The Purification Story: Us Verses Some of Us

The Purification Story: Us Verses Some of Us

February 2, 2025
Luke 18:9-14, Matthew 23:25-36

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

Jesus told this parable to certain people who had convinced themselves that they were righteous and who looked on everyone else with disgust: “Two people went up to the temple to pray. One was a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed about himself with these words, ‘God, I thank you that I’m not like everyone  else — crooks, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week. I give a tenth of  everything I receive.’  But the tax collector stood at a distance. He wouldn’t even lift his eyes to look toward heaven. Rather, he struck his chest and said, ‘God, show mercy to me, a sinner.’  I tell you, this person went down to his home justified rather than the Pharisee. All who lift themselves up will be brought low, and those who make themselves low will be lifted up.”

Luke 18:9-14

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The Purification Story is rooted in a positive desire for holiness, a desire to separate ourselves from things or people we perceive as impure.  In the first century, the Pharisees were the key proponents of this story. They believed that strict observance of the Law, including  rituals of purification, was necessary to maintain God's favor. However, their emphasis on external purity often overshadowed the deeper work of the heart.

Jesus repeatedly confronted this legalism. In Matthew 23:23, He rebukes the Pharisees, saying, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices... but you have neglected the more important matters of the law — justice, mercy, and faithfulness." His approach challenged the notion that purity could only be achieved through rituals and rules, showing that compassion and justice are the true markers of holiness.

In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, Jesus points out that there is nothing distinct about the Pharisee, despite his genuinely high moral standing.  His good deeds make him no more or less worthy to enter into God’s presence. 

Today, the Purification Story often emerges in religious communities that emphasize outward purity over inner transformation.  While the Pharisees so often get a bad rap, we who seek to remain most faithful to our religious teachings may be far more like them than anyone else… or at least aspire to be more like them.  You see, their lives truly were morally upright and as Paul says, even blameless before the law.  How many of us can say the same?  And yet we too hold ourselves as models of moral excellence over and against entire groups of people we deem less worthy or call “sinners.”

Jesus invites us to a more inclusive and merciful path, where the heart is purified by love rather than rule-following.  We do not get to decide who is in and who is out, who is justified and who is not, and who is included in the inexhaustible love of God.  All of our religious purity tests are meaningless in the light of God’s grace. 

• How do you prioritize rules or traditions over compassion in your own life?

• Who in your community might benefit from an act of inclusion or mercy today?

The Isolation Story: Us Away From Them

The Isolation Story: Us Away From Them

January 26, 2025
Proverbs 18:1-2 (NRSV), Matthew 5:13-16

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

Then the Lord God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone. I will make him a helper that is perfect for him.” 

Genesis 2:18

You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

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The Isolation Story is one of separation, often driven by the belief that the world is too corrupt to engage with.  It is a form of escapism, where we simply want to disconnect from the evils of the world and isolate ourselves in a perfect little “Christian” community.

The Essenes were a Jewish sect in the first century who embodied this story, retreating from society to form isolated communities in the wilderness.  John the Baptizer is among the most well known of this group.  They believed that the world had become so impure that the only way to maintain faithfulness was through complete withdrawal.

Jesus, however, rejected this path of isolation. He declared, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden... let your light shine before others”. Rather than retreating from the world, Jesus calls His followers to transform it through their presence. He modeled a life of engagement, healing, and teaching, calling His disciples to be agents of change in the world, not isolated from it.

Our times are filled with escapist theology that treats the earth as dispensable because we are just biding our time until we get to some other worldly heaven. While we await this final destination somewhere else, many seek to live out the Isolation Story by creating “Christian” subcultures that choose separation from the world in the name of purity or faithfulness.  We want our own music, our own movies, our own coffee shops, our own schools, our own neighborhoods, and on and on it goes.  It’s ironic that we seem to want all the things the world offers, but just in a uniquely “Christian” version so we can pretend we are separate from it all. 

