Let Justice Roll on Like a River

Discouraged. Disheartened. Depressed. Dismayed.

That about sums up my week.

What is the nature of my downcast soul? I'm not sure. But it has something to do with the fact that life is not fair. I'm not really referring to a personal injustice. I'm talking more along the lines of injustice on a worldwide scale: perpetrators abusing children, society devaluing women, citizens marginalizing foreigners. It just gets to me sometimes. The unfairness. The injustice. The senselessness of it all.

Why can't people just be nice?!

So I contemplate their plight. I cry out to God on their behalf. And I wonder, “What can I do to be a part of the solution?” But then, today I found myself asking God to take away these feelings. I can't deal with them anymore! There's too much heartache, too much pain, and it's too big a burden for me to bear.

It's just too much.

And then I waited. And I thought. And I considered, what if maybe, just maybe, God made my soul this sensitive for a reason. Not so that I could worry, mind you. But so that I would be too uncomfortable with turning away from the plight of the disadvantaged. Perhaps, in this way God is giving me a gift. The gift of a glimpse into his soul.

Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him . . . Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. Exodus 22:21-23

God has heard the cry of the orphan, the widow, and the alien. So have I. And truth be told, so have many. Therefore, I will continue to do what I have done. I will pray daily for their liberation. Give tangibly to their felt needs. Teach practically to enlighten the church. Challenge thoughtfully the biases of our culture. And work together with others to alleviate their plight.

Yes, that is what I will do.

What will you do?

But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Amos 5:24

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Finding Her Place

Did you know that the last time we see Mary, the mother of Jesus is in the book of Acts? They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. ~Acts 1:14

*With this brief reference to Mary we realize that neither the sword that threatened her nor her own inability to understand Jesus prevented her from being one of those gathered in the upper room. These are the faithful ones, continuing to hold on to the promises of God. Obedient to the word of Christ. Mary, who began in Luke's gospel as a servant, appears here also as a disciple. This is the last we see or hear of Mary in the history of the church, but she is the only person who is present both at the prologue of the gospel and the prologue of the church.*

The story of Christ would be incomplete without Mary. But as the Biblical record attests, after the birth and childhood of Jesus, her role diminishes as her Son is exalted. Relatively speaking, the Bible says very little about her, but what it does say is quite informative. We know she was a woman of faith; for someone so young, Mary exhibited great trust in the leading of God. She was a mother; thoughtful and inquisitive, she pondered the events and reactions of others concerning her son. But most of all, she was a disciple. Happily, in the end Mary found her rightful place within the family of God. Not above anyone else, but as an equal serving the Savior as a disciple of Christ. She was faithful from the cradle to the cross.

*Mary, Glimpses of the Mother of Jesus by B. R. Gaventa

Scars

These last few weeks, we have been looking at the birth and life of Jesus through the eyes of his mother Mary. In the Gospels, the last place we find Mary in the life of her son Jesus was at his cross. I can only imagine her heartache at that moment.

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. ~John 19:25-27

Why did Jesus place his mother in the care of one of his disciples? Mary had other children who could have taken care of her; we know of at least four brothers mentioned in the Gospel of Mark. Quite possibly though, the reason was as simple as this: the brothers of Jesus were not yet believers. We know that later his brother James becomes a believer and even a leader in the early church, but at this point apparently they do not accept him as Messiah.

We can only imagine the thoughts of Mary now. No mother wants to see her child suffering in pain; we would rather take on the pain ourselves. But what Jesus did, only he could do. He was the sacrifice, there could be no other.

As parents, one of the most difficult things Stuart and I ever had to do was place our son in the care of someone else. Scheduled for surgery at three months of age, I still remember the moment I placed my tiny baby into the arms of the nurse. She turned around and went through the doors to the surgery. And we turned around and went through the doors to the waiting room.

A few hours later, the surgeon returned and described the procedure to us. Wesley was recovering upstairs in a room and the nurse would bring us there shortly. However, first the doctor said something I would never forget: You need to prepare yourself, because when you go upstairs you are not going to see a pretty baby. He's attached to monitors, he has stitches, his face is swollen, and his arms are restrained to protect himself. Just prepare yourself.

Well, no doctor should tell a mother that her baby is not pretty! After our conversation, I clearly remember taking the elevator to Wesley's floor and standing in the entrance way to his room. And there he was, such a tiny baby in such a big hospital bed. Nevertheless, Stuart and I were not dismayed at the way our son looked, quite the contrary we were amazed at his transformation. We were in awe of the doctor's expertise and appreciative of the Lord's guiding hand.

In the months and years to come my only concern as a mom, were the prominent scars on my son's lip. I was concerned that when he got older and started school the other children would tease him. You know how mothers are, we are protective of our young. One particular day, while sharing my concern with the Lord  about my son's scars, I heard his gentle voice say to me, Wendy, I know how you feel. My son has scars too.

