what I learned today

It seemed fitting to read Luke 1 today before I finished (hopefully) all the creative details of Crossroads' Christmas services.

Out of the whole passage what caught my attention was a portion of Mary's conversation with Elisabeth.

Over and over again in the Bible God talks about the needy, the humble, the servants when all the world values are the complete opposite characteristics.

Luke 1: 51-53
"He has shown strength with his arm; 
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty."

Mary knew who she carried in her womb and she knew what God's promises were for the coming Messiah - what he would do for His people.  She rejoiced!

Can you imagine being the parent of a child that had been written about for years and years before his birth?  Everyone that read the scriptures knew what was promised.  Sadly many didn't believe Jesus was the Messiah, mainly perhaps because He didn't come the way they thought He would.

They expected a mighty King - someone who would overthrow evil earthly kingdoms and lead His people strongly.  Did they make up their own version of what the Messiah would be?

Just as the scriptures discuss above, it's the humble and the hungry He ministered to and worked through.  The healed witnessed to others, the shepherd boy killed giants, the widows last mite was used to demonstrate to generations that followed what our hearts should be like in order to really give.

The proud - even the proud spiritual leaders of the day refused to except a baby born of a human mother who quietly lead most of the time.

God's way of overthrowing governments and evil is to usually use an unlikely man or woman.  Someone who is powerless in the world's eyes.  Or someone who has been reduced to nothing in order to be used.

I try to see Him through all that I have and most of the time I don't see Him clearly.  It's difficult to need a Savior when you have all that you need now.  The humble, needy and sick need Him immediately - with no effort they see He is their only salvation.

Perspective comes when I quietly and honestly look at how fast my life is passing and ask myself -
"will anything I've done or bought or spent my time doing withstand the scrutiny of eternity?"

passing from this earth

My Uncle Smith passed away today. I was not able to be with my Dad as he lost his brother, this made me sad. As we talked he described my uncle's passing including how he seemed to linger until the final goodbyes were spoken.

I was reading the words of Deitrich Bonhoeffer earlier today where he talked about the scripture that says, "Sing unto the Lord a new song"... he goes on in much detail about what this means to the body of Christ, but, in the context of my Uncle's passing I loved this selection of his writing. "On earth it is the song of those who believe, in heaven the song of those who see..." No longer is it just by faith but by site!

He goes on to say "the fact that we sing it (on earth) only expresses the fact that our spoken words are inadequate to express what we want to say, that the burden of our song goes far beyond all human words."

My Uncle at this very moment can 'see' the song...their praise raising to their King, my Uncle singing perhaps the very loudest as one of the newest arrivals. Tonight he sees the song!