Epiphany: Wise Men & Fools

 Epiphany, the Christian holiday commemorating the visit of the magi or wise men to Jesus, is on Friday the 6th of January.  The story of this visit is found in Matthew chapter 2.  Please take a moment to read this short story.

In this famous story we find three characters that I want to examine: King Herod, the religiously educated and the wise men.  I find, and I think you will find, their reactions to the news of Jesus to be incredible interesting and convicting.

1) King Herod was Angry.

When Herod heard there was a king of the Jews born he was troubled and his unease was contagious to all the people (2:3).  Herod did not want to relinquish his throne, even though he was a mere puppet king.  Herod heard news of another king and acted like Pig the Pug from one of my kid's favorite storybooks.  Some of you may be ready to exonerate the king because wiping out threats to their throne is just some thing kings do.  That's right.  Kings never took kindly to those wanting their job.  But Herod knew he wasn't simply opposing a king.  He was fighting against the Christ, the Messiah, the promised King from the line of David.

"... he inquired of them (religiously educated folks) where the Christ was to be born." Matthew 2:4

Herod understood that it was the Christ that the magi were looking for and he hated the idea of even the prophesied King usurping his rule.  Herod tried trickery and then even the mass murder of infants and toddlers (2:16-18) to keep the Christ from taking his precious puppet throne perched nicely under the rule of Caesar.

See, some people hear about the Lord Jesus and want nothing to do with Him.  They don't want a King because they would be lord of their own lives.  They hate omnipotence infringing upon their supposed sovereignty.

2) The Religiously Educated were Curiously Uncurious.

This group befuddles me.  The king tells them there are wise men searching for the Christ.  With deadly intent and complete seriousness this king demands to know where the Christ was to be born.  The religiously educated then give the correct answer from the words of the prophet Micah: Bethlehem of Judea.

"And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who will shepherd my people Israel." Matthew 2:6

And what do these religiously educated fools do?  They exit the story!  Can you imagine this?  The people who spend their lives studying the Scriptures, the very Scriptures saturated with God's covenant promise to send an heir of David to rule and reign and save Israel from all oppression and make the world right and good again, these men don't give a darn that the words of the Law and the Prophets might have come to fruition in their lifetime after 400 years of prophetic silence!  They didn't need to be immediate believers, but not one of them is recorded as being curious enough to hitch a ride with these men from the east to investigate.  It's ludicrous. 

See, some people can be full of head knowledge and so full of heart apathy.  Apathy kept them from seeing what angels long to see and the prophets both major and minor would have died to have seen (1 Peter 1:10-12).  Some people could win Bible trivia and lose their soul.  Will you?

3) The Wise Men.

The wise men were full of longing.  These men of uncertain number from the east traveled to Israel.  They had a holy curiosity that made them search out this child.  They had a steadfast conviction that impelled them to journey.  

This irresistible pull led them to the place where the young child was as they followed the star.  Upon the end of their search they "rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" (2:10).  When they saw Jesus they rightly worshipped Him.  They rightly gave the famous gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.  I don't know if these men, who are seemingly uneducated according to the Scriptures, fully understood what they were doing, but like the sailors with Jonah they quickly got the right idea.

See, when some people's journey ends in front of the Christ there is a right reaction: Joy, worship and homage.  The joy was so much that this awkward phrase "rejoiced exceedingly with great joy" is needed to describe what bubbled out of them after their journey ended at the right place in front of the right person.  When we rightly understand Jesus is King we can't help but experience joy, we can't help but worship and we can't help but want to give the homage we feel He is due.  

How will you react to Jesus the King?  Will the idea of being usurped as the boss of your life enrage you?  Will you know it all but fail to be moved off your butt?  Or will you joyfully worship when you realize a king, the King, has come to rule?

Have you had an epiphany regarding Epiphany?  The epiphany is the revealing of Jesus as King.  Has Christ been revealed to you as King of kings and what is your reaction to that enlightening today?

Advent: Mary

 This Advent I am taking a closer look at four characters in the Christmas story.

You're pregnant.

Those two words will change your life forever.  If you've ever heard these words you remember what you were feelings.  If you've ever seen that stick with a dark line and a faint, yet life-altering, line you know what the knowledge of those words can mean: fear, excitement, anxiety, hope, anticipation, planning.

When you found out you were pregnant it came after sex or IUI or something like that, but Mary had the most surprising "You're pregnant" of all time from the angel Gabriel.

"Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"  But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.  And the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." Luke 1:28-33

Now for the million dollar question.

"And Mary said to the angel, 'How will this be, since I am a virgin?" Luke 1:34

Gabriel went on to tell her that the Holy Spirit and the power of the Most High will overshadow her and cause this to happen (Note the Father and Spirit begetting the Son).  He also said that Mary's elderly cousin Elizabeth is six months pregnant with a son.  

Mary responded to this life altering news in a wonderful way:

"Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." Luke 1:38

Think about what Mary was finding out.  She, an unmarried virgin, was pregnant.  God had chosen her for the awesome task of carrying, birthing and raising the Son of God.  Yet Mary was in for the shame of people thinking she was a loose woman, she was to bear the taunts of people calling her son a bastard.  She was to live a life with a story few could ever believe.

Following Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel there was nothing else God needed to do for Mary to confirm her role in the Christmas story.  Yet our gracious God did give her further confirmation.

Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth as quickly as she could to see the miracle that Gabriel had told her had happened.  As soon as Mary entered she didn't have to tell her story, she didn't need to ask Elizabeth's story.  No, God graciously gave Mary more confirmation than she needed.

"And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb.  And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." Luke 1:41-45

At hearing this prophesy of the mother of the greatest prophet, Mary was filled with joy.  God graciously gave Mary the glimpse into His plan that she needed to carry on.  Mary then burst into a song that mirrors that of Hannah in 1 Samuel (you can read this in Luke 1:46-55).

Mary was given a wonderful and hard job.  

You're pregnant.

Those two words changed Mary's life.  They gave her the most blessed title a woman could have, mother of Jesus.  They also gave her a future that included pain like a sword through her soul (Luke 2:35).

The announcement of Mary's pregnancy was the announcement that God was coming down to us.  Emmanuel was embryonic.  The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14) and that process began right after Gabriel's very early gender reveal party for Mary when he told her she would have the Son that would save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

Think today at how the surprising pregnancy announcement changed Mary's life.  Consider how our gracious God gave her strength to perform her task.  Most of all, ponder what the incarnation of Christ means for you today.

Christmas Letter- 2023

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Rays.

We hope your 2022 was one that left you with memories and growth, like ours did.

This Summer we did a vacation filled with day trips to places in Iowa.  We went to Adventureland, our county fair, explored a beautiful park in Decorah with a stunning waterfall, went mini-golfing, took the kids to the science museum in Waterloo, visited Dubuque and saw the Mississippi River Museum, the Fenelon Place Elevator and went deep into a spectacular cave.  

This year we also got to host Thanksgiving for the first time.  We had family and friends from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and Australia pack our house for the big dinner.  Then our Iowa, Minnesota and Australian family was able to stay at a cool B&B inside their dairy barn.  It was great and especially great to watch the kids play with their cousins from Down Under.

"Big J" will be 18 on Christmas Eve and soon hopefully we won't have to refer to him as "Big J" online.  He continues to work at Walmart, is nearly done with school.  He, like so many other 18 year-olds, is trying to figure out what's next.  Pray for him to have wisdom and direction in the many big choices he has soon.

Joshua turned 5 in May and started kindergarten in the Fall.  He reads everything he sees.  This Summer he played T-ball and loved being part of a team and making friends.  Joshua also got to move beyond the parent-and-me to solo swimming lessons.

Anna turned 3 in February and started preschool in the Fall.  She goes Monday, Wednesday and Friday and loves that she has progressed beyond toddler to preschooler.  She also took tumbling classes and swimming lessons. 

Gideon is 19 months now.  He is running everywhere chasing his big siblings.  Right now he seems to gain new words every day.  2022 was a big year of growth for Gideon.

Christine continues to work very part-time (about once a week) at the walk-in clinic.  She has gotten involved in the local Bible Study Fellowship this year and is enjoying it.

Matt is still the morning show host and play-by-play broadcaster at KWAY radio.  He's been there for over 13 and a half years.  He continues to be involved in leading the youth group at church.

2022 was a wonderful year for the Rays.  God has been faithful and good to us.  He gave us Jesus 2,000 years ago and continued to give us Jesus and 2022 and we know we have more Jesus coming in 2023.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from the Rays!

(Legally can't show "J"'s face)

Advent: The Animals

 This Advent I am taking a closer look at four characters in the Christmas story.

