During the Christmas season, much of our time, effort, and money are expended on gifts—gift buying, gift wrapping, gift-giving, gift-receiving, gift opening, etc. And if we have a Christian background, we make sure to fit Jesus in there somewhere among all the gifts and gift-related activity. I would like to take some time now to recognize Jesus and unwrap the gift He has given us. May God clearly show each of us where we are in unpackaging His gift.
Here Comes the Groom
At midnight there was a cry, “Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” Matthew 25:6 ESV1
Read Matthew 25:1-13
A wise teacher introduces new subjects by reviewing what his/her students have previously learned. He/she increases the likelihood that learners will grasp new concepts by building upon what they already know. Jesus is the Good Teacher (see Luke 18:18). As Jesus instructed His audience, He often taught novel truths by connecting them with what was familiar. Several times, Jesus communicated the intricates of the Gospel by relating it to the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony.
Both the Old and New Testaments of The Bible include wedding imagery to explain the love relationship between God and His people. The Bible has been compared to a love letter and a marriage covenant detailing the intimacy individual believers can have with God. When we look at the Bible in this light, there is great value in modern, particularly non-Jewish Believers, familiarizing themselves with Jewish marriage practices. The ancient Jewish wedding progressed through several steps which, interestingly, parallel the aspects of Jesus’ relationship with His Bride, the Church.
A Day of Reckoning
“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes.” Luke 12:37 ESV1
Read Matthew 24:45-51; Mark 13:32-37 & Luke 12:35-48
As Christ Followers, thoughts of the Rapture are almost exclusively pleasant. Though we may be troubled by the mass chaos and extreme difficulties that will be faced by those who are left behind, we usually don’t worry about our own state. We expect that Christ’s returning will be a glorious time when we are swept from this troubled Earth and deposited in Heaven where there will be nothing but peace and joy and comfort for the rest of eternity.
But Jesus made it quite clear that the Rapture won’t produce bliss for all who have chosen Him as their Lord. The Coming of Christ will include judgment on all who belong to Him. Jesus’ return will be a day of reckoning, “a time when one is called to account for one’s actions … to fulfill one’s promises or obligations.”2 This Day will be a time when each of us who have decided to follow Jesus will be held liable for how we have managed what He has placed in our care. If we have been good stewards, we will be rewarded. And if we have mismanaged our callings, we will face severe consequences. The way Jesus spoke to His closest disciples about The End of the Age and His return made it impossible for there to be any doubt concerning this truth.
Preparing for the Future
“Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads because your redemption is drawing near” Luke 21:28 ESV1
Read Matthew 24, Mark 13 & Luke 21
I am planning for a cross-country journey to attend a five-week discipleship program. I have been excitedly preparing for my trip for weeks. I went through my wardrobe, picked out appropriate attire, and purchased supplement pieces. I shopped for toiletries, snacks, office supplies, and little conveniences I would like to have available for myself while I am there. I cooked, assembled, and froze a variety of single-serving meals for my husband to eat while I am gone. I deep-cleaned my vehicle, inside and out, and made appointments for an oil change and a tire rotation. I cleaned my house, stocked up on nonperishable groceries, and used up perishable items. I paid bills, watered plants, sent out cards, and arranged for people to take care of some of my responsibilities while I am gone. I made phone calls, finished up tasks and obligations, got a haircut, gave my husband a haircut, and alerted the necessary people of my planned absence. Basically, I have done everything I was able and knew to do to get ready for this opportunity. I would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared.
Planning and providing for the future is extremely helpful, in fact, essential. But sometimes the more immediately urgent needs receive our utmost attention while we overlook the most necessary ways of planning for what is to come. In one of His parables, Jesus broached the topic of being alert to signs that point to the need to prepare for the forthcoming.
An Invitation to a Royal Wedding
He sent … servants, saying, “Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner … everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’” Matthew 22:4 ESV1
Read Matthew 22:1-14
Evidently, 1,900 people were invited to the wedding service of Prince William and Kate Middleton of England. It has been reported that one million people crowded the streets of London on April 23, 2011, hoping to get a peek at William and Kate’s wedding parade. Additionally, an astonishing two billion people watched this royal wedding on live television across several media outlets. It is estimated that the whole amazing affair, including flowers, rings, cakes, Kate’s dress, and security, cost a whopping $50 million. In terms of numbers and cost, the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, was comparable. In fact, most royal weddings cost millions of dollars and are watched by people numbering in the multi-millions.
