Can We Skip Christmas? (2023)

       Romans 14:4-5 — "Who are you to judge someone else's servant?  To his own master, he stands or falls.  And he will stand, for Yahweh will make him stand."  

       Let me preface this blog with a few comments.  I have been called an idealist and a cynic as it relates to my views on Christmas.  I readily admit that I am an idealist and a misfit in the Kingdom of God, cynical about many things. The views below are my personal views; they are not meant to put anyone down for their personal practice of any human tradition.  After all, there is precedence for having a joyous feast and exchanging presents - for a SPECIFIC reason (Esther 9:18-28).  Some will also call me a hypocrite for not obeying Romans 14:22 (which states to keep my views to myself).  Don't we all tacitly disobey this verse when we turn on the outside Christmas lights?  (Romans 14 is a rather complicated chapter, when applied to largely-followed cultural traditions; it is much simpler when taking it at its face value.) Nonetheless, I believe that there is wisdom and freedom in my views; if you can glean a nugget of truth from them, then, "more power to ya".  If not, then you will at least have read an explanation of a "complicated mind", (another endearing epithet given to me).  The goal in everything we do, however, should be to "follow Christ", as Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 11:1.  

       It seems that each year, I feel more stress when December arrives. It is hard for me to find anything positive with this time of year. Christmas is looming, with all of its personal history and hundreds of years of Western cultural history. It's the time of year in which it is starting to get colder, which only slightly contributes to the stress. The hours of daylight are coming to their nadir, which does contribute greatly to my mood. I love spending time outside in general, so the double combination of dark and cold is disheartening. It is also the time of the year when I try to get the most wood cut and/or split for myself and for others, before snow ends that endeavor for the season.

        Christmas (the Christ Mass) was started by the Roman Catholic church in 336 A.D., as an "alternative" to the pagan celebrations, which were held around the winter solstice. The very fact that the "church" felt the need to resort to a cultural "alternative" can mean two things. It could have been a legitimate attempt to pull pagans into a sincere form of worship to Jesus. Or it could have been a desperate attempt to change the culture (apart from changing the individual heart), in the hopes that people would eventually give up their pagan practices. The latter sounds like what happened to America, with its form of cultural Christianity lasting until the end of the 20^th century; following Jesus was relegated to cultural morality, without the incentive to personally follow him. Having said that, it is basically irrelevant whether one has any cultural traditions related to Christmas. Paul gave us general instructions about how we think about observing special days. Romans 14:5-8 allows us all equal standing in treating certain days as we like. Colossians 2:16-17 also complements that sentiment in regard to special religious days. Not even the Jewish festivals are sacred any longer. Therefore, if one wants to consider the whole month of December as special or just Dec. 25, that is fine. If one doesn't care at all about those days, that is also fine.

       My Foundational Mindset —  The early church did not consider the birth day of Jesus to be special; what is of immensely greater import to the early church was the day that Jesus rose from the dead. That day became of higher importance, not because the body of Christ needed a yearly day of observance, but because it was the very foundation of the Christian faith. In my opinion, the yearly observance of Easter also diminishes the import of the resurrection of Jesus. If you need a holiday to remind you of the foundation of our faith, you are probably not living that faith in a daily fashion.

        There are many beautiful things associated with Christmas traditions. Houses in the western world are often decorated with special items and colorful lights. There are many great hymns and songs that are, unfortunately, only sung during the month of December. How sad for us in general! We could use them year-round. People generally bake and imbibe too many confections, along with the rich egg nog. This is probably a negative thing overall, even though the enjoyment of such is wonderful at the moment.

        Santa Claus and the surrounding myth is given precedence during this time. The idea of Santa Claus is rather stupid however, especially in reference to witholding gifts to "bad" kids. Why should we "deserve" any gifts whatsoever? How did we even get to a cultural tradition of spending money on gifts for friends and family for no apparent reason whatsoever, except that it happens to be the Christmas season? There is nothing wrong with giving gifts to people in general, but our culture wastes money because we feel that we "have" to give gifts. That is one cultural constraint that I have completely rejected. The culture-at-large also tells us that December is the season for giving, especially giving to the underprivileged. Once again, why should the month of December be special for giving? If you are not giving to the poor, as Jesus commanded, during the whole year; or if you are not regularly giving to advance the kingdom of God, then your giving in December will not make up for your lazy selfishness the rest of the year.