We are to be in the world, not of it.  Too often, however, we live as people of the world, but not in it.  Studies show that the everyday lives of self-proclaimed Christians don’t look that much different than any other group, but our determination to separate ourselves allows us to turn a blind eye to the needs around us.  Jesus' call challenges us to step into the world, bringing His light into even the darkest corners.  Our light does no good in a well lit isolated room.  If we are to be agents of transformation, bringing God’s kingdom to earth, we must be fully engaged in this broken world God so dearly loves.

•  Are there areas of your life where you withdraw from the world to maintain purity?

• How can you engage more fully with your community, bringing God’s light into dark places?

The Revolution Story: Us Versus Them

The Revolution Story: Us Versus Them

January 19, 2025
Luke 23:34, Matthew 5:38-48

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well.  When they wish to haul you to court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too.  When they force you to go one mile, go with them two. Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42

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The Revolution Story is fueled by a desire for justice but often resorts to violence as the only means of achieving it.  In Jesus’ time, The Zealots most embodied this narrative, fiercely resisting Roman rule through armed rebellion. They believed that only a violent  revolution could restore Israel's independence and  purity. In their eyes, the Romans were oppressors who had to be overthrown at any cost.  Interestingly enough, even Jesus had a zealot named Simon among his disciples.  Simon undoubtedly hoped Jesus would lead a successful revolution against Rome, while in turn Jesus modeled for Simon a revolution of the heart.

Jesus' teachings directly challenged the Zealots' methods. While He preached justice, he also called His followers to love their enemies, even those who persecuted them. “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Jesus proposed a revolutionary approach — one that sought peace through love, reconciliation, and forgiveness, not violence. This is seen clearly when He prays from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

In our polarized world, the Revolution Story plays out in social movements and political ideologies that often escalate into conflict.  Recent leaders in our own country have proclaimed the “eye for an eye” texts from the Old Testament as a valid Biblical way of dealing with political opponents, despite Jesus’ explicit renunciation of this teaching. 

Jesus’ example calls us to pursue justice, but without compromising the call to love and forgiveness.  Some view such a response as weakness, but the reality is much deeper.  Jesus was actively leading a non-violent resistance movement, much like Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. 

The historian Josephus personally struggled with such non-violent resisters, because they didn’t fight fair.  Rome knew what to do with a revolutionary… they would simply kill them.  But to kill an unarmed and seemingly weak protestor would bring shame upon the far more powerful Roman soldier.  If a soldier was allowed to force someone to carry their pack for a mile, for example, carrying it a second mile would make the soldier look like he was abusing his power and cause him a great deal of trouble with his superiors. 

Jesus isn’t calling us to be doormats, but he does require that our resistance to oppression in this world models the ways of peace, love and justice for all.

• In what areas of your life do you struggle to balance justice with mercy?

• How might you adopt Jesus' nonviolent revolution in your own personal conflicts?

The Domination Story: Us Over Them

The Domination Story: Us Over Them

January 12, 2025
Luke 22:24-27
see also: Philippians 2:10-11, Genesis 1:26-2:23, Genesis 50:15-21

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

An argument broke out among the disciples over which one of them should be regarded as the greatest.

But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles rule over their subjects, and those in authority over them are called ‘friends of the people.’  But that’s not the way it will be with you. Instead, the greatest among you must become like a person of lower status and the leader like a servant. So which one is greater, the one who is seated at the table or the one who serves at the table? Isn’t it the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Luke 22:24-27

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The Domination Story tells us that peace and order are maintained through power and control. It is often used to justify oppressive systems in exchange for promises of security and personal benefit.

In the first century, the Sadducees were the epitome of this narrative. As an elite group of priests and aristocrats, they collaborated with Rome to secure their privileged status. They maintained their wealth and by aligning with the oppressors, even at the expense of justice for their people.

Jesus’ interactions with the Sadducees were marked by challenge and confrontation. When they attempted to trap Him with questions about the resurrection — a doctrine they rejected — He exposed their shallow faith and misunderstanding of God’s power (Mt. 22:23-33). Jesus’ life directly opposed their love of earthly power, proclaiming that the least are the greatest.

This teaching is perhaps most poignantly illustrated in Luke 22:24-27. During the Last Supper, the disciples argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus responded with a counter-cultural declaration: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them… but you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you must become like a person of lower status and the leader like a servant.”

