Joy to the World's Star Gazers

Atheism. The Magi were a group of men from Persia who were certainly educated, and were likely quite wealthy. They were priests from their land who gazed upward at the heavens for signs from God who certainly resided there. They devoted their lives to reading and proclaiming the truths of God they discovered. Naturally, they themselves were somewhat atheistic by nature.


At the heart of the best God-seekers and God-followers is, of course, atheism.

Theism as the study and certainty of God by nature is restrictive, presuming enough knowledge to define God with some clarity. Most atheists reject that clarity. If atheism is the antithesis of clearly defining God, then Jesus was a wonderful atheist, because he constantly challenged the clearly communicated beliefs of the contemporary theologians of his day. The Magi, by their own example, were tremendous atheists, as they were free to stretch beyond their own tradition to explore Truth wherever it could be found. They knew so much that they understood that they knew very little.

Reasonable People. Pascal once wrote: “Finally, let them recognize that there are two kinds of people one can call reasonable; those who serve God with all their heart because they know Him, and those who seek Him with all their heart because they do not know Him.” Rollins points out, however, “that these two kinds of people are only reasonable when they are brought together as one – they serve God with all their heart because they know him, all the while seeking him with all their heart because they do not” (How Not To Speak of God, 56). The Magi were reasonable people, because they devoted their life to God’s service, as well as the pursuit of the God they proclaimed at the same time.

Guilty of Christianity? There is a story of a man who had a dream that he was being brought before a court. He was being charged with being a Christian. The prosecution had an excellent case. Dozens of photographs of his regular church attendance. Recordings of him speaking up during Bible study with fellow church goers. Surveillance video clearly showing that he also attended some Christian concerts and gatherings at the local arena. The man’s iPod is brought forward as evidence, filled with all sorts of Christian music and videos. His phone even had a Christian song as a ringtone. Journals were brought in that held poetry, and words of processing thoughts of faith and life. As the final piece of evidence, the prosecution laid the man’s Bible before the judge. It was well worn. There were innumerable verses highlighted. There were words underlined. Notes could be found in the margins.

There were moments when the man considered denying his faith to save his neck. But he remained focused. The judge asked if he had any words to add before he went into deliberation. He was too afraid to open his mouth for fear of renouncing his faith.

After an hour the judge came back into his court, looked into the man’s eyes and made his pronouncement: “Not Guilty.”

At that, the man on trial went from fear and terror to confusion and rage. What about my church attendance, my public speaking, my Bible?”

“Your journal only gives evidence that you have a way with words. Your church attendance and public speaking only indicate that you are a public speaker. The court has no interest in worship attendance or Bible reading; nor is it concerned with church-goers who only speak of a beautiful world to come. We exist for those who continue to develop their theology of love, who would lay down their lives in a Christ-like endeavor to create the beautiful world they long for.”

The Magi were more than scholars. They pursued God with everything they had, and it took them right to the Jesus. When they arrived where Jesus lived, they immediately gave him gifts of great monetary and symbolic value. Priceless gifts easily given.

The Princess. There once lived a Princess who lived in a town that was once wealthy but became quite impoverished. She had a dream one night of meeting a young man, a beggar, who made her rich. She awoke from the dream and never forgot it. One day, years later, as she walked through the local streets, she came across the young man she met in her dreams. She immediately told him of her vision, upon which he gave her a sack without saying a word. She took it to her castle and, sure enough, it was filled with priceless gems! After a sleepless night, she awoke the next day and journeyed to a cliff on the edge of the sea. After a few deep breaths, she threw the bag of gems into the sea. She then went back to her village, found the young beggar, and said, “Young man, speak of the wealth you possess which allows you to give away such worldly treasure without a moment’s thought.” (Rollins, 51)

The Magi traveled at great personal expense, even risking their lives, in order to be in the presence of Christ. Their wealth extended far beyond their earthly treasures. They engaged the world from a different sort of orthodoxy than most, but theirs yielded life for themselves and others, including Jesus’ family, who likely used the gift to finance their trip to Egypt and back.

