Who God loves, who’s “in,” who’s “out”, how far God will reach to make sure God’s love is available to all: this is our grounding us as we face racism and learn to resist racism. In Luke chapter 4  Jesus debunks a lie about God! To be clear: God never refers to white men over black men, to men over women, to white people over Hispanic people, to white humans as a higher order than humans of other colors. The inseparability of Jesus and Justice is the truth we will explore today.

…The captives will be released, the blind will see, the oppressed will be set free because the time of the Lord’s favor has come.

When Jesus came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for [the Spirit of the Lord] has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. [The Spirit of the Lord] has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”

Jesus rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently. Then Jesus began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”

Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips.

“How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Then Jesus said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.

“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah, [God’s prophet] was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”

When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.

…The captives will be released, the blind will see, the oppressed will be set free because the time of the Lord’s favor has come.

Just as the Israelites made a pile of stones to remember how the Lord stopped the flooding waters of the Jordan to let them cross into the Promised Land on dry land, we like to start our new year by having different people tell stories of God’s presence and faithfulness during the past year. There are lots of times when it seems like God is pretty quiet and then there are times when we sense God’s presence, even in subtle ways, but ways that awaken us or motivate us or change us. In this week’s podcast you can join us for some stories that inspire our faith. 

1 After Israel had crossed the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua:

2-3 Tell one man from each of the twelve tribes to pick up a large rock from where the priests are standing. Then have the men set up those rocks as a monument at the place where you camp tonight.

4 Joshua chose twelve men; he called them together, 5 and told them:

Go to the middle of the riverbed where the sacred chest is, and pick up a large rock. Carry it on your shoulder to our camp. There are twelve of you, so there will be one rock for each tribe. 6-7 Someday your children will ask, “Why are these rocks here?” Then you can tell them how the water stopped flowing when the chest was being carried across the river. These rocks will always remind our people of what happened here today.

We celebrate Christmas this year by telling Joseph’s side of the story. He listened to God though an angel and it changed the whole course of his life. Joseph allowed God to interrupt everything: his future, his family, his whole life. The willingness to be interrupted is what God asks of all of us. May a love we can’t explain break into our lives, a love that might leave us in awe this Christmas.

But just when Joseph had resolved to do this… an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

The song written by Shawn Colvin, Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche evokes the terror of being in for the ride of your life, but you’re not in the driver’s seat! With very few lyrical adaptations, I think this song captures some of the emotions and questions Joseph and Mary must have had when bringing their baby Jesus into the world under such scandal and treacherous circumstances. But everywhere God shows up, God disrupts the status quo!

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.”

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.”

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”

But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

To watch the Highlands Church Band play Riding Shotgun Down the Avalanche, click the video below.

Mary was the conduit by which God entered time and space in physical form. Her body was the gateway through which Christ came into our world. God’s mercy chose her and when God’s mercy chooses you, you haven’t earned it, you just trust it. In the midst of her pain and her joy, she shows us that God suffers with us and nothing is impossible with God.

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me?

When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed what God said; you believed every word would come true!

In our culture, Advent often comes across as a season of pure light, joy, and peace. And while these things are very good, they don’t tell the whole story. And so, this sermon takes a step back and approaches Advent by first exploring the darkness, which, in practical terms, means remembering the birth of the Christ not as the solution to all of our problems, but rather as what allows us to embrace our humanity fully, even with all its imperfections. And as we do that — as we travel the depths of our humanity — we find the Christ right in the midst of our pains, anxieties, and imperfections, thus finding the light of Christmas not outside of the darkness, but rather right in the heart of it.

2 Completely absurd, says the Teacher, completely absurd!

God has always intended that the way his children treat each other on earth should reflect the wide embrace of God’s love for us all. The way this value was practiced in the Ancient Near East was through radical hospitality – treating strangers like royalty! When we follow the practices of hospitality of the people of God something interesting shows up – they are better at it when they themselves are living in the insecurity of the desert than the stability of the city. The practiced greater abundance in scarcity.

The Lord appeared to Abraham at the oaks of Mamre while he sat at the entrance of his tent in the day’s heat. 2 He looked up and suddenly saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from his tent entrance to greet them and bowed deeply. 3 He said, “Sirs, if you would be so kind, don’t just pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought so you may wash your feet and refresh yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me offer you a little bread so you will feel stronger, and after that you may leave your servant and go on your way—since you have visited your servant.”

They responded, “Fine. Do just as you have said.”

