A friend of mine posted a challenging question on Facebook inviting us to ponder what identity God wants to birth in us this Christmas. After meditating on that in light of what we've been learning on Bible Quiz Team this year (John 1 - 10 so far), I wrote this poem.
Light
Magi in the east, intrigued
By messages in the sky,
Discerned a sign, a star so bright
That they journeyed west
By day and night
And couldn’t help, try as they might,
But pursue and follow
That radical, surprising light.
The Son of God, enfleshed,
Sent unto his own to die,
Stirred the Jews, provoked a fight.
He played, forgave,
Did what was right,
And caused dissension by restoring sight
To each one who followed
The radical, surprising light.
Now I see that Star and Son,
And hear my own call from on high.
Upon my couch this Christmas night,
I long to grow
By His own might
To “show God’s love aright,”
To be to my own world
A radical, surprising light.
Rebecca Brist
Christmas, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Signs of Christmas
Is it wrong to ask God for a sign? I always used to think it was because of Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:39: “He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!’”
But Isaiah 7 gives the background for Jesus’ frustration with the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees who were asking him for a sign. In those days King Ahaz was king of Judah. Ahaz was “shaken [with fear] as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind” because of an alliance that had been made two nations that were about to march against Judah. God told Ahaz not to worry, that He had it under control, and that the defeat he feared “will not take place; it will not happen.”
So God invited Ahaz to ask him for a sign, “whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
God was evidently frustrated with Ahaz’ false piety. Through Isaiah He replied to Ahaz, “Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Fast forward 700-some years and now the leaders of God’s people have decided to take God up on his offer of a sign. But the maddening irony of it was that the very sign that God had given to the closed-fisted Ahaz was now standing before the Jewish leaders, and they had the audacity to ask Him for a sign! He was the sign: Immanuel.
The sign that our destruction “will not happen.” The sign that our loving God has us in the palm of His hand.
God’s not opposed to giving us signs. He wants to give us signs. He gives us signs every day of our lives. The question is, do we recognize those signs?
Open our eyes, Lord. Especially during this season when we remember that You provided us salvation by sending us Your Son.
But Isaiah 7 gives the background for Jesus’ frustration with the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees who were asking him for a sign. In those days King Ahaz was king of Judah. Ahaz was “shaken [with fear] as the trees of the forest are shaken by the wind” because of an alliance that had been made two nations that were about to march against Judah. God told Ahaz not to worry, that He had it under control, and that the defeat he feared “will not take place; it will not happen.”
So God invited Ahaz to ask him for a sign, “whether in the deepest depths or the highest heights.” But Ahaz said, “I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.”
God was evidently frustrated with Ahaz’ false piety. Through Isaiah He replied to Ahaz, “Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”
Fast forward 700-some years and now the leaders of God’s people have decided to take God up on his offer of a sign. But the maddening irony of it was that the very sign that God had given to the closed-fisted Ahaz was now standing before the Jewish leaders, and they had the audacity to ask Him for a sign! He was the sign: Immanuel.
The sign that our destruction “will not happen.” The sign that our loving God has us in the palm of His hand.
God’s not opposed to giving us signs. He wants to give us signs. He gives us signs every day of our lives. The question is, do we recognize those signs?
Open our eyes, Lord. Especially during this season when we remember that You provided us salvation by sending us Your Son.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
John 2: Thoughts, Meditations, and Speculations
(Just some speculation about how it might have really “gone down.”)
On the third day. Hmmm. Jesus had only known his disciples for three days prior to this wedding feast. So, imagine the conversation that probably happened just two days before.
Jesus to Mary: Dear Woman, you know that wedding that we’re going to the day after tomorrow?
Mary: Yes?
Jesus: Do you think it would be okay for me to bring my new friends with us? Could you get them an invitation?
Mary: Oh, probably! You know how the Goldsteins love you! How many invites do you want me to ask for?
Jesus: Eleven.
