Who is this Jesus? #LukeActs2014

Who then is this (Luke 8:25)

Luke 8 features some of Jesus’ most powerful moments. He calms a storm, sends away a massive demon, and restores a dead girl to life. Even his clothes have the power to heal. After he calms the storm, Jesus’ disciples ask “Who then is this?” I imagine that question kept echoing among the disciples as the signs continued. And this question was probably in the minds of the crowds as well. Those who witnessed the demon’s release were “seized with great fear” (8:37), while the girl’s parents “were astounded” (8:56).

Who can do all this? Who is this Jesus?

It seems fitting that we’re asking this question as we prepare for Lent. Jesus’ transfiguration is the lectionary for this Sunday, when God announces again that Jesus is the beloved Son. Lent prepares the church for Easter, as we celebrate the wondrous miracle of his resurrection.

Who is this Jesus? He is the Son who conquers death through the power of God. However, before we rush all the way to the end of the story, Luke 8 offers more to see.

Jesus is the healer who seeks to release you from bondage. He restores a man cut off from community and exiled from home. He lifts up the woman clinging to one last shred of hope. Jesus does not only offer new life at some distant point in the future; he offers new life now.

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Lord of Rest #LukeActs2014

“The Son of Man is lord of the sabbath.” (Luke 6:5)

We don’t talk about Sabbath nearly as much as we should in the modern church. Sabbath keeps showing up in the Old Testament, from the story of creation to the Ten Commandments to the prophets.  A day of rest is important. It’s a health issue, a justice issue (for those who work for you), and it matters for your relationship to God and creation.

But we seem to have let our focus on the Sabbath wane, as though it no longer matters in modern society. We work more and play less, spending more time being “productive” and less time simply being. I have caught myself becoming less comfortable with “unproductive” time, doing my best to fill empty space with activity, sound, or video.

Into the ever-increasing swirl of our noise and busyness, Jesus names himself the lord of Sabbath. While we often focus on his showdown with the religious authorities as a way to address following the letter of the law rather than its spirit, we miss that both stories involve life: eating and healing. The Sabbath is for life. Our lives are renewed by rest and time with God. Our relationship with others is restored when we cease to see people only as workers. We need Sabbath, perhaps today more than ever.  And if Jesus is lord of the Sabbath and lord of our lives, then we need to take seriously how we celebrate Sabbath in our lives.

How do you practice Sabbath rest? What tips help you keep the practice?

Or if you don’t, why not? What stops you? And what could you do to embrace the practice?

 

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Amazing Treasure #LukeActs2014

What strikes me about Luke 2 is everyone’s amazement. All who heard shepherds were amazed. Mary and Joseph are amazed by Simeon’s words when they bring  Jesus to the temple. Fast forward to Jesus at age 12 and everyone in the temple is amazed at his questions and answers to the religious leaders.

This is amazing. God coming to our world, as an infant, without typical royal fanfare, is amazing. Jesus continues to amaze, by his presence, by what he means to the world, and by what he teaches.

Do we miss how amazing the story is? Have we heard it so many times that it loses its power? Have we turned it into doctrine and as a result lost the mystery, the wonder? Have we shielded ourselves from how radically God turns our world upside down?

Perhaps we need to be more like Mary and treasure these words in our hearts. Mary treasures the words of the shepherds the night of Jesus’ birth. After finding Jesus in the temple, she treasures “all these things” (2:51). Perhaps we would do better to celebrate Jesus’ birth not simply as a reason for a season or a confession in a creed but as a treasure we can hold in our hearts.

(I am reading through Luke and Acts in 2014 with Bishop Ken Carter, one chapter a week, and blogging about my reflections. You can read more Bishop Carter’s invitation here and follow the conversation at #LukeActs2014.)

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