Jesus directly contrasts the Domination Story with the Servant Story. In the kingdoms of the world, greatness is tied to power, status, and control. But in the kingdom of God, greatness is found in humility, service, and self-giving love. Jesus didn’t just preach this — He lived it. The One who could rightly claim the highest place took on the lowest role, washing His disciples’ feet and ultimately laying down His life for the sake of others.

Today, we still encounter the Domination Story in corporate greed, political power plays, and even church hierarchies. These systems thrive on the pursuit of control, often masking their motives with claims of benevolence. Yet Jesus calls us to reject such narratives and embody the values of His upside-down kingdom. We are called to lead not with authority but with humility, to seek service rather than recognition and to prioritize justice and compassion over personal gain.

• How might you unknowingly participate in systems that prioritize control over justice and compassion?

• What does it mean to choose humility and servant leadership in your daily life?

• How can Jesus’ example of being “among you as one who serves” shape the way you interact with others?

Home By Another Route

Christmas Far & Near

January 5, 2025
Matthew 2:1-12

Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Matthew 2:12

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The Magi gaze long and hard into the darkness. They spend years, perhaps, scanning that night sky waiting for the appearance of a certain star.

When they finally spot that star, a star that is bright enough to follow, they set out on a journey. They take gifts of value and meaning: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Never in the course of this journey is there any sense of jealousy among the travelers. They do not compare the gifts they carry, trying to decide which is best. Somehow, they have the grace to cherish and come to love each of the unique gifts that they are bringing, content that those gifts are enough…

When the Magi reach the place where the Christ child is, they gesture their commitment. They do not just journey to this place; they stop and walk over the threshold, they enter in.

Bending low, they open their gifts and surrender them, laying them at the feet of the child. They trust that each gift is received and is accepted.

Then, in a completely unexpected turn of events, just as they have reached their long anticipated goal, they must abandon their intention to return the way they came. They are cautioned to go home by another route, ultimately because of threat or danger.

They must find another way; the familiar and the planned will not work.

~ excerpt from The Epiphany Cycle, Marianne Hieb

Walking through the story of the Magi, Marianne Hieb suggests a 7 stage cycle that applies quite well to our own spiritual journey and it is a cycle we repeat many times throughout our lives. 

     As you walk through the stages on the other side of this page, consider where you  might be on your own journey right now.

The Epiphany Cycle for your Spiritual Journey

1.  Waiting in darkness 

2. Searching the night Sky

3.  Recognizing the star enough to follow 

4. Setting out on a journey

5.  Following the star

6. Identifying and bringing your giftedness

7.  Enter the new place and find the Lord

8.  Offering and laying down your gift

9.  Returning home by a different route.

We may journey through this cycle many times and in many different ways, but a few key themes are necessary every time.  First, we must begin with a deep awareness… waiting, searching, recognizing.  We must be intentional about seeking God’s presence.  Second, we must step out in faith and take the risk.  We bring our whole selves and our gifts, meager as they may seem, to lay before God as an offering which God graciously and lovingly accepts.  Finally, we must return by a different route.  If our lives are not changed, we have not truly encountered God. 

How will you cultivate awareness this week? 

What gifts will you bring? 

What transformation is God preparing in you for the journey home?  What new route will you take?

Listen to full sermon here

Christmas at Paul's

Christmas at Paul’s

December 29, 2024
Philippians 2:1-11, Galatians 2:20

Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:

Though he was in the form of God,
      he did not consider being equal with God some
      thing to exploit.
But he emptied himself
      by taking the form of a slave
      and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
      he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the   
      point of death, even death on a cross.

Philippians 2:5-8

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Christmas Day is over and for many, the decorations have already been put away.  We’ve enjoyed four Christmas feasts at the home’s of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John and now it’s time for everyone to go home. 

I find it strange how much effort goes into Christmas preparation and how quickly we seem to want to move on without taking time to enjoy it.  When a new baby is born, we don’t ooh and ahh over it for a day or two and then leave it behind at the hospital.  We take the child home and our lives are never the same.

