No Easy Delivery

The first week of Advent, we began thinking about Mary and Joseph through the lens of Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom coming unexpectedly. In order for them to be bring in the King as best they could required them to acquire a new identity, new behaviors, and new stuff. Even with all of this in place, they were still overwhelmed, no doubt, by how Jesus came into their lives. How’s your identity coming along as a modern day Mary or Joseph? What behaviors do you sense God calling you to drop for the sake of the Kingdom? What behaviors are you being asked to adopt? How about what you spend your resources on – where does you time and money go – are they driven by the Kingdom?
Last week we continued thinking about Mary and Joseph, but this time contrasting them with the Pharisees and Sadducees whom John condemned. The point? Be humble in your walk with God, because the Jewish religious leaders were certain that they were more prepared than anybody for the coming Messiah. They not only missed the Christ, they killed him! Mary and Joseph had no choice but to walk in humility, which made them the perfect vessels to bring the King into the world. How’s your humility factor? How are you making sure others don’t identify you as a Pharisee-type?
This week, we continue to place ourselves in Mary and Joseph’s shoes as we hear a question coming from John to Jesus – are you sure you’re the One? The reality is that for Mary and Joseph there was no script. John thought he had a pretty good handle on it, only to find out that he wasn’t quite on the same page with God. Much of our walk with God is unfamiliar – which is how it should be.
Jesus, empathizing with John’s pain, did give him encouragement. Rather than simply telling John’s disciples, “Yup – I’m the Messiah,” Jesus focused everyone’s attention toward Christo-praxis – Jesus’ practices were all pointing to his identity much more effectively than a theological treatise ever could. Blind people were seeing, deaf people were hearing, lepers were cleansed, the lame were walking, dead people were being raised to life, and the poor were receiving hope. All of these things told John and the rest of the world that Jesus was Who He said He was.
When we deliver these same things, the world believes in this Jesus.
It’s not an easy delivery, though. The world likes it when we deliver on these (mostly), but there is not a lot of cultural support for it.
Just recall that it was no easy delivery for Mary and Joseph, either. Unfamiliar territory. They knew what they needed to do, and where they needed to go, and they did it. And we’re here because of it. And now we get the honor - to deliver the King to the world - which hasn’t gotten any easier...
Delivery via speaking and being Truth to those in your proximity. Delivery via Deborah’s House. Delivery via generously dispersing grace for all people in Napa. Delivery from the death sentence of HIV/AIDS and all of its implications in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. Delivery by proclaiming good news to all, even using words, if necessary.
You’ve got a delivery to make. It won’t be easy, and probably won’t feel safe. But it will change the world.
Shalom!