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Christmas 2016

O the pageantry! O the parades! My how the world loves Christmas! It is such a worldwide phenomenon that even non-Christians celebrate the event. Today in the news, an article appeared on CNN.com entitled 'Christmas reborn in Iraqi town freed from ISIS.'

We all love Christmas. The lights, the gifts beneath a Christmas tree, money in the bank. Christmas is the most lucrative of all the holidays, and a yearly boost to business in general. It is encouraged and advertised by business. It is practically shoved down our throats. While suicides do not increase at Christmas, the expectations placed on some is a burden that causes stress, grief, and many family quarrels.

Mainly, however, Christmas is 'the' Christian holiday, and Christians will defend it for many reasons. I will not put forth that one defense of Christmas is 'it is for the kids', that defense is used for Easter and Halloween as well. When Christians defend Christmas, they are in effect defending their faith in Christ.

Christians, however, are to be lumped together with all who celebrate Christmas – whatever the reason or defense may be. For the reveler, it is merely another occasion to revel. To those who party, it is another occasion to party. Those who drink will not dismiss the opportunity to raise a glass with or without friends, as the case may be. The entire package of stringing up lights, erecting pine trees indoors, indulging, imbibing and giving gifts is a spirit shared in common between Christians and non-Christians alike.

Are you a Christian celebrating Christmas? Are you doing that for Christ? Have you taken it upon yourself to honor the son of God, to remember his birthday, with symbols and tokens from a usurped pagan festival? This opinion piece is more a question than an argument or accusation.

Jesus never had a portrait painted or a statue made. His exact date of birth is a matter that even experts may only guess at. In all of his short life on earth, Jesus only asked to be remembered for one thing. That one thing was not his birthday. What Jesus asked to be remembered for may be found in Luke 22:19, “And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.”

If Jesus has asked that any particular day or event be remembered, it is the Passover rather than his birthday. The Catholic church would have us remember crackers and wine, but I think that Jesus wanted more than that. I think that rather than have us celebrate worldly tokens and symbols, he wanted us to celebrate our connection to God through the salvation of our spirits. We were saved from the worldly spirit in man and that was accomplished through the sacrifice only Christ could effect.

Christ ransomed our spirits from the world. My question is this – what is your spirit connected to? Is it connected to partying or revelry? Is it connected to pagan practices? Is it connected to commercially procured gifts? Is it anchored in the customs of man rather than the will of God?

God placed his spirit in his son and sent him as a messenger to man. The message sent was the will of a spiritual God. Should we not rather celebrate the redemption of our spirits from the world?

The Spirit/Body Connection

Luke 11:34-36 begins with the physical human eye. Consider what your eyes actually do. They perceive patterns of light and dark, then send information to the brain. The brain is the physical vehicle for the mind. In other words, your brain is owned and operated by your mind, and as I hope you recall, mind and spirit are one and the same. It stands to reason that our spirits are affected by the physical eye. How our spirits are so affected is a matter of personal choice.

This is what Jesus said: “The light of the body is the eye.” Obviously, light does not enter physically into the body; the eye is more like a window into the world around us, allowing our bodies to better navigate. This access is via the mind. Jesus was keen to qualify that statement with this warning: “Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.” Again, it is shown that the information we send to our spirits is purely a matter of choice.

It is interesting to note the two opposing eye actions as put forth by Jesus. The eye is either 'single' or 'evil'. One would assume the opposite of evil to be 'righteous' or at least 'good', but that is not the case. To get a clear picture of what Jesus means here, we must fully understand the application of the word 'single'. Most of us have two eyes, so, what's the exact application here? What is a single eye as regards the mind, or spirit?

When a marksman looks down the sights of his gun, when he takes a bead on his target through his scope, he closes one eye. He narrows his field of vision to lessen the input of distracting information. In a word, he 'focuses' on one thing. He concentrates his attention and effort on what he deems most important. It follows, then, that the meaning of the word 'evil' as an opposite to the word 'single' would be the opposite of concepts such as focus, concentration, and singular importance.

What we end up with is a singular window on the world as opposed to multitudinous windows on the world. To esteem a thing as important, in actual practice, sets that thing above other things. The opposite of this – to hold all things at the same level, ascribes importance to nothing, and is the practical application of the word 'profane'. The choice of information we pump into our spirits affects our ability to navigate both physically and spiritually.