So how about just one more stop on our Christmas tour, at Paul’s house.  “Paul?” you might ask.  What does he have to do with Christmas.  He didn’t even encounter Jesus until after the resurrection.  Paul missed didn’t just miss the birthday party, he missed Jesus’ whole life. 

Perhaps, and yet, Paul writes one of the earliest hymns of the church in Philippians 2 that may be one of the most important Christmas songs in history.  Christ was in the form of God and yet did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.  But he emptied himself by taking the form of a slave and by becoming like human beings.  He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

For someone who didn’t even bring a gift to the baby shower, Paul seems to have a pretty solid grasp of exactly what God is up to in the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  Paul understands that Christmas isn’t really about the details of Jesus’ birth at all.  It’s about incarnation.  It’s about God becoming flesh to dwell among us.  No, more than that… it’s about God humbling Godself even to the point of death.  It’s about a God who doesn’t just become one of us and hide away in a royal palace, but who actually suffers with us and identifies with the grief, the pain and the agony of being human. 

Bringing a baby home changes things.  It is usually joyful in many ways, but it is also hard.  There is pain not only in childbirth, but in raising a child, in watching the child struggle and hurt throughout their own lives, in letting the child go, and in learning to walk alongside him or her in a new way as adults. 

Paul says that the attitude of humility in Christ should be our attitude.  In essence, he’s telling us that we can’t just show up for the party and leave the baby laying in the manger while we go back to our ordinary lives.  The incarnation of Jesus changes us.  Through Jesus, God shows us exactly what humanity is supposed to look like, how we are supposed to live, to serve, and to love one another as Christ loved us. 

Paul’s house may not be decorated like the others, but for Paul, Christmas never ends.  The baby doesn’t stay in the manger, and he doesn’t stay a baby.  Jesus makes his home among us.  Jesus grows with us and in us. 

And so we must grow too. 

As Christ becomes like us, so we must become like him. 

Listen to full sermon here

Christmas at John's

Christmas at John’s

December 22, 2024
John 1:1-5, 14

In the beginning was the Word
    and the Word was with God
    and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
    and without the Word
    nothing came into being.
What came into being
    through the Word was life,
    and the life was the light for all people.
The light shines in the darkness,
    and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light…

 John 1:1-5

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Of the four gospel writers, John appears to be the poet and artist of the group.  Christmas at his house is no doubt filled with the most creative décor and an elaborate feast.  Technically, like Mark, John doesn’t tell the story of Jesus’ birth at all.  Unlike Mark, however, the beginning of the good news for John is not in Jesus’ active ministry, or in his birth like Luke, or even in his ancestral line like Matthew.  No, the beginning of the good news for John is the beginning of all creation.

The Word was with God and the Word was God and everything that came into being came through the Word… and now John tells us that this very word through which all things were made, has put on flesh and dwells among us. 

In 2010, I tried to wrap my head around what this cosmic truth must have felt like for Mary, and what it means for us as we gaze at the baby in the manger.  Below is the first verse and chorus of the song that came to me:

Here I am, face to face with a faceless God
Gazing deep into the eyes of the all-seeing one

 How can i hold you when I'm wrapped in your arms?
How can i feed the bread of life?
How can this baby have known me in the womb?
How can the angel's words be true?

All of my life, I've tried so hard to believe
In a God so high above, I wondered could you hear me
But now you're here, wrapped in my flesh and bone
And I'm still tryin' O Lord, so hard to believe

For John, it’s not enough that Jesus is Israel’s Messiah or even the Savior of the World.  Jesus is the fullness of the Word that spoke light into the darkness and the darkness cannot overcome it.  Jesus embodies the Word of Life that spoke all of creation into existence.   John takes seriously the words of the Psalmist who writes, “The heavens declare the majesty of God and the skies proclaim the work of God’s hands” (Psalm 19:1). 

Poetry and art exist to express something deeper than what ordinary words can say.  It is the language of the soul.  John portrays Jesus as the language of God’s heart and soul.  The words of the prophets and the angels were not enough for the people to stay in love with God.  Now it’s time for God to speak directly.  But God doesn’t speak in the language of laws or declarations or doctrinal standards. 