Mary: Eleven?
Jesus: Yes.
Mary: Okay! I’ll see what I can do! Hannah owes me anyway; I’ve been helping her plan this feast for weeks now!
So, with that as backdrop, cut to the day of the feast. Mary finds out the wine is gone, and her first thought is to bring it up to Jesus.
He utters the famous words, “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.”
Mary doesn’t say a word. She glances across the room toward a table where 11 boisterous men sit, all drinking their wine with gusto. Her look says it all. The 11 recently added guests may have a lot to do with the wine being gone! With a raise of her eyebrow that only a mother can master, she turns from Jesus toward the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” She doesn’t know what Jesus will do, but she knows He won’t let her down. Especially after the strings she had to pull to get his buddies there!
Did the servants observe the undercurrent of the conversation? No doubt, and they were loving the subplot!
Jesus had envisioned a different way of introducing himself and his ministry to Israel. Ever since he was 12 years old and had visited the temple with his parents, the scene of the greedy moneychangers in the temple courts had haunted him. Every year when He returned to celebrate Passover, it seemed to have gotten worse. He knew that His first public act as the Messiah would be to clear away the moneychangers and merchants.
Now He reconsidered. Should not His first public act as Messiah be to bless the woman who had given Him birth, sacrificed her reputation and indeed her whole life to provide him with love and nurture? Mary’s lot hadn’t been easy. Yes, this was a better idea. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Here was a way to illustrate that the merciful shall obtain mercy before holding the unmerciful merchants and moneychangers accountable.
Jesus spied six stone water jugs, the kind the Jews use for ceremonial washing. Ah! Here was a brilliant symbol, indeed! A way to illustrate that the old religious system was being replaced with a new order. The Bridegroom is here, and the time for joyous celebration in freedom is about to replace the somber sacrificial rituals. The jugs were empty—they had no power to take away sins. But the wine of the new covenant—his own blood—would make perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Jesus ordered the jugs to be filled with water and taken to the master of the banquet. What had been amusing to the servants up until now suddenly took on a rather risky feel. They didn’t feel too happy about serving water to the master when he was expecting wine. How thrilled and relieved they were to see the delighted smile on the master’s face upon tasting the water that had been turned into wine! They glanced at each other in utter amazement, and at the first opportunity began spreading the word about what had happened. One ecstatic servant told the disciple named John, and John made him slow down and tell the whole story in detail from beginning to end.
When Jesus heard the master of the banquet give his opinion on the matter, His spirit rejoiced in the prophetic and symbolic meaning of the comment. “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Yes, the new covenant Jesus was about to offer was the best. And it had been a long time coming. Those who were willing to receive it would savor it and appreciate it with awe.
This was the first of His miraculous signs. In this way He revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him. And His mom was happy, too.
On the third day. Hmmm. Jesus had only known his disciples for three days prior to this wedding feast. So, imagine the conversation that probably happened just two days before.
Jesus to Mary: Dear Woman, you know that wedding that we’re going to the day after tomorrow?
Mary: Yes?
Jesus: Do you think it would be okay for me to bring my new friends with us? Could you get them an invitation?
Mary: Oh, probably! You know how the Goldsteins love you! How many invites do you want me to ask for?
Jesus: Eleven.
Mary: Eleven?
Jesus: Yes.
Mary: Okay! I’ll see what I can do! Hannah owes me anyway; I’ve been helping her plan this feast for weeks now!
So, with that as backdrop, cut to the day of the feast. Mary finds out the wine is gone, and her first thought is to bring it up to Jesus.
He utters the famous words, “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come.”
Mary doesn’t say a word. She glances across the room toward a table where 11 boisterous men sit, all drinking their wine with gusto. Her look says it all. The 11 recently added guests may have a lot to do with the wine being gone! With a raise of her eyebrow that only a mother can master, she turns from Jesus toward the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you.” She doesn’t know what Jesus will do, but she knows He won’t let her down. Especially after the strings she had to pull to get his buddies there!