Then, there are the applications of 'light' and 'dark'. Jesus made these distinctions: “Therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light.” Note that Jesus is not repeating himself here. 'Thy whole body' and 'the whole' are two separate concepts.

'Having no part dark' necessarily presumes that there are, indeed, parts. I would hazard there are only two main parts we must consider – the spiritual part and the physical part. Under these two headings may be listed the likes of mental parts, emotional parts, etc. The meaning we may derive from this is simple: focus on one important thing. Having too many windows on the world may be equal to not seeing the tree for the forest.

Choosing wisely is the wisest choice. Anyone who seeks a goal must, first of all, be able to focus on it. If the oak is hidden behind a multitude of pine, the acorn is lost. All information from the eye is filtered through the spirit, and while we may have ample light to navigate this physical world, what choices have we made that will help us navigate the spiritual realm once our bodies fail us?

The Finger Of God

We find ourselves in the eleventh chapter of Luke between the verses fourteen and twenty-seven. Along the way, we have been impressed by the multitude of people who followed Jesus. We have also been impressed by his many believers, disciples, apostles and volunteers. However, not everyone believed Jesus. Many were suspicious of him and not a few were downright hostile.

Case in point: Jesus cast out a devil (defined as a “dumb” devil) and the person was able to speak – only some people weren't buying it. They accused Jesus of being in league with Satan, or Beelzebub. They reasoned Jesus was only able to cast out devils if the devil in charge allowed it as if it was all for show.

The “house divided” speech, of course, is what follows, but our take on that particular speech is what matters. As explanations go, many people have, through the ages, had a rather large blind spot in regard to it. Many people only receive the part about Satan divided against himself, but really, there is more to it than that.

We have to admit that 'a house divided' is general at worst and slightly less than precise at best. Jesus spoke of a broken nature both in a house and a kingdom. He spoke of an absence of unity and solidarity. His words were pointed at those he spoke to. As he had passed through Samaria and was a mere stone throw away from Jerusalem, we must recognize that Jesus spoke to Jews. Those who accused him of using the power of a devil to cast out devils themselves claimed to be part of God's kingdom and house.

Obviously, they were not on the same page with God. To claim such a close association to God while being unable or unwilling to see God's nature, power and work clearly indicate a division and loss of unity. Jesus was quick to point out that their own children also cast out devils. He asked them by whose authority their children cast out devils. He assured them their own children would judge them in that matter.

We get this from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible: “Now since the Jews pretended to do these things, Christ asks them, by whom they cast out devils? Whether by the Spirit of God or by Beelzebub? They would doubtless say by the former, and not the latter, which would show their great partiality; for admitting that the like actions were done by them, as by him, why not by the same power? Why should their ejection of devils be ascribed to God, and his to Beelzebub? Therefore they shall be your judges; who will rise up against you, and condemn you one day, for this unequal judgment.”

What I find particularly interesting here is the expression Jesus employed for his proof positive that they were witnessing the very power of God. 'The finger of God' – where have we heard that before? What association does that phrase possess?

I found this explanation at stackexchange.com under Biblical Hermeneutics. “Jesus thus said to the Pharisees that "the Kingdom of God was nigh." He implied therefore to his listeners who were familiar with the Hebrew Bible that the "mighty hand and outstretched arm" of God was next since the "finger of God" was now presently evident to them. In other words, when Jesus had mentioned that the Kingdom of God was at hand, he signaled the imminence of the return of the Kingdom of God to earth (just as the Exodus in Egypt resulted in the visible theocratic Kingdom at the giving of the Ten Commandments on Sinai). Please note that the Ten Commandments (Old Covenant) was given 50 days (Shavuot) after the Exodus from Egypt in the same way that the New Covenant was given 50 days (Pentecost) after the resurrection of Jesus the Nazarene.”

We associate the finger of God with the writing of the law of God – in other words, God's will. We also associate the finger of God with judgment, as when a hand appeared in midair to write upon a wall, “You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.” We find that in Daniel 5:27. The choice of 'finger of God' for 'spirit of God' is interesting, to say the least.

We also find the finger of God mentioned in Exodus 8:19 when Moses bested the Pharoah's magicians. Moses, in effect, stripped Pharoah of his armor, bound him and spoiled his goods. Jesus explained it this way in Luke 11:22, “But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.”