        Some people, even Christians, turn the "celebration" of Christmas into a form of worship to the Christmas culture itself. Jesus, and his birth, are relegated to the display of relics, but rarely talked about. Some of these folks, some subtly, and some not-so-subtly, make me feel that I need to join them in their celebration of the "Christmas idol". This simply adds to my stress and anger at not being left alone. Furthermore, certain family members make me feel like a little child, when they feel the need to watch me open their gifts – presents which I don't need, half of which I will give away, half of which have strings attached, all of which they cannot afford in their limited annual budget.  (Could you feel my frustrated hyperbolic perception in that last sentence? :>)

        A certain Christian even told me one time (2022), that a Christmas tree displayed in a hospital waiting room, was symbolic of the birth of Jesus. It meant that there was still some cultural affinity to God, and that the holiday was not relegated yet to just being a pagan winter festival. I would argue that it already is a pagan winter festival in the western world, because relatively few people care about Jesus anyway.

        Today, no one says "Merry Christmas!" anymore. It's simply "Happy Holidays!" Whenever I hear that phrase, I want to shout, "For what holidays are you wishing me happiness? Hanukkah? Jewish people make up a tiny minority of people. Kwanzaa? I'm not black. Some nebulous, inexplicable celebration?  New Year's Day? All of the above?  None of the above?  I find it absurd, that one can't decide, but instead throws out some generic term that could be used for any annual holiday that one is expected to observe.

        I don't mind when my wife decorates the house for Christmas (although it is over-the-top). I let her treat this holiday as she wishes. After all, it is an individual choice to make the day (or month) special or not. I get endearingly called "The Grinch" or "Ebenezer" or a curmudgeon, but I don't mind; I know that I don't want to steal someone else's gifts; and I know that I am not stingy toward the poor. I will also pull out Michael Sweet's rendition of "O Holy Night" in July and thoroughly enjoy it.

       I used to work on Christmas day when I was a front desk associate at a hotel. It made my day with family that much shorter, which was fine with me, since they pushed their sacredness of the day upon me. All I really wanted was peace of mind and to be left alone. One year I went to the beach by myself and did not talk with a single soul on Christmas Day. The nice weather made that day a                          perfectly-normal perfect day!

      On a different note, I support a full-time American Christian worker in Thailand, who uses the traditional trappings of Christmas to introduce people to Jesus. (Thailand is a predominantly Buddhist nation, but very much follows Western Christmas traditions, especially in the cities, where there is commercial activity.  I think it is the lights and decorations that are alluring.) Thais in general have no clue why the western world includes Jesus in the traditions. This gives my friend an opportunity to tell of the greater story of Jesus coming into our world to save us. The Thais have no pre-conceived idea of Christmas, based upon hundreds of years of faulty thinking and a myriad of traditions, (except what the commercial world portrays). Even God can use the well-intentioned, but stupid, plans of man, including all the history related thereto, to draw people closer to Him, and to open their eyes to truth.     

  Sometimes I think that ignorance is bliss, and that blindness is a blessing. However, one cannot unlearn what has been learned, or undo what one has experienced. We can only change our minds about how to live with unpleasant surroundings, trusting in God to provide joy in the midst of depression. For all you misfits out there, you are not alone in your own measure of disdain for contemporary Christmas.  Have yourself a normal month of December, as you strive to live and surrender daily to our Master, Jesus Christ!  And remember to be patient with all.  There is no need to argue about any of the ideas mentioned above.  Live at peace with one another, if it is in your power to do so (Romans 14:19). And may your good attitude be evident to all, even as you ignore the season. 

Thoughts on Luke 10:25ff – The Story of the Good Samaritan

        This blog is just some quick thoughts on several topics, and is not meant to be a totally coherent view on the same. 

       The first verse of this passage piqued my interest today because it used an odd phrase, which, by the way, Jesus did not concern himself with. Notwithstanding the fact that the expert in the law is testing Jesus, he uses the word "inherit" beside a phrase that connotes "doing something" in order to gain something else. "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" I looked up the word "inherit" in the Greek, which is"kleronomeso". It basically means to acquire or possess something by casting lots. This is similar to the Hebrew word "yaw-rash" found in Genesis 21:10, which means "to take possession of", and is used in the context of Ishmael not getting Abraham's inheritance that Isaac will get. This Hebrew word can mean "to take posession by force", but in the context, it is used in the normal way that we think about inheritance. It is something that we get by chance or plan, but only at someone else's will. It is never something that we earn, like wages or justice deserved. Despite the fact that much work is done by people to subtly and subconciously influence a decedent before their death to plan on bequeathing something of value to them, it is still the decedent who decides what to leave to the heir. It does not have to be based upon anything done by the inheritor. It can simply be based upon the fact that the next of kin will get what the previous person has accumulated. It can be based upon tradition also, such as the firstborn son getting a larger portion of the decedent's estate. It can entail a culturally set percentage of goods to all persons born to a parent. This would seem like the basis for the story of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. The few verses of Luke 12:13-14 mention a scenario in which a brother gets all of the inheritance, part of which the other brother thinks he deserves. No explanation is given here; instead a warning of greed is given by Jesus.