Considering the enormous expense and interest in royal weddings, one would imagine if any person was specifically invited to such a celebration, he/she would make every effort to attend. And if anyone who had been invited found that he/she must decline the royal invitation, it appears that any one of millions of others would have gladly taken his/her place. That is what makes the following story, told by Jesus, about those who snubbed their invitation to a royal wedding so astounding.
Revolting
When the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, “This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.” Matthew 21:15 ESV1
Read Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12 & Luke 20:9-19
Revolutions are as old as history itself but no two such revolts are exactly the same. Some rebellions throughout human existence have brought about small changes; others have caused a complete overhaul of the previous administration. There is no set length of time it takes to complete a social revolution, nor is there a determiner of any one’s lasting influence. Though revolts often occur due to a perceived inadequacy or abuse of power, they actually happen for a variety of reasons. Many uprisings are violent, while other spirited protests are largely peaceful. But what all revolutions have in common is that they create some kind of change. A story, told by Jesus, illustrates the significant change which occurred as a result of the most fundamental revolt of all time.
If My People …
“And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.” Matthew 21:32b ESV1
Read Matthew 21:28-32
You have undoubtedly heard it quoted and seen it in print as much as I have—2 Chronicles 7:14—“If My people … pray … I will hear from Heaven … and heal their land.” Believing in the power of this promise, many sincere Christians gather and call out to God pleading for His intervention in a variety of situations that affect them, those around them, and the countries in which they live. But when those prayers are seemingly unanswered, most of those who came together to pray, go back to their normal lives disillusioned with the power of prayer and doubting the goodness of Almighty God. The trouble is, whether by intention or merely through emphasis, we have reduced the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14 to the words above. There is a whole lot more to that verse than we usually stress or remember. The following parable which Jesus told to the sincerely religious who questioned Him reveals that which they, and we, so often overlook.
That’s Not Fair!
“So, the last will be first, and the first last.” Matthew 20:16 ESV1
Read Matthew 20:1-16
As an oldest child who is the daughter of oldest children who themselves were raised by oldest children, I have an innate sense of fairness. It is important to me that I be as impartial and equitable as possible in my dealings with others. I strive to be free from bias and I seek to avoid all injustice. And I expect that others will be as gracious to me in return. So, I have to admit when I first read the following parable of Jesus, I had a hard time reconciling what seems to be so completely unfair.
The Obligatory Pay it Forward
‘Should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ Matthew 18:33 ESV1
Read Matthew 18:21-35
Pay It Forward is an American film from the year 2000 written by Catherine Ryan Hyde, directed by Mimi Leder, and starring Kevin Spacey, Helen Hunt, and Haley Joel Osment. It is the fictional story of a Social Studies teacher who gives his class an assignment to come up with an idea to change the world for the better. The movie describes what happens when one student creates a plan for a goodwill movement which he calls, “Paying it Forward.” Pay it forward has since become an expression for the honoring and repaying of good deeds by passing on acts of kindness to others instead of the original altruist. This idea has, among other things, led to long lines at restaurants and coffee shop drive-throughs with person after person paying for the order of the car behind him or her. This concept has sparked an organization, The Pay It Forward Movement and Foundation, and a day of recognition, The International Pay It Forward Day. Though there may be social pressure to perform such acts of kindness, paying it forward is an optional activity—except in one instance.
Take Your Goat and Have a Party
“‘But we had to celebrate and rejoice because this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.’” 15:32 NASB1
Read Luke 15:11-32
I have spent the majority of my adult life working as a homemaker or holding volunteer positions. That means caring for my family and creating a peaceful sanctuary in my home has consumed much of my time. But I have had the privilege of using the remainder of my time to participate in a variety of activities that have had eternal and life-changing effects. But it has also meant that I haven’t received a paycheck.
Once, in the presence of my children, when I was sharing what I would do if I had some money I could call my own, my son responded, “Take your goat and have a party!” What he meant was, “Dad has adequate resources. In the eyes of God and the law, you two are one; what is his, is yours. He loves you, and he appreciates the work you do to contribute to the family and the community. I am sure he would be more than agreeable for you to spend some of the money he has made on that.” My son was serious; he didn’t mean to be funny, but we all burst out laughing.
“Take your goat and have a party” has since become a family saying. Whenever anyone in our home complains about a perceived lack in the presence of actual abundance, he or she will hear, “Take your goat and have a party!” We all know who came up with the saying, but the idea didn’t originate with my son. He got the idea from the following parable of Jesus.