The Printing Press. There was a woman who had a vision to raise money to purchase a printing press with which she could translate and distribute the Word of God to many people. She sold all she had to provide her seed money, and chose to live on the streets, asking people for help. Some were generous, but most gave only a little, if anything at all.

After her savings began to accumulate, a flood ravaged a nearby village, devastating the homes of many. She immediately used her printing press savings to help rebuild the lives of those left without shelter or food. Then she started over toward her original goal.

Years passed, and she was getting closer to the amount she needed, when a plague hit her city like a wave. Thousands died, and many more were sick. Without hesitation, she used her savings to pay for medicine and treatment for the sick. After the need passed, she began saving all over again.

Finally, not long before her life ended, she saved enough to purchase the press. After her death, it was noted that she spent her life making three translations of the Word, the first two being the most splendid of all.

Who knows the details of what the Magi believed? Who cares if they held the right beliefs? What we do know is that they believed in the right way, which literally blessed God and has inspired countless millions to consider the same.

May you find yourself believing in the right way.

Think…

1. How’s your atheism coming along?

2. Are you a reasonable person according to Rollins?

3. Are you guilty of Christianity? Why or why not?

4. Was the princess crazy?

5. Did the printing press lady really realize her dream?

6. How does the Magi’s part of the story impact you?

Joy to the World's Starry-Eyed Lovers

The Stray Cat. “There was once a wise teacher who would go to the temple every evening to pray with his disciples. By the temple there was a stray cat that would wander in every evening and disturb the peace. So, each evening before prayers the teacher would tie the cat to a tree outside before entering. The teacher was old and passed away a few years later. His disciples continued to tie the cat to the tree each evening before prayers.


“Eventually the cat died and so some of the disciples purchased a new cat so that they could continue the ritual. After a hundred years the tree died and a new one was quickly planted so that the cat (by now the eighth-generation cat) could be tied to it. Over the centuries learned scholars began to write books on the symbolic meaning of the act.” (Rollins, How Not To Speak of God, 41)

Holidays like Christmas are prone to becoming mere rituals that we reenact annually without much reflection on the reason, meaning and relevance of our traditions. We must remember, however, that this story of God’s breaking into our world in the form of Christ went well beyond the sleepy traditions people had begun to concretize. The birth narrative of Christ is the ultimate surprise party thrown by God for all people. The motive for God’s party boils down to one word: love.

Love Song. One day, people were taking a break from their shopping in their local mall’s food court when, much to their surprise, a man with a very familiar face walked right into the middle of the tables and chairs, and began to sing a love song through the loudspeakers that were prepared for his surprise visit. The man was Paul Potts, Britain’s Got Talent’s recent winner. He sang La Prima Volta, an Italian Aria-styled version of the 1960’s pop hit, The First Time Ever I Saw your Face (you can check it out for yourself on You Tube by clicking the link here). He came to sing a love song for the people. It was beautiful. When people heard the love song, they left what they were doing to come be immersed in the experience. People wiped tears from their eyes as he sang words they couldn’t quite make out. As my sister described it, “beauty wins.”

That’s what happened at Christmas. God unexpectedly showed up with a love song.

The Pearl. One day Jesus was teaching, and a young man asked him what the Kingdom of God was like. Jesus told him a story. A merchant was searching the world over for a perfect pearl. Finally he found it. He sold everything he had in order to get it. Jesus then noticed a young woman sitting in the audience, perplexed. He asked her what she thought of the story. She said, “All I know is that to sell everything to possess such a pearl would make little sense, for the owner would possess nothing but the pearl. And so, while it may be priceless, it would make the owner destitute. So, what use is the pearl?”

Jesus replied, “None, if you desire it for your own selfish pursuits, for then you will find nothing but poverty. Only when it is the pearl that you desire are you rich. For then the pearl will possess you, not you the pearl.” (Rollins, 113)

Mary and Joseph were both given the opportunity to buy the pearl. They cashed in everything when they realized what was before them. They heard the love song. And they responded with love.

