Three illustrations verify God’s inclusion of misfits, outcasts and unclean people.
Bad men will turn away from harm they caused. Once on a train pulling into a station, Adolf Hitler saw some soldiers pass by. Some crippled, some carried, some bloody. When they saw him, they snapped to attention and saluted. In turn, he ordered the blinds drawn closed! Even good men turn from scenes that overcome them emotionally. Years ago I heard of a church that had a home visitation ministry, including feeding people unable to care for themselves. A man involved—the veteran—took a friend—the recruit—with him to the patient’s home. The veteran feeding held the spoon to the man’s mouth. Some of the food stayed in, most of it spilled out. The veteran continually assured the man he was doing fine as he tenderly took a napkin and wiped away the saliva and food the man couldn’t hold. He kept it up throughout the feeding. The recruit told us all: he watched as long as he could but finally had to turn away. Joe Theismann watched as Alex Smith was tackled in a recent NFL game. The injury Smith received was the very one Theismann had received when Lawrence Taylor tackled him years before. The instant Taylor saw the injury he frantically waved to the sidelines for help. Seconds before Theismann was his foe. In an instant Taylor became his first responder. When Theismann saw Smith writhing on the ground, and saw the injury, it overcame him. “I turned away,” he admitted. Jesus never turned away when he saw pain, injury, brokenness or despair. He not only didn’t turn away, he went forward, arms out to embrace the unfortunate. “Come to me”, he said to them all. And they all came. Christian friends, pray we don’t turn away when we see human need. Pray that Jesus will make us like him to reach out and help. So they will know someone cares. So they’ll know it’s a Christian who cares. If we do, in their life and ours, the interaction will sound like nightingales singing and have the fragrance of blooming spring flower beds. Remember, Jesus always REACHED out his arms to embrace. And when he wanted to express the Greatest Compassion ever een in humanity, he STRETCHED out his arms to save! Fini
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God chose shepherds, of all people in Israel, to first hear of Messiah’s birth. I suggest but one reason, though others exist. God proved that he cared for all. Certainly those who knew they were least and needed help. Even those who felt they were best, and didn’t.
That offers a particular point of integrity. Famous in Israel, and history, as a man of AUTHORITY, Jesus ordered demons OUT...and they left their victims. He ordered the dead UP...and they rose. He ordered winds and waves STOP...and complete silence followed. It all proved he could do whatever he pleased any time he wanted. But in the most remarkable example of empathy, never in history has anyone possessing all power and fame had such compassion for people. Even for people who hated him. Even for those who couldn’t help themselves. Remember now, that which is most helpful to us must first be faithful to God’s word. And remember that information can weigh on us like flower petals or a ball and chain; like air or lead; like the frost of many winters or the freshness of spring flowers. Therefore...through the angel—likely Gabriel—God preached the shortest, greatest information sermon ever in saying, “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” Luke 2:11. To be joined by an angelic host singing the greatest song ever composed. What we needed to learn. What we wanted to hear. What we despaired of ever hearing. The most uplifting, encouraging faith-building words ever heard: GOD with us, in us, for us. We never had to be afraid or alone again. God wanted everyone to hear that message and sent Jesus, his perfect messenger, to embody and proclaim it. For none but HE would be known through the centuries as The GOOD SHEPHERD, the one who not only canonized a disreputable occupation, but proved the embodiment of the shepherd of Isaiah 40:11 who tends his flock, gathers the lambs in his arms, carries them close to his heart and gently leads them—Our gracious Savior! End Part II It’s appropriate: first responders in emergency vehicles precede anyone to disasters: when tornadoes twist, hurricanes blow and floods rage. The first to help, they give confidence. They assure the stricken that they’re not alone, that the responders represent only the first of many who CARE.