      In all of these aforementioned passages, the idea of inheritance is not based upon receiving, as if one is owed wages. Oh, there are hints in the text, that might make the recipients think this way, and they probably do. However, a true inheritance is not worked for, but simply received from the person bequeathing. This idea is important when reading verses like Ephesians 1:14, which links inheritance with believing, not with working. Of course, on the surface, the words of Jesus in Matthew 25:34ff give the idea that obtaining the inheritance is based upon works, specifically visiting prisoners, clothing the naked, and feeding the hungry. Then again, one could argue correctly, that putting our saving faith in Jesus (believing) is the foundation for those good works to be produced by the Holy Spirit as he changes our behavior. Or the idea of works in 25:34f could be a follow-up to the previous parable in verses 14-30, which does emphasize "doing" something with the talents. Colossians 3:24 may be the outlier in providing an exception to the rule of "inheritance; in context, it mentions our inheritance as a reward for "working for the Lord" (verse 23). Perhaps there is a general inheritance for all believers – eternal life; and extra inheritance based upon the works that we have done, which we also know is true, as there are many scriptures that speak of recompense, just not using the word "inheritance".

       Back to the lawyer in Luke 10 – maybe it wasn't a stretch then for him to use the word "inherit" as he was thinking of what must be "done". Jesus does provide an answer that consists of "doing". Love God wholeheartedly and love neighbor as yourself will bring life, as he affirms the lawyer's own answer. Here is where the problem enters. The lawyer seems to want to quantify how much of this loving someone else is required. The commandments themselves are vague in the percentage category, unless one considers loving God with all of our being as 100%. Loving our neighbors as our selves would also count within that 100%, since loving someone like we love our own selves would be obeying God, so that counts as loving God. Nonetheless, the lawyer was sneaky; that is why he was a lawyer – obeying the letter, but not necessarily the spirit. The percentage thereof, he was trying to elicit from Jesus. Once again, Jesus hit him right where he needed it the most. Taking time to care for some loathsome half-breed pagan is not what the lawyer wanted to hear, which is why Jesus told it to him.

       How often has God put "undesirables" in our lives in order for us to accommodate them, which is really loving God. Picking up drunks on the side of the road, or giving hitchhikers a lift, or giving local drunks a ride home, or giving something tangible to a panhandler, or even "rescuing" naked women on Rt 9, are just some examples of what Len and I have experienced. I am sure that we all have supported foreign and native ministries that do exactly what Jesus called for in Matthew 25.

       Back to the Prodigal Son story. I have some more thoughts on the side of the story that was left unsaid. Of course, the point of the story that Jesus was making was the great love of the father for his wayward son – redemption from a sinful life. What about the inheritance though? The son received his portion of what would have been the current physical inheritance, if the father had died at that point. From the gist of the story, it sounds like it was just cash. So now, what does the son get after the father dies, since the son squandered everything previously given. Well, he does not get the portion of his brother. Even though his brother is miffed by the father welcoming his brother back, his father still has a right to treat him as he wishes. The older brother's portion is technically not his yet. However, the father would not be unfair in any future dealings. Whatever the estate was worth when the younger brother left, would definitely be the older brother's when the father died. What if the estate grows even further before the father dies? He is free to still give any portion of that to the younger brother. The father's point in reacting to the older brother is to point out that the father is ready to lavish his love upon the whole family if they would only ask. Why do I think the younger son will get next to nothing when the father dies? Proverbs 20:21 fits perfectly into this story – "An inheritance quickly gained will NOT be blessed in the end." Nonetheless, the younger brother probably doesn't even care at this point; he is just glad that Dad took him back in, where there is plenty to eat. He probably already knows that there will be nothing left when Dad dies, but it doesn't matter. He has come to his senses and knows that he is loved and taken care of, as long as the father is alive. Once the older brother has most of the estate, what will happen then?