My son has scars too. I'll never forget those words. It still amazes me to think that Jesus, in his resurrected, glorified body, chose to keep the scars of humanity. But he did. We all have scars. Some may be more evident than others, but you can't get through this life without some battle wounds. Some scars are emotional, some scars are physical, but we all possess them one way or another. I have realized over the years though that scars are an evidence of two things. Obviously, scars are the evidence that a hurt has taken place, but scars are also the evidence that a healing has occurred.

My son has scars. You and I have scars. However, let us never forget that our Savior has scars too. He understands our wounds and carries the reminders with him always.

Next time: Finding her place

Treasuring the Wonders of God (part 2)

I began these Advent reflections as a way to witness the birth of Christ from a unique perspective. Divinely called and uniquely gifted, Mary gives us a front row seat to the most spectacular birth on record. Indeed, she was the only person who witnessed the life of God's only Son from the cradle to the cross. And therefore, as a mother, I appreciate her point of view like no other. 

Studying the birth narratives of Christ, prompted a few memories of my own. I vividly recall the day of June 2, 1994 for a variety of reasons. Pregnant with my second child and a bit overdue, I reluctantly agreed to go into the hospital to be induced. My new doctor was concerned that the baby may be losing weight and although I did not agree with his assessment, I did agree to follow his orders. Happily, this day would bring our family a new son yet another unexpected development would also give us pause.

After hours of labor with little progress I agreed to my first epidural. For the record, I hate needles! But I was grateful for the relief and soon our son was born. Before I had the opportunity to see him, though, my doctor asked me some very strange questions: "Did anything happen during your pregnancy? . . . Were you ill? . . . Did you take any medications?" Confused by his questions I simply said, "No, nothing happened during my pregnancy." Then the doctor told us that although our son seemed healthy, he was born with a cleft lip.

I'm not sure I understood what the doctor meant until I looked at our child. Wesley was born with a birth defect known as a bilateral cleft lip; that is, his top lip had not fully formed and was split in two places. As we pondered this unexpected event in his young life, I also pondered the Psalm the Lord directed me to eight months prior:

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. ~Psalm 139

Verse 16 became particularly relevant to me at that moment, “your eyes saw my unformed body.” That fateful day, so many months ago, I cried out to God and he spoke to me so definitively, so clearly, yet I did not understand him until that moment. There are many things in this life that I do not understand and at the top of my list is, why are children are born with birth defects? I say this as a mom and not as a theologian. I understand that we live in a cursed world. Over the years I have pondered the word of God to me and I have treasured the insights he has given me through my son's ordeal. Although I still may have a lot of questions without answers, I also have a heightened appreciation for who God is and his all-encompassing concern for my son. Therefore, of this one thing I am absolutely sure, every child is lovingly created by the sovereign hand of God . . . in his image . . . for his purpose.

My prayer for you this advent day is that as you consider your child or any child for that matter, I pray you may appreciate the wonder of God, his divine image, and his sovereign potential in their precious lives. 

Next time: Scars

Treasuring the Wonders of God

Mary's pregnancy and birth were different in many respects. Like any other expectant woman, I'm sure Mary prepared and planned for the day she would give birth. Maybe Joseph saw to the furnishing of the home, while Mary asked a female relative to help her when the time came. But whatever plans they made, they were rudely interrupted by a decree from Caesar Augustus. Therefore, under compulsion of law, Joseph traveled to Bethlehem with Mary, who was now in her last month of pregnancy. Whether she traveled by foot or by animal, Mary could not have been comfortable. And by the time they arrived in Bethlehem, all suitable lodging was taken. I wonder what the young couple was thinking. Did they ever question God throughout their journey? Was Mary disappointed in the change of plans? What was she thinking when Joseph led her to a stable and the birth pangs began? I understand Mary was a woman of faith, but she was also very human and very young.

On that fateful night, the young couple barely had time to enjoy their new family when strange guests arrived to see their son. So the {shepherds} hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. ~Luke 2:16-20 

In contrast to the enthusiastic response of the shepherds, Mary quietly meditated on the significance of all that had happened. The significance of the angels and their message, the unexpected arrival of the shepherds, the humble place of her son's birth, his true nature and identity, his future and what it meant to the future of Israel; what it meant to the future of the world.

