marriage at the time was an agreement between two families. Before the prospective bride was consulted, the groom (or his father) approached her father and the men would negotiate the price [mohar] to be paid for the girl. Once the mohar had been paid, the first of two ceremonies, the betrothal, was held and the couple were legally married. Following the betrothal, the bride remained in her father’s house, gathered her trousseau, and prepared for married life while the groom prepared living accommodations for his wife and arranged for the wedding feast. Although married, the couple were prohibited from having sex. It wasn’t until about a year after the betrothal that a colorful procession led the woman to the house of her groom, more vows were made, and the marriage finally was consummated.

During her betrothal, the bride could not belong to another man. Should the groom learn that she lied about her virginity, he could dissolve the marriage contract through a certificate of divorce and, if caught in the act of adultery, she could be killed.

Matthew tells us Joseph was dikaios, meaning righteous and just. Expressing a righteousness rooted in a covenant relationship with God, dikaios emphasizes moral integrity and obedience to the Law. Can you imagine this honorable man’s reaction to his bride’s pregnancy? Remember, within days of Gabriel’s visit to her, Mary hurried to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth where she stayed for three months. When she told Joseph of her pregnancy, did he wonder what his bride had been up to while away in the hill country? Consider his distress at what seemed a betrayal. Imagine his disappointment at Mary’s preposterous explanation that probably seemed like an outlandish lie. Knowing he wasn’t the father, Joseph had every legal right to divorce her and demand the mohar’s return; in fact, Mary’s infidelity could cause her to be stoned!

Although an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream to reassure him that Mary’s baby was, indeed, conceived by the Holy Spirit, Joseph was an ordinary builder—not a priest like Zachariah or a prominent rabbi like Shammai. I suspect this was his first angelic visit and he must have questioned the validity of his dream. Imagine his confusion and consider his torment as he struggled with his choice. If he divorced Mary, Joseph could deny responsibility for her shameful pregnancy and maintain his good reputation but, if he stayed with Mary, he assumed responsibility for the pregnancy and took on her disgrace. His choice regarding Mary’s scandalous pregnancy affected both of their families, as well.

Nevertheless, Joseph valued God’s call over his reputation and remained betrothed to Mary. Moreover, despite everyone else assuming they had sex, both Matthew and Luke tell us that Joseph refrained from intercourse with Mary before Jesus’ birth. The young man honored God’s plan over his own wants and needs. It was not until after Jesus’ birth that their marriage finally was consummated.

Right after the Magi’s departure, the new father had a second visit from an angel. Told to flee to Egypt because the child’s life was in danger from Herod, Joseph immediately obeyed. Although he must have had misgivings about leaving his homeland, Joseph kept Mary and Jesus safe and they became refugees in a pagan country. They only returned when, once again, an angel of the Lord directed his way.

While Joseph seems to disappear after the second chapters of both Matthew and Luke, his role in Jesus’ life certainly didn’t stop. It was in his home that “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” [Luke 2:52]

Can you imagine what it was like for this righteous (but ordinary) man to be tasked by God with the responsibility of being guardian to the Messiah—the one who would “save his people from their sins”? What was it like to hold the Son of God in his calloused hands or to teach Him to walk, handle tools, and read the Torah? Consider the weight of responsibility upon Joseph’s shoulders. The last we hear of him is when he and Mary temporarily “lost” the twelve-year-old Jesus on their return from celebrating the Passover in Jerusalem. I can’t imagine his panic at having lost the Messiah! Although Joseph almost certainly died before the Lord’s crucifixion, we don’t know when, where, or how. What we do know is that Joseph was, indeed, a dikaios man—a man who was willing to follow God’s guidance and do His will regardless of the consequences.

Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. [Pope Francis]

An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. [Matthew 2:13-15 (ESV)]

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December 26, 2024

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Bible Stories, Church & Worship, God's Word: The Bible, Holidays & Holy Days

THE NATIVITY (2) – LIONS, LAMBS, KINGS, AND SHEPHERDS

The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. [Isaiah 11:6-7 (ESV)]

And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” [Revelation 5:5 (ESV)]

For centuries, access to the written Word of God was limited to just a few. The printing press wasn’t invented until 1439 and, at the time, only about 20% of the population could read. As a result, churches were decorated with paintings, stained glass windows, statues, carvings, and mosaics depicting biblical stories or illustrating theological concepts. For people who couldn’t read the book, religious art told the story. Consider how the Stations of the Cross in Roman Catholic churches illustrate the events of Good Friday. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words! While most nativity scenes are inaccurate, our depictions of the nativity don’t have to be historically exact to be meaningful.

At the Christmas market last week, an artist was painting a nativity scene. Having just written about the ox and ass found in depictions of Jesus’ birth, I was curious if he had them in his. Along with ox and ass, there was a lamb. The presence of this sacrificial animal is a vivid reminder that Jesus was the Lamb of God. It reminds us that His sacrifice on the cross is the reason for that baby in the manger.

But, front and center on the canvas, the artist painted a large lion looking down at the infant Jesus laying in a bed of hay. While not as common as the lamb, ass, and ox, the lion is no stranger to nativities. It points to Jacob’s promise to his son Judah that a conquering victorious king, the lion, would be from his line and suggests the words in Revelation 5:5 referring to Jesus as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.”  The lion’s presence also illustrates Isaiah’s prophecies of a time when God’s fallen creation will be remade into a place of peace, harmony, and order—a time when Christ will reign over all the earth—when a lion will eat straw rather than babies in a manger!

Although they didn’t arrive until Jesus was a toddler, we also find the magi in most nativities. Rather than kings, the magi probably were scholars or priests knowledgeable in astronomy and astrology. It may have been the extravagance of their gifts that caused them to be portrayed as royalty. Moreover, kings presenting gifts to the Messiah echo the prophecies of Isaiah 60 and Psalm 72.

While three gifts were presented, Scripture doesn’t say how many magi there were. Nevertheless, we see three. One king usually is depicted as a Black African, another as Caucasian, and the third as Asian. In Jesus’ day, there were three known continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe. In the 700s, the Venerable Bede (theologian and historian) posited that each of the magi represented one of those parts. As inaccurate as their depictions may be, their different races beautifully illustrate that Jesus came for the people of all nations and races. Seeing the kings of the world bowing in humble worship to the King of Kings, we are reminded that earthly kingdoms may fall but God’s Kingdom will not be destroyed!

In sharp contrast to a nativity’s richly attired kings are the often-barefoot shepherds in their simple attire. While kings were at the top rung of the social ladder, shepherds (along with taxmen and lepers) were at the bottom. The presence of both groups around the manger reinforces the unity that all people (both rich and poor) have in Christ! One shepherd often stands out from the others—a tall shepherd carrying a lamb on his shoulders. His presence is a subtle reference to Jesus as the “good shepherd” who will go to great lengths to save His flock.

Take time this holiday season to look at the various renditions of the nativity around you. Instead of looking for historical accuracy, try to find the scriptural and theological themes hidden within the art. Indeed, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words!

May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before him, all nations serve him!  For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight. [Psalm 72:10-14 (ESV)]

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December 23, 2024

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THE NATIVITY (1) – THE OX AND ASS

The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand. [Isaiah 1:3 (ESV)]

Here betwixt ass and oxen mild, sleep, sleep, sleep, my little child… [13th century French carol]

The earliest known portrayal of Jesus’ birth is a bas relief on a Roman sarcophagus from around 385. It depicts the swaddled Christ child in the manger flanked by an ox at His head and an ass at His feet. Why are they present instead of Joseph and Mary? In 1223, Francis of Assisi brought some hay and a manger to a cave and celebrated Mass there on Christmas Eve. Even though Mary and Joseph weren’t present, an ass and an ox were! In 1291, Pope Nicholas IV commissioned Arnolfo di Cambio to create a permanent nativity. While there are statues of Mary and Jesus, Joseph, and three Magi, the sixth statue shows the heads of an ox and an ass rather than shepherd or angel. Besides the baby Jesus, the ass and the ox are the most ancient and consistent elements in depictions of the nativity. Why do these two animals, neither of which is mentioned in the gospels, have such a prominent place in our nativity scenes, Christmas cards, and carols?

