January 5 - Christmas

Today we read two incredible texts with much to unpackage. I apologize for being more than a little long-winded.

Isaiah 65:8-25 - Verse 17 and the following verses are pivotal as God announces that he will not only restore the old creation but will create "new heavens and a new earth". Life in the new creation exhibits much continuity when compared with life in the old. For example, apparently there will be food, community, and work (amongst other things) in the new creation. But there will be significant changes (discontinuity) as well. Among the more obvious points are that there will be no more tears, sin, and death in God's eternal kingdom. But there is another point about the nature of how our work changes that we should not miss. In the new creation, God does not call us "my servants" but rather refers to us as "my people". This seemingly insignificant change signals the end of vocation. God no longer works through us because God himself is present in glory with his people. And his people "shall not labor in vain . . ." (v.23). In this life, we operate as God's servants in the realm of vocation and our work is often in vain. It is unappreciated and trampled on by both friend and foe. In Luther's words our work is "given forth and lost" on behalf of our neighbor. At the end of this life, even our best work is gone - only a fading a memory. But in the new creation, our work will be mutually enjoyed forever (vv.21-22) as God comes out of hiding and rejoices in our midst (v.19).

Luke 3:1-20 - I see two significant points to be made here.
1. Notice the incredibly detailed historical references made here at the beginning of the text. Luke gives us the names (and jurisdictions) of 7 different key leaders during the time of John the Baptist's ministry. This is not the language of fairy tales ("long ago in a land far far away . . ."). Unlike nearly all other world religions the Christian faith's truth claims are grounded in plain, ordinary, human history. We must not forget this fact.

2. John the Baptist is pictured by many Christians as this crazy wanderer who preaches a message of radical living. But does this characterization match up with this text? John encounters crowds wishing to be baptized and he simply challenges them in v. 8 to "bear fruits in keeping with repentance" and to not be proud and boastful of their Abrahamic heritage. What kind of "fruit" does John have in mind. Simple acts of love directed at their neighbors. Share your clothing and your food with those less fortunate. To the tax collector and soldier, John's exhortation is to fulfill their vocations with integrity. There is nothing here about the need for us to either retreat from the culture or overpower it in an attempt to effect large transformation for the kingdom of God. God calls us to simply love those whom he, in his sovereignty, has brought into our paths.