6 So Abraham hurried to Sarah at his tent and said, “Hurry! Knead three seahs of the finest flour and make some baked goods!” 7 Abraham ran to the cattle, took a healthy young calf, and gave it to a young servant, who prepared it quickly. 8 Then Abraham took butter, milk, and the calf that had been prepared, put the food in front of them, and stood under the tree near them as they ate.

33 When immigrants live in your land with you, you must not cheat them. 34 Any immigrant who lives with you must be treated as if they were one of your citizens. You must love them as yourself, because you were immigrants in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

5 No, if you truly reform your ways and your actions; if you treat each other justly; 6 if you stop taking advantage of the immigrant, orphan, or widow; 7 only then will I dwell with you in this place, in the land that I gave long ago to your ancestors for all time.

The story of Moses’ and Aaron’s sister, Miriam comes to us primarily through the books of Exodus and Numbers in the Ancient Hebrew Scriptures, what some refer to as the Old Testament. She was a powerful woman: a leader, a prophet, a percussionist, a singer, and a lyricist. But her story gets almost lost in the pages of the Bible. Her voice seems silenced, her leadership all but erased. How do we learn from her life and not silence any voices? How can we find our selves in her story when it’s hard to find even her in her story?

Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, [also the sister of Moses] took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. And Miriam sang this song: “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; he has hurled both horse and rider into the sea.”

Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses because he had married a Cushite woman.

They said, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Hasn’t he spoken through us, too?” But the Lord heard them. (Now Moses was very humble—more humble than any other person on earth.)

So immediately the Lord called to Moses, Aaron, and Miriam and said, “Go out to the Tabernacle, all three of you!”So the three of them went to the Tabernacle. Then the Lord descended in the pillar of cloud and stood at the entrance of the Tabernacle. “Aaron and Miriam!” God called, and they stepped forward. And the Lord said to them, “Now listen to what I say:

“If there were prophets among you,

The Lord was very angry with them and departed. As the cloud moved from above the Tabernacle, there stood Miriam, her skin as white as snow from leprosy. When Aaron saw what had happened to her, he cried out to Moses, “Oh, my master! Please don’t punish us for this sin we have so foolishly committed. Don’t let her be like a stillborn baby, already decayed at birth.”

So Moses cried out to the Lord, “O God, I beg you, please heal her!” But the Lord said to Moses … “keep her outside the camp for seven days, and after that she may be accepted back.” So Miriam was kept outside the camp for seven days, and the people waited until she was brought back before they traveled again.

In the first month of the year, the whole community of Israel arrived in the wilderness of Zin and camped at Kadesh. While they were there, Miriam died and was buried.

We often feel overwhelmed, outnumbered, and a bit hopeless in the face of the violence and instability in our world, both personally, as a community, as a nation, and as a civilization. Is this all going to end poorly? Elisha the prophet had eyes to see what the kingdom of God both reveals to those who want to see and conceals from those who are unwilling. Lord, help us see what you see and strengthen our hope and resolve!

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lordopened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

8 Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.” 9 The man of God sent word to the king of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10 So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warned the king, so that he was on his guard in such places. 11 This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”

12 “None of us, my lord the king,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”

13 “Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.” 14 Then he sent horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.

15 When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.

16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.”

17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lordopened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.

18 As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the Lord, “Strike this army with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.

19 Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.

20 After they entered the city, Elisha said, “Lord, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the Lord opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.

21 When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father?Shall I kill them?”

22 “Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have captured with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go bac

The book of Judges uses the phrase “The Israelites did evil in the sight of the Lord” seven times. Each time it tells of the evil and then reveals their ineffective plan for attacking it. They do evil, they become vulnerable to enemy attack, they increase their violence against their enemy to seek peace in the land, they conquer the external enemy but then the cycle starts again – they do evil, become vulnerable to enemy attack… rinse and repeat.

During Mark’s teaching, he refers to on-screen visuals to help tell the story. If you would like to see the visuals, Click Here.

20 Ehud then approached him while he was sitting alone in the upper room of his palace and said, “I have a message from God for you.” As the king rose from his seat, 21 Ehud reacher with his left hand, drew the sword from his right thigh and plunged it into the king’s belly. 22 Even the handle sank in after the blade, and his bowels discharged. Ehud did not pull the sword out, and the fat closed in over it. 23 Then Ehud went out to the porch ; he shut the doors of the upper room behind him and locked them. 24 After he had gone, the servants came and found the doors of the upper room locked. They said, “He must be relieving himself in the inner room of the palace.” 25 They waited to the point of embarrassment, but when he did not open the doors of the room, they took a key and unlocked them. There they saw their lord fallen to the floor, dead.