Many years ago, soon after I found out that I was pregnant with our second child, I was going about my normal day when suddenly a sense of dread and foreboding came over me. I remember crying uncontrollably for I thought something had happened to the baby. I thought I had miscarried, although there was no physical evidence. So I cried and prayed until I was too tired to cry and pray any longer. After awhile, I calmed myself down and I simply said to myself and to God, “Even though I do not understand what is happening, I will trust God no matter what.” Then, I decided to read something in the Bible. I wanted to read one of the Psalms because the writers of the Psalms knew how to express themselves when they were distraught. And they also knew how to express faith although their circumstances had not changed. So I arbitrarily opened my Bible and turned to Psalm 139 and I began to read. When I got to verse 13, I knew that the Lord had heard my cries:

13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. 15 My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

After reading the scripture, first I was shocked that God spoke to me so quickly. Then I pondered what God did and did not say to me. I was confident that God had heard my prayer. That was evident in the Psalm he directed me to read. But I still had to trust God with the life of my child, because he did not clearly tell me that everything was all right. But it was enough to know that he had heard me. I didn't know it then, but like Mary, I would soon realize that God had said so much more to me than I could understand in that moment.

Next time: part 2

Carrying the Promise to Full Term

Mary was a very young woman, possibly no older than 15, when the angel Gabriel gave her a life changing message: Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. ~Luke 1:30-31 

Although surprised by the news, Mary wholeheartedly submitted to the will of God. However, when Mary submitted to God's will, she was also submitting to the possible shame a premarital pregnancy would bring her. Nevertheless, despite the potential gossip, despite the possible rejection of friends, despite how Joseph might react to the news, Mary submitted herself to God. By her own confession in verse 38, she was first and foremost a servant of the Lord. Without complete understanding, yet with complete trust, Mary prepared herself to carry the promise of God to full term.

The messenger of God revealed to young Mary some wondrous truth about her child: He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.~Luke 1:32-33

Absolutely magnificent stuff, but we have to ask ourselves, how much did Mary really understand? Certainly she realized that this child would be special, but she could not have comprehended the significance of his mission or the ultimate sacrifice he would make. This would take time and further revelation. Regardless, Mary placed her confidence in God despite her lack of complete knowledge.

We can understand that, can't we? How many of us have said yes to God's leading without really knowing what we were getting ourselves into. That is the way of faith, though, is it not? Usually, it seems that God gives us just enough light to see the step in front of us, and when we are ready to make the next step, he directs the light a little further ahead. In this sense, we are like Mary. We may not understand the complete plan of God, but we harbor in our hearts the desire to carry the promise of God to full term. 

Next time: Treasuring the wonders of God

Luke 1:28-38 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. 31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. 36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. 37 For nothing is impossible with God.” 38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May it be to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.

Through a Mother's Eyes

So, last Sunday I preached the longest sermon of my life. Apparently, I have no concept of time when I preach in Spanish :) Fortunately, though, we also have a very gracious church and an equally gracious pastor.
Another fortunate happenstance is that I have enough material to share with you these next few weeks of Advent.

When I was a child, I remember attending church on the first Sunday of Advent and bringing home the Advent wreath to celebrate the season. It is a tradition we continue with our family today. If you are not familiar with this tradition, every night we light a candle that represents a part of the Christmas story. Each week, we light one more candle until Christmas day when we celebrate the light of the world Jesus.

I loved this tradition as a child. Although it was fun to talk about Santa and sing about Rudolph, I always knew that Christmas was really about Jesus. And the Advent season helped our family to prepare for this wondrous celebration. Therefore, as I considered my message for Sunday, I had Christmas on my mind. I read the Christmas story in Gospel of Luke and studied the early life of Jesus once again, and I wondered . . .  what was it like for Jesus to grow up in his home? Did he get along with his siblings? Was he popular as a child; did he have a lot of friends? Was he a good student; did he complete his homework on time?

When I read the stories of the Bible, I like to place myself into the text, to view life and events through the eyes of those who experienced it first hand. And I realized through reading again the life of Christ there was only one person who was there from the cradle to the cross. And it is through her eyes these next few weeks, that I wish to tell the story of Christ.

Although, I have no desire to exaggerate the importance of Mary, neither do I wish to ignore her. She is, in fact a part of the Christmas story and the life of Christ. But as the story of Christ progresses, we see that she, like John the Baptist, must decrease, and Jesus must increase. As we watch Jesus grow up, leave home, begin his ministry, fulfill his purpose, and reveal his true identity, we also watch Mary slowly lose her influence and prominence in the life of her son, yet eventually find her true identity in the family of God.

As a woman, as a mother, and as a believer I find her perspective unique and interesting. As I read the story of God's son once again through the eyes of Mary, I was reminded of some personal events in my life as a mom that I would to share with you as well. It is a great responsibility to be a parent. We have no idea what it means to be a mom or dad, until we are one. Children are a joy and a privilege, but they come with a few surprises as well.

Many years ago, our son needed surgery when he was an infant. Stuart and I still remember the moment we had to place our son in the care of someone else. We had to trust that the doctors and nurses would take care of him, that they would protect him, and that they would bring him back to us when the surgery was completed.

Much in the same way, many years ago, God placed his son in the hands of a young couple. He trusted them to care for him, to raise him in a faithful Jewish home, and to guide him until he was ready to depart and then be placed back into the hands of the Father.

Next time: Carrying the Promise to Full Term