Soul Mate’s Visit. A lover journeyed to his beloved’s home, knocked on the door and asked to go inside. The woman on the other side of the door refused, stating that there was not room enough for two. Later, he went back again, announcing that he was her lover, and wanted to come inside. Again, she refused with the same retort. Later, he tried again, this time bringing a gift, but was still rejected with the words, “There is not enough room for two.” Finally, after a day of contemplation, he returned, and knocked yet again.

“Who is it?” the woman inside inquired.

This time he responded, “It is not I, for we are one. There is no I but thou.”

After a brief pause the door swung open and his beloved responded, saying, “And likewise, there is no I but thou.”

To this day they live together in that little house built for one. (Rollins, 138)

When the shepherds were in the field that night, they heard the love song from God, too. The song communicated God’s love for all humanity – welcome news to these men who were working the graveyard shift in one of the least respected roles in society.

Loved You First. Love comes from somewhere. Those who knew Christ firsthand when he walked the earth with him wrote down their reflections for us. One of those disciples was named John, and he said that love comes from God, that we were loved by God before we loved God. He loved us first. The Christmas story is one of the greatest gestures of love God has ever given us, because in Christ God has given us himself – flesh and blood – eyes and ears – God was interactive long before Steve Jobs created Apple. Out of love, God chose to reside with us.

Mansions. A story is told of Jesus sharing with his listeners that one day, when this life is over, they will find themselves spending eternity in heavenly mansions on beautifully manicured estates – the dream of many who lived in Roman times and still today, when those who claimed to be God and God’s favorites used their wealth as the “blessed” proof of God’s favor. But on the fringe of the audience that day was an ordinary, everyday person listening in. After the talk was over and the people dispersed, the shepherd approached Jesus. He told Jesus he wondered if there was any place in heaven for one such as him. He had never known anything but poverty, wasn’t nearly as educated as others whom Jesus was attracting – he wouldn’t know to miss a mansion since he had never been in one before. Jesus stepped closer to him and said, “Away from all the mansions and gold streets there is a little stable. It is cramped and old, but on a clear night you can see the stars amidst the cracks and feel the warm air on your flesh. It is there that I will dwell, and while it may be no mansion, there is a space in that place for you” (Rollins, 131).

Pie Jesu, All Is Well. At the heart of the love song we find the pearl of great price that is worth cashing in everything we are in order that it might have us. We discover that God wants relationship with us – the greatest gesture of love – and has made the first move to invite us into life in Him. The love song is the hope and promise that as we journey through the ups and downs of life we will still be able to see the stars and be comforted by the presence of the One who loves us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever would believe in him would not waste away, but would live the life they were meant to live – a life of love and meaning.

Tonight isn’t about tying a cat to a tree because that’s the way it’s always been done. Tonight is a night when we come to our lover’s door and knock, proclaiming that it is not I, for we are one. There is no I but Thou. Tonight is a night to rest in the love of God that broke into our world in Christ. It is a night to embrace and hold high the light that has come into the world, into the darkness which it overcomes.

Think…

1. What traditions surrounding Christmas have become so rote that you don’t even think about them anymore?

2. If you were Mary or Joseph, would you experience the terrifying opportunity offered them by God as a love song? What sort of process do you suppose they went through in order to eventually embrace the gift of Christ as a love song?

3. What do you suppose the love song meant to the shepherds?

4. What does the love song mean to you? What are you going to do in response?

Joy to the World's Everyday People

Shepherds 101 Because the Bible celebrates a handful of shepherds who changed world history, we can pretty easily adopt a romanticized view of these folks. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and their sons were all shepherd-ranchers. When God called Moses to return to Egypt to lead them in the Exodus from slavery, Moses was shepherding. David, Israel’s most famous king, was a shepherd when he was first anointed. God even calls himself a shepherd for his people (Psalm 23). Jesus referred to himself in the same way – the sheep hear the shepherd’s voice – they know my voice (cf. John 10).


But shepherding was a dirty job, and one that required a good amount of wandering. The Bedouins are a good example of this. Still today, this group of nomads wander around the Middle East with their flocks, grazing their way back and forth around the countryside. They have no brick and mortar to call home. They live in tents as they wander through life with their sheep and goats.