In Scripture, the ox came to represent the people of Israel. As the most important and costly of sacrificial animals, the ox also represented Israel’s prosperity and power. In the temple, figures of twelve oxen (representing Israel’s twelve tribes) supported the huge bronze basin that held water for ritual cleansing. While the ox was considered a ritually “clean” animal, the undivided hoof of the donkey (or ass) made it “unclean” so it came to represent the pagan Gentile nations. Deuteronomy 22:10 specifically prohibited plowing with an ox and an ass yoked together. Jews interpreted this law as being about more than plowing—it was about not mixing the clean with the unclean or the Jew with the Gentile.

In the 8th century BC, Isaiah prophesied, “The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” At the time, he was bringing God’s charges against Judah and speaking of God’s judgment against them in the immediate future through Assyria and also God’s later judgement with Babylon’s invasion and the fall of Jerusalem. Dumb animals knew to whom they belonged, but God’s chosen people did not!

With the benefit of hindsight, however, the early Church fathers recognized a third prophecy in Isaiah’s words—that of the Messiah’s arrival when Israel failed to recognize Him. Like the donkey, however, the Gentiles knew their master’s crib. Because the ox and ass recognized the Christ when the world did not, they are shown with the Christ. This image illustrates Paul’s words to the Ephesians that Jews and Gentiles are reconciled and have become one in Christ. Their presence at the nativity became a visual way of saying that Jesus came to save the people of all nations!

Because the firstborn male was the Lord’s, Mosaic law demanded the sacrifice to God of every firstborn male of the people’s livestock. As a ritually clean animal, the ox was an acceptable sacrifice. As an unclean animal, however, the ass could not enter the temple or be offered to God. A law unique to the ass gave its owner a choice—rather than killing such a valuable animal, he could redeem it with the sacrifice of a lamb. We sinners, like the ass, are unclean and cannot enter God’s tabernacle but, like the ass, our owner can redeem us with the sacrifice of an innocent lamb, which He did! We are redeemed by the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God.

While seeing an ox and ass on Christmas cards or in nativity scenes may not be an accurate representation of that first Christmas, let us remember the symbolism behind their presence. While we may be as different as an ox is from an ass, Christ’s church is made up of one united people—people who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!

There were only a few shepherds at the first Bethlehem. The ox and the donkey understood more of the first Christmas than the high priests in Jerusalem. And it is the same today. [Thomas Merton]

You are brought near to God through the blood sacrifice of Christ. Christ is the reason we are now at peace. He made us Jews and you who are not Jews one people. We were separated by a wall of hate that stood between us, but Christ broke down that wall. By giving his own body, Christ ended the law with its many commands and rules. His purpose was to make the two groups become one in him. By doing this he would make peace. [Ephesians 2:13b-15 (ERV)]

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December 19, 2024

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God's Grace & Love, Holidays & Holy Days, Salvation: A New You, Thanks & Praise

CHRISTMAS SPIDERS

To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory. [Isaiah 61:3 (NLT)]

Who can add to Christmas? The perfect motive is that God so loved the world. The perfect gift is that He gave His only Son. The only requirement is to believe in Him. The reward of faith is that you shall have everlasting life. [Corrie Ten Boom]

It was a web day at the park and I don’t mean the world-wide kind. It was one of those days when the morning dew, mist, and light cooperated in such a way that we saw beautiful intricate spider webs hanging everywhere. Looking as if they were made of strands of silver rather than proteinaceous silk extruded from a spider’s spinnerets, it seemed like the spiders had decorated all the trees in celebration of Christmas.

The glistening webs reminded me of an old folktale my mother read to me every Christmas. As I remember it, while the mother thoroughly cleaned her house in preparation for Christmas, the spiders fled to the attic lest they be swept away with their webs. Hearing the joyful sound of carols being sung on Christmas Eve, the spiders grew curious. Once the family went to bed, the spiders crept downstairs to see what the commotion had been about. Amazed by the beautifully decorated tree, they crawled up and down the tree all night long as they admired every shiny ornament. Unfortunately, by morning’s light, the tree was covered with gray webs and attic dust and the ornaments were barely visible.