Did the servants observe the undercurrent of the conversation? No doubt, and they were loving the subplot!
Jesus had envisioned a different way of introducing himself and his ministry to Israel. Ever since he was 12 years old and had visited the temple with his parents, the scene of the greedy moneychangers in the temple courts had haunted him. Every year when He returned to celebrate Passover, it seemed to have gotten worse. He knew that His first public act as the Messiah would be to clear away the moneychangers and merchants.
Now He reconsidered. Should not His first public act as Messiah be to bless the woman who had given Him birth, sacrificed her reputation and indeed her whole life to provide him with love and nurture? Mary’s lot hadn’t been easy. Yes, this was a better idea. Mercy triumphs over judgment. Here was a way to illustrate that the merciful shall obtain mercy before holding the unmerciful merchants and moneychangers accountable.
Jesus spied six stone water jugs, the kind the Jews use for ceremonial washing. Ah! Here was a brilliant symbol, indeed! A way to illustrate that the old religious system was being replaced with a new order. The Bridegroom is here, and the time for joyous celebration in freedom is about to replace the somber sacrificial rituals. The jugs were empty—they had no power to take away sins. But the wine of the new covenant—his own blood—would make perfect forever those who are being made holy.
Jesus ordered the jugs to be filled with water and taken to the master of the banquet. What had been amusing to the servants up until now suddenly took on a rather risky feel. They didn’t feel too happy about serving water to the master when he was expecting wine. How thrilled and relieved they were to see the delighted smile on the master’s face upon tasting the water that had been turned into wine! They glanced at each other in utter amazement, and at the first opportunity began spreading the word about what had happened. One ecstatic servant told the disciple named John, and John made him slow down and tell the whole story in detail from beginning to end.
When Jesus heard the master of the banquet give his opinion on the matter, His spirit rejoiced in the prophetic and symbolic meaning of the comment. “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Yes, the new covenant Jesus was about to offer was the best. And it had been a long time coming. Those who were willing to receive it would savor it and appreciate it with awe.
This was the first of His miraculous signs. In this way He revealed His glory, and His disciples put their faith in Him. And His mom was happy, too.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
The Green Tree
Recently as I was waking up these words popped into my mind: “If they do these things in the green tree, what shall they do in the dry?”
I recognized them as the words of Christ, but I didn’t recall the context. I lay there pondering what the import of the words could be. When I looked up the context of the quote, I found it came from Luke 23:26 – 48. Jesus actually spoke these words as he was carrying the cross to Calvary! I had had no idea.
He spoke the words to the women who were weeping and mourning for him. He told them not to weep for Him, but to weep for themselves and for their children because of the judgments that would befall them. If people will commit such atrocities and injustices when the Prince of Righteousness walks among them, what will they do when His godly influence and example are removed?
By rejecting their true King, Israel set itself up for the judgments of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the tribulation period. Injustices and atrocities were and will be exponentially multiplied upon those who wrongly treated Jesus and their offspring.
A teaching I had participated in the day before with Paul Singh asked us to consider the questions: How have I been betrayed? How do I betray others? How do I betray myself? How do I betray God? In our fallen condition, we usually sin against others, ourselves, and God when someone sins against us.
As I read this passage, I was overcome with Jesus’ response to “How have I been betrayed?” He did not betray others, himself, or God. He looked past His own suffering and foresaw the judgment that would come to those who were committing the sin—and to their descendants. He didn’t delight in that judgment. Within three verses, He is pleading, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Incredible! Astounding! Amazing!
If anyone had the right to be angry or enraged by how people were treating him, it was Jesus on His way to the cross and on the cross. He was fully human. As humans, we often interpret other’s actions as disrespect toward us, when in fact those actions may just be irresponsibility on their part. Evidently from this passage, Jesus was able to see that “IT’S NOT ABOUT ME” but “IT’S ABOUT THEM.”