Some look down on such people groups as dirty commoners. At the very least, you could say that shepherds were a good example of “Everyday People.” The shepherds we encounter in the Bible’s birth narrative of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20) were working the graveyard shift, which meant they were probably residing on the lowest rung of the corporate ladder.

Roman Gods While shepherds roamed about tending their flocks, the Roman Emperors roamed the world, doing their best to bring the world into their control. Part of their approach was evangelism – literally translated as good news. The good news they were proclaiming was that there was a god who would take care of the world’s people and their needs. To experience the shelter of this god only required obedience and submission to the god they proclaimed: Caesar himself. Do that, and the Pax Romana – Rome’s Peace – would be yours.

If you didn’t embrace this good news, you might get yourself killed as later followers of Jesus experienced. The good news was only good if you sold out whatever beliefs you held previously to this new belief. If you are a simple, uneducated shepherd, living and roaming all over creation, you probably wouldn’t believe in Rome’s evangelism. It falls short for you. You believe there’s more, but you’ve also been told that God has been silent for centuries, and certainly won’t bother a shepherd if he chose to speak.

A Heavenly Chorus One night everything changed. God showed up, and he wasn’t a Roman. A chorus of angels – too many to count – filled the sky to sing about the good news they proclaimed. The Roman attempts at choirs no longer seemed regal or impressive – this was the heavenly host. They may have even been good enough to win NBC’s Sing It! a cappella competition. The announcement heralded by these angelic messengers was that God had done something quite unusual right around the corner – he showed up personally in the most vulnerable way possible – infancy.

The angels instructed these shepherds from Missouri to go see for themselves. How could you not want to go see for yourself? The reality is that this massive revelation of God to these ordinary everyday people left them with a desire to know more. The desire would not be quenched by mere thinking and talking about it on a hillside – they would pursue the God who showed up.

God-Shaped Hole Pascal, the great thinker and theologian from the past once said that there exists in every person a God-shaped hole, an absence, an incompleteness that can only be filled by God. The idea is that we are born without God, with this vacancy that remains until we somehow figure out that God is the only filler. But Peter Rollins, in his book How Not to Speak of God, suggests another way to think about this void that is certainly evident in the shepherds’ experience at Christ’s birth. Instead of the hole being created by absence, Rollins suggests the hole is created by the aftermath of the abundant presence of God.

In this rendering, then, we see the shepherds chasing after the One who was so deeply and abundantly present. Theirs was not a casual, intellectual pursuit because they sensed something may or may not be missing. These men ran to the scene because God had so powerfully broken into their existence in unmistakable ways. God was the glacier that left in his wake an obvious trail of impact. The hole left behind is the evidence of God and the motive for pursuit, not a proof of absence and a stumbling block that keeps us from moving forward.

Emmanuel, Really A story is told of Jesus sharing with his listeners that one day, when this life is over, they will find themselves spending eternity in heavenly mansions on beautifully manicured estates – the dream of many who lived in Roman times and still today, when those who claimed to be God and God’s favorites used their wealth as the “blessed” proof of God’s favor. But on the fringe of the audience that day was an ordinary, everyday person listening in. After the talk was over and the people dispersed, the shepherd approached Jesus. He told Jesus he wondered if there was any place in heaven for one such as him. He had never known anything but poverty, wasn’t nearly as educated as others whom Jesus was attracting – he wouldn’t know to miss a mansion since he had never been in one before. Jesus stepped closer to him and said, “Away from all the mansions and gold streets there is a little stable. It is cramped and old, but on a clear night you can see the stars amidst the cracks and feel the warm air on your flesh. It is there that I will dwell, and while it may be no mansion, there is a space in that place for you” (Rollins, 131).

A story like this challenges us to think about what we’re really hoping for from God. Do we simply want God to fulfill the American Dream for us when we get to heaven? Or are we hoping for something more? Do we want stuff or the presence of God? Which do we value more in our hopes and dreams of this life and the next? Which do we pray for more fervently?

Rollins tells another story of a lover who journeyed to his beloved’s home, knocked on the door and asked to go inside. The woman on the other side of the door refused, stating that there was not room enough for two. Later, he went back again, announcing that he was her lover, and wanted to come inside. Again, she refused with the same retort. Later, he tried again, this time bringing a gift, but was still rejected with the words, “There is not enough room for two.” Finally, after a day of contemplation, he returned, and knocked yet again.

