Advent Devotion for Monday, December 18
Based on John 5:30-47 (read it here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=33465452 )
What a crazy time of year this is! Jill and I will be leaving for vacation not long after Christmas, and it still feels like I have endless tasks before I get there. There are services to plan, services which don’t only involve me, but lots of participation from people I have to line up. There are people to visit, Christmas traditions to continue, a youth group retreat to plan, family and friends to shop for, and–oh yes–a daughter to be mindful of. I am of course profoundly grateful for all of these things, but they still weigh heavy sometimes. It is very easy to busy ourselves at this time of year–with very worthy causes! I should be busy with the work of leading the church, and you should be busy with all the things you are busy with.
It’s good and right to be busy with these things–God has made us to be creatures who work and keep busy. Yet, of course, busy-ness has dangers of its own. There are times when busyness can surround us and make us forget what we are busy about. We can forget that our busyness is supposed to serve the celebration and honoring of the Baby of Bethlehem.
When Jesus speaks to the Pharisees here, he speaks to a group of people who kept extremely busy–with good things! Specifically, the Pharisees were busy about searching the Scriptures. They kept at it, parsing the ancient languages, hunting high and low for the lessons Scripture had for them. Yet, Jesus says, in their busy-ness, they have missed what the Scriptures are really all about. The Scriptures testify to Jesus, that is, they point to Jesus. Jesus points out that the Pharisees are so busy searching the Scripture that they miss the fact that the Point Of the Scriptures has arrived–he himself!
As we busy ourselves, even as we keep busy with good things, we must be on guard not to miss the forest for the trees. Remember that Jesus, the point of the celebration, is here and that our life with him is all a supreme gift.
What a crazy time of year this is! Jill and I will be leaving for vacation not long after Christmas, and it still feels like I have endless tasks before I get there. There are services to plan, services which don’t only involve me, but lots of participation from people I have to line up. There are people to visit, Christmas traditions to continue, a youth group retreat to plan, family and friends to shop for, and–oh yes–a daughter to be mindful of. I am of course profoundly grateful for all of these things, but they still weigh heavy sometimes. It is very easy to busy ourselves at this time of year–with very worthy causes! I should be busy with the work of leading the church, and you should be busy with all the things you are busy with.
It’s good and right to be busy with these things–God has made us to be creatures who work and keep busy. Yet, of course, busy-ness has dangers of its own. There are times when busyness can surround us and make us forget what we are busy about. We can forget that our busyness is supposed to serve the celebration and honoring of the Baby of Bethlehem.
When Jesus speaks to the Pharisees here, he speaks to a group of people who kept extremely busy–with good things! Specifically, the Pharisees were busy about searching the Scriptures. They kept at it, parsing the ancient languages, hunting high and low for the lessons Scripture had for them. Yet, Jesus says, in their busy-ness, they have missed what the Scriptures are really all about. The Scriptures testify to Jesus, that is, they point to Jesus. Jesus points out that the Pharisees are so busy searching the Scripture that they miss the fact that the Point Of the Scriptures has arrived–he himself!
As we busy ourselves, even as we keep busy with good things, we must be on guard not to miss the forest for the trees. Remember that Jesus, the point of the celebration, is here and that our life with him is all a supreme gift.
posted by Rev. Michael Jordan at 1:09 PM
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