       I often think of these types of earthly scenarios that actually happen around the world, as we all progress in our years of attempting to please God. I think of Paul, who was told in Acts 9:16 "I will show him how much he must suffer for my name". I wonder if that suffering was a worldly recompense for all the persecution that he perpetrated. Then, I wonder how much of that suffering was counted as participating in the sufferings of Christ (Philippians 3:10).

       So, be careful of what you wish from your earthly inheritance, and strive for the rewards that may be linked to a fantastic eternal inheritance that we don't deserve anyway.

Abundant Life

March 18 – Abundant Life

       John 10:10 – [Jesus said], "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full".

       What does it mean to live life to the fullest? Right now - under the new covenant? In America? In Bangladesh, where 160 million souls are crammed into a land mass the size of Georgia? In Siberia, where it is barely not winter for a short time of the year? Some Bible translations, render the verse above, with the last phrase as "and life more abundantly." I have mused over this idea for decades with little actual experience, or at least what I thought was little experience. Over the years, with constant study of the Scriptures, I knew that the phrase could not mean material wealth. Psalm 63:5 gave me this clue: "My soul will be satisfied, AS with the richest of foods." I knew that the abundant life of which Jesus spoke had to be more than physical. As a matter of fact it has nothing to do with material wealth for those living in a North Korean prison camp, or in a hostile desert country like Somalia, or in a refugee camp in western Thailand. Today, in 2023, I had a revelation as I mused about some completely unrelated scriptures, to which I was led from the rabbit hole of Psalm 78, in my ordinary routine of reading a Psalm according to the day of the month.

       Let us start with the precursor to the body of Christ – the physical nation of Israel, chosen by God out of all the nations of the world, to be his special inheritance. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 gives us the historic foundation and recipe for abundant living in the land of Canaan, to which God was about to lead the nation of Israel. Verses 1-2 state: "If you fully obey Yahweh your God and carefully follow all his commands that I give you today, Yahweh your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey Yahweh your God:...." Then, in the following verses, abundant peace, fruitful horticulture, and fruitful agriculture flow.

       Besides obeying all the commands that Moses received while on Mt. Sinai (which are basically re-iterated in Deuteronomy), the Israelites had one other mandate when they actually crossed the Jordan into the promised land from east to west. They even had a taste of this mandate while on the east side of the Jordan (Deut 2:31ff). They were commanded to wipe out all the current inhabitants of the land promised to them. Deuteronomy 7:1-7 gives the mandate to complete destroy the specific peoples – to not make any treaty with them, to not intermarry with them, but to kill all inhabitants, and to smash and burn their religious objects.

       These physical acts were commanded by God in that dispensation (Mosaic covenant), at the very least, as a sign pointing to spiritual acts in the current dispensation (New Covenant, established by Jesus – Luke 22:20). The nation of Israel had to physically invade the cities as a killing host, which would lead God to fulfill his promise to wipe out the sinful peoples (Deut. 7:1; cf Genesis 15:16 also.) The act was God working symbiotically with his chosen people to produce a desired result. This concept is spelled out specifically in 2 Peter 1:3-9, in which Christians are commanded to pursue godly disciplines, character, and behavior, all while contrasting the work of God's spirit alone to produce fruit in us, as is stated in Galatians 5:22-23. This spiritual act is the ongoing sanctifying process of the believer, which is a direct correlation to the wiping out of the sinful peoples in Joshua's time of leadership.

       There are a couple of other scriptures that give us a picture of this concept. Psalm 1:1-3 states: "Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor take his stand according to the ways of sinners, nor sit in the authoritative seat of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of Yahweh, and on whose law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its FRUIT in season and whose leaf does not wither." We Christians, however, are not trees, which cannot move; we can choose to put down our roots by the streams of waters, or we can uproot ourselves and move to poisonous soil. It is our choice. Likewise, Romans 12:1-2 gives us a similar concept: "Therefore, I urge you, brother, in view of God's kindness, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your reasonable act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will." Can you see how this relates to the mandate to the Israelites to wipe out all memory of the Canaanite inhabitants? The "renewing of the mind" equates to the smashing and burning of the pagan religious objects. However, once again, offering ourselves as living sacrifices is a choice. One can easily slip off the altar, when one is not dead, like a traditional offering was.