“Who is it?” the woman inside inquired.

This time he responded, “It is not I, for we are one. There is no I but thou.”

After a brief pause the door swung open and his beloved responded, saying, “And likewise, there is no I but thou.”

To this day they live together in that little house built for one. (Rollins, 138)

The shepherds may have had some normal, carnal desire for material success. But somewhere in the recesses of their dreams I believe they longed for something much deeper, with much greater value. I believed they longed to be known and loved by the One who gave them life. In longing for such intimacy, they believed in the right way. May it be so for you, too.



Think…

1. Have you ever felt devalued due to your level of prosperity, gender, skin tones, job, life stage, marital status, height, weight, etc.? Who devalued you? How did your experience affect you? How did the experience shape your dreams and desires?

2. If you were a shepherd as described above, living in that time and place in the world, what dreams and desires might you have?

3. How do you respond to the idea of the God-sized hole being left by God’s presence that moved through our lives, instead of the absence of presence? How is that true or not true for you?

4. How do our dreams and desires affect our prayers to God?

5. At the end of the day and at the end of life, what do you really want to experience? How do your prayers reflect those hopes?

Joy to the World's Humble Pie Eaters

Joseph. Joseph was a good and righteous man. The Bible tells us this as he enters the scene in Matthew’s account of the birth of Christ (Mt. 1:18-25). This means he was known for being a good guy – obeying the basic teachings of Judaism, which included treating people well. As a Jewish man living in Israel during Roman occupancy, we can imagine some of his ambitions. The overwhelming majority of people at that time were very poor. People in Jerusalem looked down on the people where Joseph lived – Nazareth was thought of as an uneducated backwoods sort of place (could anything good come out of Nazareth?) By our Western standards, then, Joseph’s dreams don’t seem too lofty. He probably hoped simply to make enough money to survive doing a job he didn’t mind too much. Hopefully get married to a woman he could get along with. And if God smiled on him, some sons to carry on his name and his country’s legacy.

 

We don’t know how well Mary and Joseph got along. All we know is that they were engaged – an arranged marriage that was probably set up many years before their wedding ceremony. We can be pretty confident that the time of their wedding ceremony was approaching given Mary’s life stage. Joseph was a carpenter, and we can assume he was doing well enough to get the nod of approval to get married soon, too, since he did within months of his entrance into the story.

 

We learn a lot about the depth of his goodness when he got his mettle tested. One way or another, he received the news that Mary was pregnant. Not by him. A flood of emotions must have overwhelmed him. Anger. Embarrassment. Feelings of being betrayed. Hurt. Humiliation. Loneliness. Many of us would be tempted to react with vengeance – letting Mary pay for her sins – distancing ourselves from her to free us from association with her and let her suffer the consequences. Joseph could have easily chosen this orthodox route, based on a right belief born out of an understanding of Jewish law.

 

But Joseph chose a different form of orthodoxy and chose to believe in the right way. While he could have humiliated her all the way to her grave, he followed a greater Truth and settled out of court, so to speak. Joseph was indeed a good man, a gentleman already moved by grace.

 

Orthodoxy Revisited. Religious traditions typically define themselves by what they deem as the “right beliefs”. Right beliefs are handy. They provide, usually, a clear ethic – boundary lines, constructs, etc. As an added benefit, right beliefs can pretty quickly be distinguished from wrong beliefs. The world gets pretty black and white if you choose this form of orthodoxy. Binary. You know who is in and who is out. This makes this form of orthodoxy “safe” – protected from all that you disagree with. This form of orthodoxy doesn’t really need God, of course – we have the ethic – of what use is God except to welcome us to heaven and annihilate all the wrong people?

 

Author Peter Rollins, in How Not To Speak Of God, suggests an alternative way to think about orthodoxy. Instead of the Greek interpretation of right beliefs, he offers a more Hebraic definition: believing in the right way. The focus is less on the letter of the law (right beliefs), and more on the Spirit in which the law was given – the tone, inflection, and style of God, which sometimes goes directly against the letter of the law. This higher way of Truth can trump the “right beliefs truth” when appropriate. All moved by the same heartbeat of God.

