Advent
December 16, 2018
Scripture Reading: Luke 3:7-18
John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, ‘You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor”; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the axe is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.’ Luke 3:7-9
Ever want to cry out something like John does in the scripture above as you watch the news and hear some of the most God-awful things being done in the name of God? I must admit I do want to rale against what I consider to be blasphemy. I also wonder sometimes if the people whose positions I am judging feel the same way about my faith stances. How do we discern what is just and right in God’s eyes? What is our role in confronting that which seems at the least misguided?
John had apparently reached the point that he could not keep silent when what he felt was the very core of God’s righteousness was being ignored by the religious leaders of the day. They seem to be interpreting the scriptures passed down from their ancestors to their own advantage. Of course, that is not uncommon behavior even today. Jesus spoke some wise words to us in this regard when he prescribed a good dose of self-examination before we try to engage with others regarding what is just and what is right.
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye. –Matthew 7:5
True self-examination can be painful. Thus, it takes courage to practice it. There are suggested practices that are helpful particularly in obtaining some objectivity in our self-evaluation. One I have found useful is to seek a Bible story that is like an issue with which I am dealing and pray-fully role-playing in a meditation how each participant perceives the situation. For example, if we are trying to discern what is the just and right way to deal with immigration, we might look at the story in the Bible book of Ruth or that of the Syrophoenician Woman (Matthew 15:21-28). How did it feel to be in either role? In the Matthew story, how did Jesus respond to the woman? What do we think the Disciples learned from this interchange? Did we trip over any logs in our viewpoints that might be hindering us from loving like Jesus? Did we discover any new ways of being we might model for others regarding this issue?
Prayer: Lord, help me discover any logs blocking my soul vision of your will for my life and the lives of others who are impacted by my perception of what is just and what is right. Amen.
