Wholeness from Brokenness

"Who are you, Jacob?" With his strength spent, his hip dislocated, and his last wit frayed, the broken man declared, "I am Jacob, the heel-graber." ... He was all at once fragile. Maybe he could finally know peace. Maybe now he could yield. Though his brother could trade it and his father could speak it, only God could bless him. Only God could actually do what he had promised. The angel of the Lord spoke a blessing over Jacob, saying "From now on, your name shall no longer be Jacob (Deceiver) but Israel (God fights) because you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed."

The preceding passage comes from an Advent devotional entitled Behold the Lamb of God by Russ Ramsey. It endeavors to tell the WHOLE story of Christ's coming, which actually begins in Genesis. His retelling of the story of Jacob wrestling with God struck me powerfully today.

This always seemed one of the more stranger stories in the Bible to me. I was always taught that the main point of the story was Jacob's persistence. In this vein, the moral is something like: "blessings come to those who do not give up." The problem with this interpretation is that it divorces the encounter from the big story of the Bible.

It wasn't about Jacob not giving up while wrestling with God, but about God not giving up on Jacob.  God was so dead-set on using him, that he forced him to face a hard truth about himself: that he was a "heel-grabber," a deceiver, and completely unworthy of being used by God for any reason whatsoever.

As we prepare to receive the Good News of Christ's birth this year, let us also hear God's question to Jacob being asked of us. "Who are you?" God already knows. And until you face up to all that you are apart from Christ, you'll never be able to receive who you could be through his grace.

Letter from Jesus

I am not the author of this.  I discovered it two years ago and posted it on Facebook as a "note."  I think it deserves a re-posting for those that might have missed it.  

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival. . . although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1-8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. Not just during Christmas time, but all through the year. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the president complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sends out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family? Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions and words that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short.  I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

Christmas and the Bible

When most people think about what the Bible says about Christmas, they think of those well-known, beloved passages in the Gospels that speak of Mary, Joseph, shepherds, wise men, a manger, and angels.  This is not a bad thing, especially considering the alternatives people have to focus on during this time of year.  If this is what you think about BEFORE pictures of the North Pole, Santa, and holiday sales at the shopping mall, then you definitely are ahead of the curve.

On the other hand, the reason that most people (myself included) think about these passages is because they are the most well known and accepted, even by some of the same people advertising that holiday sale you just can't miss.  It isn't too uncommon to see Hallmark movies with nativity scenes, commercials quoting Scriptures about peace and goodwill, and department stores selling Advent calendars that count down the days until Christmas.  No, I'm not upset about any of this.  But the more I think about and celebrate the Christmas story, the more I am convinced that it consists of more than a few well-known characters and Scriptures.

For many of us (including myself for a long time) the story of Jesus' birth is not all that different than a fairytale.  We know all about the setting and the characters, but our perception is divorced from the significance this "tale" has in relation to the whole story the Bible is telling.  Just as Cinderella and Snow White lived in "once-upon-a-time-land," Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and they all lived happily ever after.

How do we broaden our understanding of how Christmas fits in with the rest of what the Bible has to say?  Well the short answer is: read it!  Read it with the expressed purpose of seeing Jesus at the center.  Believe it or not, one book that has helped me to do that is The Jesus Storybook Bible, by Sally Lloyd-Jones.

Listen to what the introduction says about Jesus and the Bible:

No, the Bible isn’t a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It’s an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It’s a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne–everything–to rescues the ones he loves. It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You see, the best thing about this Story is–it’s true.

There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every story in the Bible whispers his name. He is like the missing piece in the puzzle–the piece that makes all the other pieces fit together, and suddenly you can see a beautiful picture.

Yes, this Bible is for children.  You should buy it for them and read it to them.  But you might also be surprised when you read it for yourself, to see how "every story in the Bible whispers his name."

Another resource that has helped me to understand the Bible in this way is a musical score entitled Behold the Lamb of God by Andrew Peterson.

This one will not be everyone's cup of tea, but if you appreciate "folksy" sounding music, it is definitely worth checking out.  It is difficult to describe this album in words, so I will limit my comments to two important points: 1) It is not your traditional Christmas album.  2) It is intended to be listened to all the way through.

Regardless of whether or not you find either of these resources helpful, I pray that your understanding of the Christmas story is stretched this year, and that your appreciation for it extends beyond the familiar.

Merry Christmas!