 

This type of orthodoxy motivated Abraham, Isaac, the Hebrew midwives in Egypt, still others and even Jesus to lie – breaking a right belief – in order to honor a higher Truth: love. It’s what afforded Corrie ten Boom the decision to lie about harboring Jews in WWII, too. Honoring a higher Truth trumped adherence to the lower truth of being honest no matter what.

 

The Third Mile. Joseph already gave evidence of his believing in the right way when he chose to divorce Mary quietly, privately, so as not to make worse an already horrible situation. When the angel appeared to Joseph, informing him that the crazy story Mary was spinning was, in fact, true, he was presented with another opportunity to choose his orthodoxy. He could choose the Greek orientation, which would have let him simply tell himself that he had done more than enough already. He could then go back to sleep. Or, he could go the Hebrew route and choose to live and believe in the right way. Because he chose the latter, he went beyond the second mile instructed by Jesus, and into a third. His decision showed love to Mary, God, himself and the whole world. He took Mary as his wife, in spite of all the grief he would take from others. He didn’t consummate the marriage – not an insignificant act of self-discipline – hello, he was a man on his wedding night! And he named the baby boy Jesus, not Joseph.

 

Choosing to believe and live in the right way was hardly an easy decision. Certainly, faithful, orthodox people looked on with horror at him and Mary. They probably spoke in hushed tones (or maybe loud shouts?) about their scandalous circumstance and Joseph’s lack of spine. It was hard to eat such humble pie.

 

And yet, strangely satisfying beyond explanation or expression…

May you continue to examine the orthodoxy you employ.

May you find yourself going the third mile.

May you discover yourself satiated on humble pie offered by God to those who embrace his invitation.

 

Think...

1. What indicators do we look for to help us know if we have a healthy relationship with God?
2. What indicators do you think Joseph would have used?
3. How do you think he handled the shock of realizing being faithful would carry a very high, painful price?
4. If you were faced with an invitation by God that would require such a high price, what would go through your mind?
5. Joseph probably never saw Jesus do his “ministry thing.” As he drew his last breath, do you think he had any regrets regarding his decision to marry Mary?
6. What areas of your life is God inviting you to trust him at a price? What’s your next step?

Joy to the World’s Expectant Christ-Bearers

Mary had dreams, too. Mary was a little girl who had hopes and dreams like any little girl. Her dreams, like ours, were shaped by the world she lived in. For her, then, dreams would absolutely include being engaged and married to a good, loving husband who would father her many sons and a few daughters. These kids would make them both proud, of course, and would care for them both as they moved into their old age.

Mary was Jewish, living in her homeland that was currently occupied by Rome. She and her people dreamed of one day ruling their own land again. That day would be brought on by an in-breaking of God in the person of the Messiah, who would rule in the way of King David, and bring with him the Majesty one would expect from such a Son of God.

Mary’s dream of the future did not include being visited by an angel to invite her to become pregnant before her wedding day by someone other than her betrothed. She couldn’t even imagine such a nightmare. When Mary’s dream was shattered by a very different reality, she was forced to reconsider much of what she valued and believed.

Orthodoxy. In his book, How (Not) To Speak of God, Peter Rollins, a fresh thinker, writer, theologian, dialoguer, etc., notes that the word orthodoxy is defined somewhat differently by Greeks than Hebrews. The Greek orientation, which is the foundation for most Western thought (read: our primary disposition toward thinking about everything), defines the word as “right believing”, which means there are certain constructs and points that define whether or not we are orthodox. This, then, is used to determine who is right and who is not, who is in and out – binary, black and white. Hebrew people, however, define it subtly and yet radically differently. Instead of right believing, the Hebrew mindset defines orthodoxy as believing right. This mindset is evident in many biblical narratives.