My five year-old son was asked what the animals thought on that first Christmas.  He said, "What is this baby doing in my food!"

We can't know what, if anything, the animals thought on that first Christmas, but God gave us an imagination so let's use it today.  Let's make believe that God gave the animals in the stable, cave, courtyard of the home, or wherever they were a mind and mouth like Balaam's donkey.  What might they have wondered and said.

I think, if that were the case, they might have a wonderful perspective.  Think of the way they might have cheered on young Mary in those agonizing hours of labor.  Wonder at what they might have thought when a baby was placed into their feeding trough.  Perhaps Joshua was right.  Maybe they exclaimed, "What is this baby doing in my food!"

Now, imagine God gave these fortunate creatures the ability to hear what the shepherds said as they came in from the fields and into the place where this baby was laid.  The animals may have heard words like 'Christ the Lord' being uttered by these men who claimed to have been visited by a host of angels (Luke 2:9-14).  Then imagine their shock when the young mother, who claimed to be a virgin, told the herdsmen that she also had been visited by an angel that told her that she would have a son that would be called the Son of the Most High and the Lord God would give this baby the throne of His father David and that He would reign forever (Luke 1:32-33).  And what's more the father said that he too was visited by an angel who told him that Mary's baby would save His people from their sins and would be God in flesh on the earth (Matthew 1:20-23).

The animals, in this supposed situation, would have jaws sagging and straw falling out of their mouths.  Could it be?  Could salvation be coming?  Could our Maker be lying in our food?

See, the Good News is about more than sinners going to Heaven.  The redemption of the entire cosmos was inaugurated at the conception of Jesus.

"For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now." Romans 8:19-22

In those hours of painful childbirth, perhaps, the animals were reminded of their groaning in the dog-eat-dog cosmos to which they'd been subjected.  

Those animals saw the inauguration of the redemption of the whole creation and yet they died or were slaughtered before they saw the fulness of what was brought forth that Christmas day.  

Be like these animals.  Know that Jesus has come and that He will come again.  Christmas announces that God is doing something wonderful and urges us to eagerly look forward to its completion when:

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.
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,
and the weaned child shall put his hand in the adder's den.
They shall not hurt or destroy
in all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD
as the waters cover the sea." Isaiah 11:6-9

This Advent look forward to the cosmos-wide fruition of the Gospel.  Remember what the animals might have seen and heard today.

Advent: Shepherds

This Advent I am taking a closer look at four of the characters in the Christmas story. 

I didn't appreciate what I had when we lived out in the country.  

As a young boy living in rural Missouri I had the night sky.  It wasn't until I moved into town as a man and then spent Summer nights in southwest Iowa looking up at the glorious black speckled with countless stars that I realized what I should have cherished.

Imagine how dark the night was in ancient Israel.  No electric lights, just dark sky and billions of stars.

This is the night sky that the shepherds experience that first Christmas.  That is until the glory of the Lord shone around them (Luke 2:9).  

God's glory was not just the bright light in the dark night, but it was the announcement of good news (read that Gospel) of great joy that will be for all the people.  That night God announced the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 9 to men working a menial job, and the night shift of that job.  God revealed His most glorious good news to shepherds on a dark night.

See this through these parallel passages:

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone." Isaiah 9:2
"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them..." Luke 2:8-9

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this." Isaiah 9:6-7 

"For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire." Isaiah 9:5
"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:14

The shepherds, those who were not the cream of the crop of society, were told the prophet Isaiah's words have been verified, go see it!  So, they just ran (read like old lady on the bench in Forest Gump).  They went and saw the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.  They saw and believed.  

The shepherds in the story went from the darkness to light, just like we go from the dominion of darkness into the kingdom of the light (Colossians 1:13).  They went from lowly shepherds with a distinct smell to understanding and believing what the religious elite would fail to grasp and love.

Who are the shepherds in your life?  Who are the people that you might overlook and fail to share the good news with?  Proclaim the Gospel and enlighten the darkness with the news that what God promised long ago came true and what He has promised and we wait for will certainly occur.  

God has good news of great joy for you today.

Advent: Joseph

This Advent I want to take a closer, and perhaps imaginative look, at four characters from the Christmas story.

Am I enough?