Jesus was that stronger man where Satan was concerned. Jesus cast out devils by the power of God – he did not need to turn to a lesser power to achieve that end. That was what Jesus told the people. He told them they were on the other side of the dividing line, and then he told them this in verse, “He that is not with me is against me.” That is a warning to be taken seriously.

All of this occurred around the man who had been dumb and was now able to speak. Jesus did not forget the once possessed man. He got back to him – and this was still part of his warning to the divided. He said to them in verses twenty-four through twenty-six, “When the unclean spirit goes out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house whence which I came out.’ And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in, and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

Division from God, by its very nature, is a state of possession. While many of them were responsible for the sweeping and garnishing, that is, making themselves attractive and available for evil spirits, most of them, like the king in Daniel five, were unable to read the writing on the wall.

One Thing Is Needful

This study is taken from Luke 10:38-42. I had placed Jesus around the sea of Galilee at such locations as Tiberius and Bethsaida. Then came an open area where Jesus fed five thousand people, and about a week later, a mountainous area, possibly Tabor. After coming down from the mountain and healing a boy, Jesus approached the border of Samaria. After sending his disciples to secure a place in one of the Samaritan villages, and being denied access, Jesus was found in the 'way' as he traveled toward Jerusalem.

As he moved forward, he sent seventy volunteers ahead of himself to heal and preach the gospel. Still in the 'way', those volunteers returned with joy to report their successes. Also in the same 'way' and in the company of his disciples and volunteers, among many other followers, Jesus prayed openly before speaking privately with his disciples. It was, then, on the next leg of their journey that they came to stay in the home of Martha and Mary.

Many learned people believe this Mary and Martha to be the sisters of Lazarus, which puts the location at Bethany. Jesus' march toward Jerusalem would have been nearly complete as Bethany was about 1.5 miles east of Jerusalem. In the context of this timeline, the story of Martha and Mary lies between Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the palm-leaf-gathering mission of the seventy volunteers.

We know little about this family. Let us take our clues from the text. The fact that Mary sat at Jesus' feet to hear him speak might suggest the choice of an older sister. A person with seniority might well use said seniority to their own advantage. The complaint of Martha is not unlike that of any adolescent. As a younger sister, Martha would have found herself in the position of having to work her way up along the ladder rungs that prove one through the experience of hard work and learning. Many of us can look at our pasts, within the ranking of our families, and feel a certain kinship with Martha and her complaint.

The fact that Jesus was speaking in his usual manner suggests that there were more people in the house than just the family of Martha and Mary. Martha's “much serving” suggests preparations for such a meal as might be served for many people. I would think that besides Jesus and the family of Martha and Mary at least the disciples were included. A conservative estimate would place between sixteen and twenty people at this event.

The typical home in Jesus' time was somewhat spacious and could easily accommodate a small crowd. The fact that Jesus was speaking and almost all the other people present were listening suggests a length of time suitable to Q&A and making points. Issues discussed in such a context may range from an hour to several hours.

So, what about all the other people who had been traveling with Jesus? I suppose some of the multitudes and some of the seventy were camped around the home of Martha and Mary. I don't think all of them were there; by necessity, some of them would have gone into the town for their needs.

So, Jesus spoke, all plus Mary listened, and Martha was left with all the work. Had Lazarus been a younger sibling and not, as I suspect, an older head of the house, he might well have found himself assisting Martha. Most agree that the relationship Jesus had with Lazarus Mary and Martha was more than mere acquaintance. They were close friends. As I look at their relationship, I must confess that one thing I have never seen is mention of parents. Only the three are ever mentioned – no parents, no wife or children for Lazarus, and obviously no servants since Martha seemed to be doing all the work.

There have been many sermons about that one needful thing that would not be denied Mary; I am not here to preach. The image portrayed in this account does, however, present us with some idea of how included Mary was among a predominantly male following. Indeed, many see Mary as a disciple of equal standing with the twelve.

What was that needful thing, then? As I can speak for none save myself, my opinion is that it is receiving the bread of life. That is, seeking the truth and growing spiritually. Was Jesus so uncaring, then, about Martha's plight – the pain and frustration of a dear friend? Did he care if the people listening to him ate earlier rather than later? Did he so much as tell Martha that she was making a mountain out of a molehill? Or, did Jesus simply invite her to take time out from her worries to sit and refresh her spirit?