Tag: Christ

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Advent Reflection: “May everything you have said about me come true”

 

656b8228-6f39-443c-82fd-0c3f0771c483Each week of Advent, I’ll be posting two reflections on a different name of Jesus as given in Isaiah 9:6. This week’s name is “Wonderful.”

 

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6.

READ

Psalm 139:1-6

O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

REFLECT 

Because Jesus is God, he knows everything about us: inside and out; past, present and future. Because Jesus lived among us, as one of us, he knows what it is like to live with human feelings, needs, and limitations. As fully God and fully human, Jesus offers us his wondrous love: complete, intimate knowledge matched by his complete empathy and compassion.

Advent is a season of expectation and faith. When the angel came to Mary, to tell her that she would be the mother of God’s son, the Messiah, Mary had no way to fully understand what she was being told. It was completely outside of her knowledge or experience. But she responded with these words of trust: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true” (Luke 1:38). She believed and expected that God would make his words happen, just as he said.

PRAY

During your prayer time today, speak to the One who knows you completely and loves you more than you can imagine. Ask Jesus to tell you something about yourself that he wants you to know, something that will bring you new life. He may name one of your gifts, tell you something about your present or future calling, tell you a truth about who you are, or simply tell you something that he loves about you.

When Jesus has spoken to you, respond in faith, using Mary’s words: “I am the Lord’s servant. May everything you have said about me come true.”

RESPOND

Sometimes, because of how we have been hurt, or because of the things that we fear, it can be hard to believe Jesus when he says good things about us. If you are experiencing fear or doubt in response to Jesus’ words for you, ask Jesus to help you identify the root of those emotions. Ask him for healing and for increased faith.

Finally, consider how you would live differently if you did believe what Jesus has said to you – if you trusted Jesus to make it true, even if you can’t see it yet. In this first week of Advent, ask Jesus what step of obedience you can take. Is there a concrete action that will bring you closer to living out Jesus’ new and life for you?

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Psalm 45, Bad Husbands, and Biblical Wedding Songs: Foreshadowings of Christ and the Church

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Day 25 of my 30-day writing challenge / Summer in the Psalms

A summer sermon and reflection series from the Psalms and linked readings in the Revised Common Lectionary.

Read

Psalm 45:10-17

Reflect

Psalm 45 is a wedding song in honor of an unnamed king and princess. Commentators believe it points to the eventual union of the church and Christ, and to the eternal reign of Christ as King. The poetry in the Song of Solomon falls under the same tradition.

The wedding songs in the Psalms and in the Song of Solomon are undeniably beautiful and romantic. But they are also idealized. They don’t reflect what life was probably like for the women who had to live with their kings past their wedding night.

We don’t know which princess and king are being celebrated in this song, but we do know that both David and Solomon, the two most powerful kings of Israel, fell far short of being ideal husbands. Solomon, who today would be referred to in polite circles as a man whore of epic proportions, had 300 wives and 700 concubines. David was comparatively restrained, with at least eight wives and 10 concubines that we know of.

David showed genuine love to some of his wives, but the Bible also shows him rejecting one of his wives after she displeased him. (Reading between the lines, he may have refused sexual relations with her for the rest of her child-bearing years, if not for the rest of her life.) But even a well-loved wife could likely expect only limited attention from a husband who had dozens, if not hundreds, of other women to warm his bed, not to mention a kingdom to run.

Biblical wedding songs may not paint a realistic picture of marriage – but we could say the same about almost any book, tv show, or movie. However, they do point us to an ideal and truth beyond anything we could possibly achieve in our human relationships. Christ really does love the church with an undying, unselfish, faithful, passionate love. As the body of Christ, we are always beautiful to him, always welcome in his arms. It’s the kind of love that most people can only dream about, and it belongs us, forever, as a free gift from the King whose reign will know no end.

Respond

What are your favorite words or images of love from fiction or poetry, other art forms, or popular media? In what ways do they reflect Christ’s love for the church?

Think of a time when you felt loved by God. Spend some time remembering that experience and feeling, and carry it with you throughout your day and week.