Daily Liturgy and Scripture

This is the worst opening act ever for the King of the Universe. Born to common people? Surrounded by shepherds? Nobody even brought a single gift? This is certainly a sign of things to come. The Son of God came not to be served, but to serve. He started at the bottom and never left until he went to be seated at the right hand of the Father.

The life of John the Baptist is anything but boring. His father was unable to speak until his naming, his parents (like Abraham and Sarah) conceived in their old age, and his very naming caused a stir among his community. All this, and the kid hasn’t even learned to talk yet. From his very beginning, John shone the way for things to be different because God said they needed to be, and his sermons would teach no less than the same.

The prayer that Mary prays, traditionally labeled as the Magnificat, it an excellent short-from overview of God’s story with his people. It’s also an interesting pairing with the words of Balaam from Numbers today. God’s faithfulness to his people defines both himself and them, and helps us understand God’s nature event today. He is loyal to his covenant, and goes to any measure necessary to preserve his people. As the nature of God is further unveiled in Jesus, that covenant will get hands and feet, walk beside his people and show people the face of God among them.

Luke, who was a doctor, indicates in his greeting that out generation certainly isn’t the first to question the fantastic stories of the Bible. If you’ve been listening to the podcast this week, we’ve had a talking donkey and a man rising from the dead. Luke certainly lived right at the start of this new Kingdom Jesus had brought, and it’s not wonder than something that big took some effort to wrap your mind around. Remember, though, that this isn’t a science document. While the stories matter, the key is that we learn to believe, to hear God’s voice. Scripture is our training for that exercise.

It’s not small miracle that the early church came together at all. Jesus appeared to people, and those people went to his apostles to tell them that he was alive. Despite the fact that he had told them what was going to happen, they refused to believe the eyewitnesses. It wasn’t just Thomas, but being hard-headed seems to be a pretty common trait among them. Still, Jesus built his church on this ragtag band. Though they seem strange choices at times, they are part of our legacy.

Peter denied, but Judas betrayed. What’s the difference? Between these two, it seems to be redemption. Judas did not get any. He handed Jesus over, separating himself from the Savior. Peter, on the other hand, did not remain separated. Judas sought out Jesus’ enemies and allied himself to them. Peter found himself among strangers and denied that he was a disciple. What could have come of Judas if he had looked for forgiveness we’ll never know, but Peter’s failure should be a comfort to us in our own. Redemption is God’s to give, and we can receive it.

In the scene with the disciples falling asleep, Jesus tells them to stay awake, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I have often interpreted that as simple meaning that they need to try harder to stay awake. But what if it’s linked to what happens with the high priest’s servant? What if Peter (who isn’t named here, but is probably the one swinging the sword) needed to be fully awake so he would be able to judge well what was going on? He lops off a man’s ear, which is recorded elsewhere as being healed by Jesus. Jesus established that he was not coming into his Kingdom by force, and if he knew what was about to happen, he needed to make that point emphatically. Whatever the case, it’s certainly true that we need to be aware of our own situation and of what is going on around us, and we need to see how living in Christ’s Kingdom should look different.

We should be careful not to define things only by their usefulness or perceived worth. That certainly wasn’t Jesus’s method. He refused to be ruled by urgency, and realigns the apostles’ zeal for selling everything to give money to the poor. (Remember the story of the rich young man? Selling everything all the time isn’t a universal rule for following Jesus.) In the case of the woman with the jar of perfume, it was indeed a waste on the surface. The entire bottle of perfume wasn’t even needed when it was being used normally, and to break the seal and pour it all out was an extravagant offering. Jesus recognized this, and saw that what appeared to be waste was an uncommon expression of worship.

This passage from Mark is a bit heavy. It's easy to get mired up in all the imagery, the desecration and the people fleeing for their lives. (Augustine thought that the nursing mother was symbolism for those who cling to the world instead of keeping their focus on the Kingdom, so there's definitely some possibility for metaphor running throughout.) The thing that we can definitely take away is this: Jesus asks he followers to be focused. In the verse directly preceding, he had said, "the one who endures to the very end will be saved," and he comes back around to that idea today with the idea of keeping watch. Indeed we should. There is a lot to distract us from our Kingdom message, but we have the Spirit to remind us where our true citizenship lies.