Talk about disrespect. Jesus could have viewed this episode as being disrespected BIG TIME. But He viewed it as irresponsibility. They didn’t know what they were doing. And because they didn’t know, He paid the price, set an example, and showed leadership without condemning. Not merely without condemning, but actually providing the means of restoration. Amazing. Wow.
Here’s how Jesus was betrayed:
·Rulers sneered.
·Soldiers mocked.
·People stood looking on.
·A criminal blasphemed Him.
·Romans crucified Him between two criminals.
What did He do with His pain? He:
·focused on others (“weep for yourselves and your children”).
·asked God to forgive them.
·accepted the request of one criminal—granted salvation.
·committed His spirit into the hands of the Father.
As I was meditating on these ideas, I kept hearing the verse: “Consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.” I didn’t remember the context of that, either. It is Hebrews 12:13.
“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
When I feel betrayed by someone, God wants me to consider this event in Jesus’ life. His example keeps me from growing weary and discouraged.
Thanks, Holy Spirit, for directing me to this passage to solidify the teaching I had heard. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it now!
I recognized them as the words of Christ, but I didn’t recall the context. I lay there pondering what the import of the words could be. When I looked up the context of the quote, I found it came from Luke 23:26 – 48. Jesus actually spoke these words as he was carrying the cross to Calvary! I had had no idea.
He spoke the words to the women who were weeping and mourning for him. He told them not to weep for Him, but to weep for themselves and for their children because of the judgments that would befall them. If people will commit such atrocities and injustices when the Prince of Righteousness walks among them, what will they do when His godly influence and example are removed?
By rejecting their true King, Israel set itself up for the judgments of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. and the tribulation period. Injustices and atrocities were and will be exponentially multiplied upon those who wrongly treated Jesus and their offspring.
A teaching I had participated in the day before with Paul Singh asked us to consider the questions: How have I been betrayed? How do I betray others? How do I betray myself? How do I betray God? In our fallen condition, we usually sin against others, ourselves, and God when someone sins against us.
As I read this passage, I was overcome with Jesus’ response to “How have I been betrayed?” He did not betray others, himself, or God. He looked past His own suffering and foresaw the judgment that would come to those who were committing the sin—and to their descendants. He didn’t delight in that judgment. Within three verses, He is pleading, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
Incredible! Astounding! Amazing!
If anyone had the right to be angry or enraged by how people were treating him, it was Jesus on His way to the cross and on the cross. He was fully human. As humans, we often interpret other’s actions as disrespect toward us, when in fact those actions may just be irresponsibility on their part. Evidently from this passage, Jesus was able to see that “IT’S NOT ABOUT ME” but “IT’S ABOUT THEM.”
Talk about disrespect. Jesus could have viewed this episode as being disrespected BIG TIME. But He viewed it as irresponsibility. They didn’t know what they were doing. And because they didn’t know, He paid the price, set an example, and showed leadership without condemning. Not merely without condemning, but actually providing the means of restoration. Amazing. Wow.
Here’s how Jesus was betrayed:
·Rulers sneered.
·Soldiers mocked.
·People stood looking on.
·A criminal blasphemed Him.
·Romans crucified Him between two criminals.
What did He do with His pain? He:
·focused on others (“weep for yourselves and your children”).
·asked God to forgive them.
·accepted the request of one criminal—granted salvation.
·committed His spirit into the hands of the Father.
As I was meditating on these ideas, I kept hearing the verse: “Consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself.” I didn’t remember the context of that, either. It is Hebrews 12:13.
“For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”
When I feel betrayed by someone, God wants me to consider this event in Jesus’ life. His example keeps me from growing weary and discouraged.
Thanks, Holy Spirit, for directing me to this passage to solidify the teaching I had heard. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it now!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Playing with Father
God asked me to come out and play.