It’s incongruous: shepherds as the first audience of the first Noel—carol—ever heard. The lowliest of citizens, a step above tax collectors, perhaps two above lepers, but not the company you want to keep; who had value only as workmen, not as persons. Thought good enough to care for sheep used in temple sacrifices, they couldn’t enter temple precincts to offer them for personal forgiveness. Whose only company amounted to others like them since no one else cared to befriend them, be seen with them or trust their word. Why would God send, not one angel, but an angelic host to those men huddled around campfires for warmth? Caring through the night for animals as helpless before predators as the men before life? To no one else in Bethlehem or Jerusalem did God offer such a testimony. Why would he entrust the first witness of his Son’s Glory to those thought least in Israel? End Part I New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords Consider a single thought in summary. Seniors should celebrate their maturity in Christ. God nowhere asks the age of the trumpet he wants blown. And never seeks only the young to blow it! It’s true that 10 year old Samuel had a spiritual experience denied 90 year old Eli, but only a “senior-citizen” Samuel had the spiritual maturity to anoint both Saul and David. It’s true a 17 year old David had faith in God denied 35 year old Saul, but only as a faithful king of 40 years did he have the credentials to be Messiah’s namesake. It’s true a 12 year old Jesus astounded scholars with his questions and answers. Nevertheless, only as a MAN did all the potential in the BOY blossom. While older believers don’t have a monopoly on faith, they often have a depth of experience in faith denied younger disciples, simply by having lived with Jesus longer. And, as Pasteur said, as chance favors the prepared person, the years spent with Jesus produce depth in Christian faith younger disciples can covet but not possess. Senior Christians should celebrate their experience with Jesus, nurtured through the years, and more exhilarating by practice. It prepares them for greater service now, not eliminates their testimony. It makes their faith more relevant and delightful—and the BEST is yet to come! Fini New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords In the first part of this blog, think of at least two reasons God signaled the Wise Men all the way from Mesopotamia and didn’t communicate to priests.
First, the priests wouldn’t even make the 16 mile trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. While the Magi traveled hundreds of miles to see him. Second, the priests were as troubled by the news as Herod—not good company for religious men. Stoked with anticipation, the entire message of Christ’s birth brought JOY, PEACE and FORGIVENESS to the Wise Men. Why would God waste all that on those TROUBLED when hearing it? God is always anxious to teach us, but the ones most ready to learn are those anxious to be taught! End Part III New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords The second antinomy in the message heralding Christ’s birth centered on his appearance in the Temple at 40 days. The aged Simeon and Anna surfaced there. Two senior saints, who faithfully followed God’s word and waited for God’s Son. Young adults didn’t surface there, though devoted to Moses.
Because the ancients observed the Law’s sacrifices while embracing personal faith in God. And the young hadn’t yet developed the spiritual maturity to look beyond the forms of Moses to his substance, beyond his types to the Anti-Type held in Simeon’s arms. The third antinomy surrounding Christ’s nativity centered on the Wise Men. News of Christ’s birth came first to them—philosophers/astrologers—in Mesopotamia, not to priests and rabbis in Jerusalem. A strange reversal. Since the priests KNEW Bethlehem as Messiah’s birthplace, shouldn’t they have been told first? Since the wise men had to ask, shouldn’t they have been told later? End Part II New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords Antinomy is a word that refers to an apparent contradiction of ideas, beliefs or practices when considered separately, but in combination are perfectly compatible. Two great Bible antinomies illustrate. First, GOD IS—yet had no beginning and has no end. To us, an impossible concept. But not when God declares it. Second, Jesus died by crucifixion, a death reserved for the worst criminals. Yet, Jesus was as GOOD a man as ever lived. But not only GOOD, but PERFECT. A condition enveloping goodness but exceeding it as an eon exceeds a second. His perfection transformed the shame of crucifixion into a GLORY the apostle embraced, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” Galatians 6:14. That songwriter John Bowring could write, “In the cross of Christ I glory, tow’ring o’er the wrecks of time.”
Consider one of three antinomies that accompanied Christ’s birth. That news of his imminent arrival came first to an aged priest in the Temple, not to a young rabbi in the synagogue. For while the synagogue taught God’s word, humanity’s second-greatest need, the Temple addressed humanity’s greatest need—removing the sins that kept us from God. Jesus...Savior; never in human language did two words combine more appropriately! We need forgiveness of sin to more clearly understand Christ’s message; to more completely obey him; to more easily overcome temptation; to see Christ incrementally formed more completely in us. Any sin we retain diminishes scripture’s impact on us. Increasing freedom from sin’s treacherous presence empowers God’s Presence in us. Since he came as Savior, that has to be our first message to those outside Grace. We must prioritize forgiveness to the unsaved in our preaching, teaching and witnessing. We must never minimize that message to maximize entertainment and feel-good sermons. Churches exist for the healing of sinners by being converted to Jesus from self-will. End Part I New Apologetics book at: Amazon Check out Virg Hurley books at Amazon Check out Virg Hurley Digital books at: Smashwords |
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