       As I was reading the book of 1 Samuel, chapter 11 today, having slid down that aforementioned rabbit hole, I recalled that at that time in history, the promised land had barely been overtaken, even after 200-odd years since the walls of Jericho came down. It would take another generation or two for the nation of Israel to even come close to controlling the boundaries that God originally spelled out to Abraham in Genesis 15:18. As I look back at my life as a Christian over 40+ years, I can only blame myself for not experiencing the abundant life promised me (controlling that spiritual land from end to end). Of course I still have eternal life, for that was given to me when I was adopted into the kingdom of God (cf. Colossians 1:12-13 & Ephesians 1:13-14). Eternal life is an unchanging state of being; abundant life is a constantly-changing state of experiencing. Laziness, premature contentment, and downright disobedience are killers of abundant life.  (This is how the nation of Israel basically lived from the time of Joshua's death, until roughly the time of King David.)  That is why I must focus on the aforementioned scriptures as I live in a daily relationship with the spirit of God – if I am to ever have any semblance of life to the fullest, regardless of my circumstances. Jesus suffered tremendously as a sinless human, and yet he lived a human life to the fullest. He promises both trouble and fullness, simultaneously. John 16:33 states "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart; I have overcome the world." 1 John 5:4-5 also says "...everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who trusts that Jesus is the son of God." 

 

May 6 – Your Word is Truth

         Psalm 119:104 – "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path."

         This is easily one of the most quoted scriptures in the Old Testament. It goes without saying then that God's words, recorded for us, should be the most sought-after treasure in our lives. Actually, the entire song of Psalm 119, the longest in the Bible, is one that extols his word, laws, and commands. Jesus takes this idea even one step further. In John 17:17, he prays to the Father "....your word is truth".

        Recently, I had an unexpected conversation with a 40 year-old woman, that started with what's wrong about American society. She immediately stated that we have neglected the Bible. I then said, "Tell me more!" So she proceeded to tell me how God had led her mother, sister, her daughter, and herself 20 years ago from New Orleans to Virginia Beach to start a new life. She told of divine intervention along the way, as well as "signs" to guide them to the correct location. They were helped in gaining employment and lodging in Virginia Beach. She even met her future husband there. The same happened (minus the husband-finding) when just three years ago (2019), they were prompted to move again from Virginia Beach to my hometown, of all places – a rinky-dink small tourist town, with few opportunities of employment.

        Throughout our conversation, I delved further into life in Virginia Beach. There were no friends who would miss them, when they would move to my town; there was no church family to speak of, only a husband to bring along. The same thing was said of her three years of residence in my town. She preferred to keep to herself. If this wasn't odd in itself for a Christian (although she did not mention that name), one thing else was glaring. I asked how she knew that God was truly leading her. Her reply was how she saw his hand in her family's moves. I then inquired if God's word, the Bible, was important. (Remember that this was the catalyst of our conversation, but which never appeared in her long story.) She stated that it was, but that it was not enough in order to know God in a personal way. She gave the age-old example of people in poor and restricted nations, where folks cannot find a Bible, but nevertheless, have found the living God. I couldn't deny that this is true, but not in America, where we both lived. I came to the conclusion, that God's word was not really important, as she mentioned that she might read it a couple of times a week for "comfort", not for direction, guidance, or truth. However, it was not needed for knowing God in a personal way. So many verses came to my mind, and a few I offered; however, I was beating my head against a wall.

        So, my dear reader, let's remind ourselves of what God's word can do for us. Psalm 119:10, 11, 97-100, 133 state, "I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you....Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long. Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are always with me. I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. I have more understanding than the elders, for I obey your precepts....direct my footsteps according to your word." Verse 10 above sounds like a personal relationship with God CAN be found via his word.  Furthermore, the last phrase states that God can give us direction in which to walk. 

         Deuteronomy is my favorite book of the Pentateuch, because it is pregnant with hope and description of why keeping God's commands are more than just rule-following. In chapter 6, we read: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them upon your children. Talk about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and get up." Having them in one's heart and living them daily sounds to me like a lifestyle, not a religion. The rest of chapter six also gives that impression.

        The Israelites, by and large, however, forgot that God brought them out of Egypt, in order to make them prosperous in a new land – under his covenant as King and caretaker. By the time that Jesus arrived on the scene, the Mosaic law had become a burden that no one could carry, and one that not even the Pharisees would help you carry (Matthew 23:4). Jesus had to remind us that God and his word were more than rules to be submitted to. Man was not created to just follow the rules; the rules were created to benefit man (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13). Jesus showed us how to love God by keeping the Spirit of the law, which transcended and pre-dated the Mosaic law itself. Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17), as only he could. 

        How can we know these differences that bring freedom unless we read the words of Jesus himself?  Let's get out the flashlight, and start walking in this dark world.