Naomi and I went to the Earth Exchange thrift store to look for a costume for her for the Fall Frolic Halloween alternative at our church. As I was scanning the clothing racks for something for her, I ran across a black shirt jacket with the head of a leopard painted on it and leopard pattern trim on the sleeves and collar. I showed it to Naomi. “You could be a leopard tamer,” I said. Naomi dismissed the idea, so I put the shirt back. I kept suggesting other ideas to Naomi, and she kept suggesting other ideas for me. When we had exhausted every possibility for Naomi, she insisted that I find a costume for myself. I went back to the leopard shirt. “I could be a leopard tamer,” I said.
We proceeded to look for other pieces to complete the leopard tamer outfit. There were some long pants that I had ruled out because they were size 2, but Naomi encouraged me to try them on. Naomi found a black t-shirt with the appliqué of Mickey Mouse in a leopard pattern. I said, “That’s great! It means I can turn a leopard into a mouse!” The pants fit (surprise!) except they were way too long. That’s when Naomi presented me with some amazing black platform shoes. They were a little too large, but they added three inches to my height! Naomi then found some black clip-on earrings, and I found a black stocking cap and a black water bottle holder in which I could place Isaac’s whip. To my surprise and delight, I was outfitted in a costume that was so unlike my “real” persona that it was sure to make anyone who knew me smile at the irony.
At the beginning of the evening, I had the opportunity to have my nails painted, something I seldom do. One of the junior high girls who was volunteering at the nail-painting station was wearing orange nail polish with black spots. I asked her to paint mine the same way. Now with my earrings, heels, and nail polish, I was fully accessorized.
Wearing the outfit for four hours affected me. I felt unusually tall, feminine, confident, and capable. Whenever I met a little kitten or leopard, I asked if she wanted to be tamed by me. They all refused! Nevertheless, I knew that if I were a real leopard tamer and they were real leopards, it wouldn’t be up to them. The leopard tamer is the one who calls the shots.
At the end of the evening, I had a new appreciation of my own strength and femininity. I understood that strength and femininity need not be in opposition. In fact, they complement and enhance each other. It was a healing revelation I desperately needed right now. How mischievous for God to teach me so playfully! Thanks, Father. I’ll play with you any time!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
The Father's Lament
My kids don’t appreciate what I provide for them.
They don’t acknowledge the hardship I went through to be able to provide for them.
They want to take advantage of everything I’ve provided for them by having fun, playing, and pursuing their own goals and interests.
My kids tread on me and squander my provision.
They don’t recognize the sacrifices I’ve made.
They treat me like a second-class citizen.
My kids don’t like what I like.
They don’t spend time with me.
They are lazy and selfish.
My kids don’t include me in their plans.
They don’t seek my counsel.
They don’t listen to me.
My kids don’t honor or respect me.
They won’t make the sacrifice to do something they don’t like to do just to show me how much they love me.
They don’t try to build a relationship with me.
Thanks for listening to my complaints.
Signed,
God the Father
They don’t acknowledge the hardship I went through to be able to provide for them.
They want to take advantage of everything I’ve provided for them by having fun, playing, and pursuing their own goals and interests.
My kids tread on me and squander my provision.
They don’t recognize the sacrifices I’ve made.
They treat me like a second-class citizen.
My kids don’t like what I like.
They don’t spend time with me.
They are lazy and selfish.
My kids don’t include me in their plans.
They don’t seek my counsel.
They don’t listen to me.
My kids don’t honor or respect me.
They won’t make the sacrifice to do something they don’t like to do just to show me how much they love me.
They don’t try to build a relationship with me.
Thanks for listening to my complaints.
Signed,
God the Father
Sunday, August 9, 2009
“Favor? What’s Favor, Precious?”
One of my favorite Bible teachers talks frequently about the concept of “favor.” And one of my favorite brothers-in-law greets me by telling me that I’m “blessed and highly favored.”