On Christmas morning, when the Christ child came to bless the house, He saw the spiders and their strands of silk covering the tree’s branches. Knowing how sad the family would be to see their once beautiful tree covered with dusty webs, the Christ child touched it. The spiders’ gray threads immediately turned into strands of silver and gold and the exquisite tree shimmered and shone more beautifully than ever.

I love this folktale and not just because it explains how the custom of hanging silver tinsel on a tree began. The Christ child, with His heart full of love, entered the home to bring a blessing to the family. By touching the damaged tree, He transformed it into a thing of beauty and, with His touch, Christ saved their Christmas celebration.

Christ’s love for mankind isn’t limited to legends and folk stories. With a heart full of love for all, He comes into our lives to bless each and every one of us. When He touches our damaged souls, like the tree, they become things of beauty. Unlike the tree, however, we won’t look any different or be adorned with strands of gold and silver. Nevertheless, once He’s touched us, our lives will be beautifully transformed. Jesus doesn’t just save our Christmas; He saves our lives!

Our Christmas tree has no silver tinsel to remind me of Jesus’ miraculous touch, but it does have a spider web ornament to remind me of this story from my childhood. On the other hand, every time I see spider webs glistening in the early morning light, I remember how Christ has transformed my dusty and damaged life into a thing of beauty and joy. Thank you, Jesus.

The first gift of Christmas was love. A parent’s love. Pure as the first snows of Christmas. For God so loved His children that He sent His son, that we might someday return to Him. [Richard Paul Evans]

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. [John 3:16-17 (NLT)]

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December 16, 2024

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Bible Stories, Challenges & Difficulty, Holidays & Holy Days, Joy, Thanks & Praise, Today: Make it Count

“HALLELUJAH” RATHER THAN “HUMBUG”

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. [Isaiah 61:1-2 (NLT)]

 

Unfortunately, much of our Advent season is not spent joyfully looking forward to celebrating the birth of the Christ child. In hope of finding the perfect gift for everyone on our list, we pore over catalogues and search for sales and coupons. Either we fight for parking spots at the mall and spend hours standing in line or spend those hours sitting at the computer while shopping on line! We then fret and fuss over wrapping those gifts, mailing packages and Christmas cards, hosting and attending parties, baking cookies, making travel arrangements, decorating the house, preparing holiday dinners, and paying the ever-mounting bills. When we say, “Merry Christmas!” we might find ourselves mumbling a Scrooge-like “Bah! Humbug” under our breath! Instead of looking forward to Christmas with anticipation, there are times we can’t wait until it’s all over and done.

Dr. Seuss’ Grinch eventually realized Christmas really has nothing to do with all those trappings; I wonder why we have so much trouble remembering that same thing. Christmas isn’t about gifts, parties, cards, peppermint bark, decorations, or the “roast beast feast.” Jesus with His message of love, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation is the only reason for the season! Mary didn’t send out 100 birth announcements or bake dozens of cookies and the stable that housed the Holy Family wasn’t decorated with wreaths, ribbons, holly, or tinsel. God took care of the only decoration with a bright star and a heavenly chorus announced the birth. Shepherds were the first holiday guests and they didn’t expect gingerbread cookies or care about the stable’s decor or cleanliness. The Magi’s Christmas presents were odd gifts for an infant and probably arrived two years late.

Today, consider pausing from all your preparations to re-read Zechariah’s prophecy of a Savior who would redeem His people and the beautiful story of His birth in Luke 1 and 2. Tonight, take a drive and look at the Christmas lights festooned around your town; let them remind you of Isaiah’s promise; “The people who walk in darkness will see a great light … For a child is born to us.” Then let us joyfully raise our voices in a “Hallelujah!” instead of “Humbug!”

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more. [From “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss]

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine … For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. [Isaiah 9:2,6 (NLT)]

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