As a foster-father I have been tasked with raising another person's child, but I still can't imagine being Joseph.  Sadly, the fathers I am asked to step in for are not ideal fathers.  I'm keenly aware that I can't be the same as any child's biological father except my own, but I have never been kept awake at night wondering if I'm as good a father as one of my foster-kid's biological fathers.  

Joseph must have had many sleepless nights wondering if he could ever be close to enough because his son's father was the Father of Lights.  Joseph made chairs, Jesus' real Father made galaxies.  Joseph put food on the table, Jesus' real Father put air in the lungs of all living things.  Joseph was poor enough to need to sacrifice birds instead of a lamb (Leviticus 5:7, Luke 2:24), Jesus' Father owned the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10).

I think most men struggle with the question: Am I enough?

Joseph is a man like I am and I can only imagine he asked himself this question, prayed this question and cried this question to Mary who echoed the same question while also trying to reassure her dear husband that he was indeed enough for her and the Word of life.

God chose Joseph to be the earthly father to His only begotten Son.  Now, God didn't choose him because he was perfect or because of his immense worth.  God has yet to choose a person because they were great, but rather because He is great in and through them.

But let's look at what good thing we can see in Joseph.

He was an ordinary, righteous man with extraordinary obedience.

Joseph was a righteous man and when he found out that Mary was pregnant he decided to not shame her, but to end their engagement quietly.  He could have had her killed for cheating, but he didn't. Then when the angel told him the truth about the origins of this baby, Joseph embraced the shame he didn't want to give Mary.  Joseph was obedient from the moment he woke from his dreamy encounter with the angel.  

Later, when Joseph was told in another dream to take his new wife and son and flee, he did.  Joseph accepted the life a foreigner and outsider until another dream prompted him to return and restart his life in Nazareth.  As we read the first few chapters of Matthew we see Joseph doing nothing but listening and obeying.

Joseph should give great hope to all men (and women) who wonder if they are enough.  The life of Joseph is not given much glitz and glamor.  As I read about Joseph and imagine his life I'm struck by the value of the ordinary people with extraordinary obedience who strive to live a righteous life.  Joseph never found fame or fortune but this ordinary man's righteousness and obedience sent shockwaves of saving glory through time and space.  

If you are willing to obey God and strive for righteousness, you are enough.

This Advent think about the forgotten character Joseph and what we might find in this seemingly ordinary man who was thrust into an altogether, cosmically wild situation.  See the value of ordinary, righteous living today.

Election Day Peace

 Anxious and Angry people must be more likely to vote.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th and once again we've been told that it's the most important election of our lifetimes.  Now, I believe it is an awesome privilege to be able to vote.  Most human beings have not had a whiff of anything as powerful as a vote in the say of what happens to them and their neighbors.  I'm glad God had me born in a time and place where I can voice my opinion with a ballot.  And there are a host of major issues at stake in this election.  We have issues like inflation, abortion, student debt, gun laws, and more that will be influenced by Tuesday's results.  What party will control the House, the Senate, who will be your county treasurer, does the election become a national referendum on an issue or issues?

Please, educate yourself and vote.

But for the love of God please stop acting as though God isn't God.

Anxious and Angry people not only vote, but they drive ratings.  Many are in the business of stoking anger and anxiety in order to keep your attention long enough to sell fabric softener, beer and over the counter meds to cure the headache the show you watched just caused.  

I have been increasingly convinced that though some people really do enjoy politics and learning about and discussing politics, there are more that enHate than enJoy.  Many people in Iowa get stressed over elections in Texas, California and Georgia that they have no power to affect.  Many people give away such peace for absolutely no return.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with knowing national news.  There's nothing wrong with understanding the times.  But there is something wrong with how most of us go about it.  Most of us live Chicken Little lives in response to the news.  Most of us see a sky that is falling and don't see the God that is reigning.

This week I have been preparing to teach the youth about the sovereignty of God.  God's sovereignty is exactly why I have a peace that passes all understanding.

Today I was worried about something non-election (yes, that's a thing even on election eve).  As I thought about my worry and I thought about the sovereignty of God I did an exercise:  

I breathed in and out deeply while meditating on a phrase.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign."'  Breath.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign."  Breath.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign." Breath.  "God is my Father and He is sovereign."

Oh, what peace filled my mind as I stood waiting for my son to exit the school building.  Those few moments of deep breaths while focusing my mind on a truth of God gave me rest.  I invite you to try that today.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers, whatever is lovely, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.  What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me____ practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4:4-9