Advent Devotional for December 7, 2006
December 7, 2006
Luke 22:1-13 (Read it here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=32500872 )
The whole plan to put Jesus to death had its roots in one phrase: “...because they were afraid of the people.” The chief priests and the scribes were the religious power brokers of the day. And yet here came a rebel teacher who, among other things, restored the dignity of every individual believer and challenged the religious system of their day down to its core. And the people were empowered and energized by the rebel Jesus. The leaders feared losing their power and prestige.
When people fear losing power and prestige, strange things happen. Things that used to seem wrong now start to seem right. When you need to protect your position, you can explain away the most ungodly behavior; given the right circumstances, you might even think it’s OK to kill someone. So the leaders set the process in motion to kill an innocent man, so sure that the ends determine the means, so certain that they are serving a greater good by doing so.
When have you done this? We all have. When our sense of power or identity is threatened, we can be downright ruthless. With scalding words, we attack those we perceive as threats, even when they are people we love, our spouses, our families. With passive-aggressive rage, we cut off relationships with those we disagree with so we don’t have to feel threatened. We brandish daggers of gossip and kill another with the cold words we utter to a friend. Or we may even retreat into ourselves and refuse to be loved by another when we think that person threatens us.
Fear makes us do crazy things. Fear makes tearing down a friend to build yourself up seem proper. Fear makes starving a relationship to death seem necessary. Fear makes killing God seem logical.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod, and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Communion with God, remaining close to him–this is the way to live without fear, fear that makes us kill others, fear that ultimately ends up killing us.
Luke 22:1-13 (Read it here: http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=32500872 )
The whole plan to put Jesus to death had its roots in one phrase: “...because they were afraid of the people.” The chief priests and the scribes were the religious power brokers of the day. And yet here came a rebel teacher who, among other things, restored the dignity of every individual believer and challenged the religious system of their day down to its core. And the people were empowered and energized by the rebel Jesus. The leaders feared losing their power and prestige.
When people fear losing power and prestige, strange things happen. Things that used to seem wrong now start to seem right. When you need to protect your position, you can explain away the most ungodly behavior; given the right circumstances, you might even think it’s OK to kill someone. So the leaders set the process in motion to kill an innocent man, so sure that the ends determine the means, so certain that they are serving a greater good by doing so.
When have you done this? We all have. When our sense of power or identity is threatened, we can be downright ruthless. With scalding words, we attack those we perceive as threats, even when they are people we love, our spouses, our families. With passive-aggressive rage, we cut off relationships with those we disagree with so we don’t have to feel threatened. We brandish daggers of gossip and kill another with the cold words we utter to a friend. Or we may even retreat into ourselves and refuse to be loved by another when we think that person threatens us.
Fear makes us do crazy things. Fear makes tearing down a friend to build yourself up seem proper. Fear makes starving a relationship to death seem necessary. Fear makes killing God seem logical.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod, and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
Communion with God, remaining close to him–this is the way to live without fear, fear that makes us kill others, fear that ultimately ends up killing us.
posted by Rev. Michael Jordan at 9:12 AM
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