No, God speaks the language of love wrapped in flesh… the pinnacle of God’s creation, humanity itself, now showing us what God’s love really means… a love beyond words, a love beyond actions, a love that gives God’s whole self fully for the sake of the world.

 Listen to full sermon here 

Christmas at Luke's

Christmas at Luke’s

December 15, 2024
Luke 2:1-14

Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”

 Luke 2:8-14

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Let’s just be honest.  When it comes to Christmas, Luke’s house is messy.  Mark didn’t even decorate and Matthew stuck to a deeply traditional family gathering with guests worthy of the royal occasion.  Luke, on the other hand, will invite anybody to the party, even filthy shepherds on night watch. 

One can imagine Luke at the grocery store that morning handing out invitations to every cashier and bagger, and then there’s one for the lady at the drive thru window and one for the mail carrier and the garbage collector.  Oh, and don’t forget the homeless guy under the bridge and the drunken crowd with no place to go after last call at the bar.  Any chance we can get a special day pass for the local convicts while we’re at it?

“Hey, there’s a new baby at the little run down shack at the end of the dirt road!  Actually he’s in the shed in the back yard in an old cattle trough, but never mind that.   Everybody come see!” 

Matthew needs to make sure his Jewish audience recognizes God’s faithfulness to them and their ancestors, but Luke has no such concern.  His primary audience already stands outside the religious “members only” club.  Of course there are Gentiles in Matthew like the magi, and there are Jews in Luke, like Simeon and Ana, and possibly even the shepherds (we don’t know).  It’s not that Matthew is excluding outsiders or that Luke is being dismissive of the insiders.  It’s the same message, the same invitation, just for a different audience.

The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city.”  This is exactly what Luke wants to make clear.  Jesus has come for ALL people.  He’s not just a “Christian” Savior or a “Jewish” Savior.  He’s not just the Savior for people of a particular nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or political affiliation.  He’s not just the Savior for the wealthy or powerful.  He’s not just the Savior for those who are clean and have their lives all put together.  He’s not just the Savior for those who are considered “respectable” in society.  He is YOUR Savior too!

We love to sing “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine and “Jesus loves me, this I know,” but are we as willing to look in the face of the one we don’t want around and say “Jesus is yours too… Jesus loves you too”?

As we move from one gospel account to the next, the scope of the incarnation just keeps expanding.  Christ comes to establish the Kingdom of God on earth.  This Kingdom comes through the Jews and the son of David AND this Kingdom is wonderful, joyous news for ALL people.  I wonder, who else might Luke be telling you to invite for Christmas this year?

 Listen to full sermon here

Christmas at Matthew's

Christmas at Matthew’s

December 8, 2024
Matthew 1:18-25; 2:13-15, 19-23

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. When Mary his mother was engaged to Joseph, before they were married, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph her husband was a righteous man. Because he didn’t want to humiliate her, he decided to call off their engagement quietly.  As he was thinking about this, an angel from the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because the child she carries was conceived by the Holy Spirit.  

Matthew 1:18-20

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Overall, Matthew draws heavily on Mark’s account of Jesus life, death and resurrection, but as we saw last week, Mark doesn’t give Matthew much to work with when it comes to Jesus’ birth.  We don’t know Matthew’s source material for the first few chapters, but we do know that he is very intentional about the way he frames the story.  Matthew relies heavily on the hope of Israel’s prophets and he even begins his story with a genealogy tracing Jesus’ family lineage through Abraham and David. 

Christmas at Matthew’s house is a great big family reunion, but when we look closely at the genealogy, we find that he even invites a few of the “black sheep” that some would rather not see at the reunion.  Outsiders ranging from Rahab to the Magi get a seat and Matthew’s table, but it is clearly still Israel’s table. 

At the end of the day it is Joseph, son of David, who is addressed first by the angel.  Joseph must fully embrace Jesus as his own son, to adopt him as a legal part of David’s household, despite the questionable circumstances around his conception.  