I’ve been thinking more about favor this summer because I’ve experienced it in a way that I never have before, or at least in a way I never noticed before. On three occasions this summer, I have made a mistake, and God has used it to produce something good. I imagine that my mistakes give my guardian angel(s) some fun by challenging them to make something good out of something “stupid.” Or maybe they have a hand in helping me make those “mistakes” so that God’s purposes can be served. That may sound weird or heretical, but consider this instance.
In June, I was administering standardized tests to two of my home-schooled children. The first test I administered was the vocabulary test to my sixth grade daughter. Nothing unusual. I’ve been doing it for years, and I knew the routine well. My daughter completed the test with no problem, finishing early. But when the time came to administer the second test, I found that my daughter’s answer sheet was inside my ninth grade son’s test booklet. How did that happen? It turns out I had administered the ninth grade vocabulary test to my sixth grade daughter! Oops! I had never done that before. And I wasn’t relishing my daughter’s reaction to having to take the vocabulary test again.
Curiously, however, I recalled that my daughter had not complained about the test, and that she had finished early. When I told her she had taken the ninth grade test, she assured me that it really hadn’t been that hard. She asked me to score it. I was amazed at how well she had done, getting only a few answers wrong. As I relayed to her how well she had done on a test that was three years ahead of her, she beamed. And I realized what God was up to. My daughter suffers from a needless lack of confidence, and now she had proof that she was smart. She approached the rest of her tests with greater confidence than she would have otherwise, and she scored higher on everything than she has for the last couple of years.
I’m left wondering: Did my angel (or my daughter’s angel) distract me at a key moment when I was selecting her test, or did one of them slip the ninth grade test into my hand while the other one clouded my eyes? Or did God simply take a natural mistake of mine (that I’ve never made in ten years of administering such tests) and make it better?
However it happened, it represents God’s favor toward me and my daughter in action.
“Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance” (Psalm 106:4-5).
Oh yeah. It’s good to be His.
I’ve been thinking more about favor this summer because I’ve experienced it in a way that I never have before, or at least in a way I never noticed before. On three occasions this summer, I have made a mistake, and God has used it to produce something good. I imagine that my mistakes give my guardian angel(s) some fun by challenging them to make something good out of something “stupid.” Or maybe they have a hand in helping me make those “mistakes” so that God’s purposes can be served. That may sound weird or heretical, but consider this instance.
In June, I was administering standardized tests to two of my home-schooled children. The first test I administered was the vocabulary test to my sixth grade daughter. Nothing unusual. I’ve been doing it for years, and I knew the routine well. My daughter completed the test with no problem, finishing early. But when the time came to administer the second test, I found that my daughter’s answer sheet was inside my ninth grade son’s test booklet. How did that happen? It turns out I had administered the ninth grade vocabulary test to my sixth grade daughter! Oops! I had never done that before. And I wasn’t relishing my daughter’s reaction to having to take the vocabulary test again.
Curiously, however, I recalled that my daughter had not complained about the test, and that she had finished early. When I told her she had taken the ninth grade test, she assured me that it really hadn’t been that hard. She asked me to score it. I was amazed at how well she had done, getting only a few answers wrong. As I relayed to her how well she had done on a test that was three years ahead of her, she beamed. And I realized what God was up to. My daughter suffers from a needless lack of confidence, and now she had proof that she was smart. She approached the rest of her tests with greater confidence than she would have otherwise, and she scored higher on everything than she has for the last couple of years.
I’m left wondering: Did my angel (or my daughter’s angel) distract me at a key moment when I was selecting her test, or did one of them slip the ninth grade test into my hand while the other one clouded my eyes? Or did God simply take a natural mistake of mine (that I’ve never made in ten years of administering such tests) and make it better?
However it happened, it represents God’s favor toward me and my daughter in action.
“Remember me, O Lord, with the favor You have toward Your people. Oh visit me with Your salvation, that I may see the benefit of Your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Your nation, that I may glory with Your inheritance” (Psalm 106:4-5).
Oh yeah. It’s good to be His.
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