Mary was Hebrew, but still had expectations, hopes, and dreams that didn’t really fit with her understanding of God. She had to make a mental shift in order to remain orthodox (believing right). While she could have easily written off the whole experience as a hallucination brought on by an underdone potato eaten the night before, she chose instead to reconsider whether or not she was believing right. She chose to alter the way she believed to “believing right” instead of idolizing her held beliefs as “right”. Do you understand the difference?

We are pregnant. You and I who seek things of God are pregnant. There lies within us the Christ child, longing to be nurtured, to grow, to be born in and through us. Like Mary, we have a decision to make. In truth, we are already pregnant with a great many other ideas that we have called right, but get in the way of Christ. What ideas, dreams, fears, etc. are present in you, growing in you that do not really allow for Christ to develop in you? What needs to be cleared out in order for Christ to dwell? How do you need to think differently in order to believe right?

The Pearl. Jesus once taught a gathering of listeners that the Kingdom of God was like a great pearl of enormous value. When a merchant seeking such a find discovered it, he immediately sold everything he had in order to purchase the pearl. A paradox is present here. In order to gain the pearl, he had to sell everything, which left him nothing but the pearl. So he had everything and nothing at the same time. The gift of Christ is the Pearl. God’s Kingdom is the Pearl. Christ’s indwelling is the Pearl. What is God calling you to liquidate in order to acquire it? It may not mean cashing in all of your material possessions. More likely, it is your ego, your desire for control, your self-centeredness, your pride that keeps you on the throne of life instead of God. Of course, once we relinquish our very selves to God, all of our possessions are then at God’s disposal, aren’t they? Mary certainly gave this up to God in order for Christ to live in and through her. Will you?

The Generous Priest. Long ago there lived a priest who was known for his generosity toward the poor, opening up his cathedral to any and all that needed shelter, providing for their food and clothing needs as best he could. One evening, a knock came to the door of the cathedral. A demon was on the other side, and asked if he could have shelter there. The priest obliged. Once in the cathedral, the demon desecrated the building, and the altar. The demon asked to go home with the priest for dinner. After he ate, the demon wrecked the priest’s home. Finally, the demon asked if the priest would welcome him into his own soul as much as he had welcomed him into the cathedral and his own home. The priest, as before, opened even his soul to the demon. Once there, however, there was nothing to which the demon could cling, and no darkness in which to hide. The only thing there was light. The demon left in disgust, never to return (Rollins, p 113-114).

The invitation to Mary is the same for us: to find our source, our life, our love, our joy, in the paradox of giving all of ourselves away in order to gain the fullness of God. As we allow our transformation to emerge, we discover hope, love, peace, and joy. We find ourselves living differently, rightly, congruent with our believing right. This is the Good News that causes us to sing “Joy” to the whole world.

May you, as Mary, choose to believe right, nurture Christ within, and discover life anew.

Think…

1. What have you been told about what being a Christian will mean for you? For example, sometimes when we are being taught about faith, certain benefits are mentioned – concerning afterlife, emotional experiences, etc. Who presented those ideas to you?

2. What do you imagine were Mary’s thoughts and feelings as she was given this announcement? What sorts of things do you think went through her mind as she considered her decision in response to God’s invitation? What would saying yes mean for her emotionally, practically, intellectually, and spiritually?

3. How are the issues Mary faced similar or different to those we face as we consider the invitation given us to nurture Christ within, allowing the work of Christ to grow in us, being birthed in us?

4. If you were listening to Jesus’ talk about the Pearl of Great Price, what would your reaction have been? What is your reaction right now? Is the Pearl worth everything you have and are?

5. Mary’s example is a catalyst that invites us to consider our availability to God’s work in our lives. We are already impregnated with a great many things that leave no room for Christ to be nurtured. What activities that you have done should have been left undone and what various activities that you have left undone should you have done?

6. Consider Mary as she drew her last breath. She experienced Jesus’ conception, gestation, birth, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, ministry, crucifixion, death, resurrection, ascension, and then the Spirit’s presence and the birth of the Church. Do you think she had any regrets about her decision to be used of God to nurture Christ’s growth and birth in her life? Should you continually nurture Christ’s growth in your life, what do you imagine your final thoughts in this life might be?

7. What areas of your life is God calling you to rethink right now, so that Christ might grow in you?