I can only imagine how Joseph must have felt being addressed as a “son of David.”  As an ordinary craftsman, his “royal” lineage did not carry much weight.  King Herod was on the throne and he was little more than a puppet of the Roman Empire.  There was no “son of David” waiting in the wings to save Israel from their oppressors this time.  The idea that Joseph would be in line for the throne must have seemed as laughable to him as the idea of having a child in her extremely old age seemed to Sarah. 

But this is precisely Matthew’s point.  He builds on Mark’s emphasis that this Jesus is indeed the son of God and will usher in God’s kingdom, but Matthew also knows that for his people, none of Jesus’ signs or wonders will mean much without some serious credentials in the Messianic bloodline. 

While Christmas for Mark is all about Jesus’ messianic activity through his life, death and resurrection, Matthew’s Christmas is all about family.  Who is Jesus’ family?  Where does he come from?  Can he truly be the one we have waited for? From the genealogy to the announcement to Joseph and even to the foreign astrologers who see the sign of a new king in Israel, everything about Matthew’s Christmas story points to this simple truth, that Jesus is indeed the heir to David’s throne. 

The Jewish people have gotten a bad wrap in history and even in the gospels as they are often made scapegoats for Jesus’ death.  Matthew reminds us, however, that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel.  Gentile Christians are not a replacement for the Jews.  Instead we see God’s promise to Abraham fulfilled, that through him and the nation of Israel, all nations would feast together on God’s Holy Mountain and God, Emmanuel, would come and dine with us.

Listen to the full sermon here

Christmas at Mark's

Christmas at Mark’s

December 1, 2024
Mark 1:1-11

The beginning of the good news about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, happened just as it was written about in the prophecy of Isaiah:

Look, I am sending my messenger before you.
He will prepare your way,
a voice shouting in the wilderness:
        “Prepare the way for the Lord;
        make his paths straight.

Mark 1:1-3

_______________

Wait, what… how is this the beginning of the good news?  What’s going on here Mark?  Where’s the angel chorus, the miraculous birth, the shepherds in the field and the wise men from afar?  Where’s the manger and that “sweet little Jesus boy” we love to sing about this time of year?

The first time we see Jesus in Mark’s gospel is at his baptism, sometime around age 30.  As comedian Mark Lowery says, “God is in the house, isn’t somebody keeping a journal!” 

Christmas at Mark’s house must have been a little… well… non-existent.  If the four gospel writers were neighbors, it appears Mark would be the Scrooge of the crew… no tree, no lights, no presents, no cookies.  For 30 years Jesus has been walking around and Mark doesn’t even seem to know he was born until he shows up at the river where some strange prophet eating locusts and wearing camels hair is calling the people to repentance in preparation for the coming kingdom of God. 

What’s more, Mark’s is actually the earliest gospel account we have, likely dating to more than 30 years after Jesus’ death and at least 10 to 15 years before Matthew’s version of the story (25 to 30 years before Luke or John).  Could you imagine waiting that long for the next iPhone or Android upgrade?  The world was clearly a lot slower back then.

The bottom line is this, for roughly the first 85 years from the time of Jesus’s birth, there was no written account of the Christmas story at all.  Mark is the first that we know of to record anything about Jesus’ life and teachings and he starts recording only 3 years before the end.  It would seem he came a little late to the party.

On the other hand, birthdays were really not very significant in the ancient world.  Birth narratives in Rome were often more mythological accounts written much later to glorify the divine significance of a person’s life, especially someone like an emperor who they would have called the “son of God.”  But we’ll save that for another gospel.  For now, what in the world can we learn about Christmas from Mark?

The beginning of the good news, Mark declares, is not in a manger in Bethlehem, but in the preparation of people’s hearts for the Kingdom of God that was proclaimed centuries before by the prophet Isaiah.  It’s ironic that Mark, the shortest and most high-paced of all the gospels, is the one that looking back, actually calls us to slow down.  Of course his original audience would not have had the Christmas story in any form, but for us, it is a reminder not to rush too fast into Christmas.  First we must prepare our hearts and change our lives.  Christmas is not the beginning of the good news, it’s just one small part of the Kingdom of God breaking into our reality. 

Mark’s question is simply this… “Are you ready?”

Listen to the full sermon here