A Community of the Desperate: A Reflection on Luke 2:1–20 for Christmas Eve/Day

A Community of the Desperate

"It was the most fun that I have ever had in ministry.  We were a community of the desperate."  Those were the initial words that rolled off of the tongue of church planter and pastor Eric while he was recalling fondly the early years of a church that he and his wife Kim founded in Maine back in the 1990s.  Eric and Kim were in their mid-twenties and fresh out of seminary.  They moved to Bangor, Maine to establish a new congregation without knowing a single person in the city.  They worked feverishly to make contacts and foster relationships with all whom they encountered.  To this day, Eric and Kim remain awestruck and joyful in their description of the persons who first expressed interest in this fledgling church.  They did not attract the movers and shakers nor did they reach the beautiful and the self-assured.  Instead, the core members of this congregation consisted of recent transplants to the area, several persons struggling with addictions, some ex-convicts, and many who for a variety of reasons were simply struggling to make their way through the world.  What did these persons have in common?  To put it simply: They were desperate for the very things that the Gospel alone can truly deliver - they were desperate for God.  Moreover they were precisely the types of persons whom Jesus himself impacted powerfully during his earthly ministry.  Jesus' earthly life models the creation of a community of the desperate -- persons hungry and desperate for God whom God can then transform and deploy back into the world to love and serve others.  Luke's birth narrative provides for us the earliest hints that this will in fact be the focus of Jesus' ministry and should be the focus of our own lives as followers of Jesus.

Our Scripture lesson on this Holy Day (Luke 2:1–20) is so familiar that it is easy to miss its subtle and subversive message.  The text recounts the Christmas story of a census, the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem, Jesus' birth in a manger, and the arrival of angels and shepherds to celebrate the event.  Yet, it is in these well-known details that we find the true power of the story.  For in them, we discover God's intentions to create a community of the desperate through whom God will reach out in love to the world.

Let's hear Luke's words again:

In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. 

⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

A Tale of Two Cities

Luke skillfully opens his report of Jesus' birth by setting it in a specific time and space.  The reference to Caesar Augustus serves as much more than a chronological marker.  Rather it sets up a conflict between two kings and two kingdoms.  Augustus was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all Emperors who ever reigned over Rome.  Caesar bore all of the rights and prerogatives of power and influence.  His reach extended even to the small and insignificant province of Judea.  There our Scripture lesson opens with a trip by Joseph and Mary from the town of Nazareth to their ancestral city of Bethlehem in order to register according to a decree from Augustus. 

While in Bethlehem, Mary goes into labor and gives birth in a manger because there was no room in the inn.  A king is born that night in Bethlehem, but this King will lay aside all of the trappings of power and live his life armed only with faith, hope, and love.  Furthermore, Jesus' humble birth in a manger emphasizes God's care for the lowly.  The King of kings and Lord of lords is not born into wealth or power; he was not found in Rome; but rather he lay asleep in a manger.  What kind of king is this?  If Jesus were born today, where would we find him?

A Surprising Announcement

The scene shifts to the regions around Bethlehem in which shepherds were out with their flocks (verse 8).  Perhaps these were the same areas once patrolled by Israel's first shepherd-King, David.  Shepherds in Jesus' day were not numbered among the rich or powerful.  They were peasants at the bottom of the status ladder. Yet, these were the persons to whom Jesus' birth is first announced. God did not come looking for the proud, the important, or the powerful; he came to those in need.  Jesus came to those desperate for the sort of life that comes only by living for God.  Jesus came looking for those desiring a better life, a life lived for a value greater than their own good.

The shepherds were terrified at the appearance of an angel (verse 9), but their terror soon turned to awe, wonder, and joy at the announcement.  The angel tells the shepherds to be full of joy because of the good news of Jesus' birth.  Moreover, note that verse 10 declares that the birth of Jesus will be a source of joy "for all the people."  Jesus' birth and the salvation that he will bring has the potential to reach and touch everyone!

What does the angel announce?  In verse 11, Gabriel declares the place of the birth to be "the city of David."  The angel also gives titles to the child: Savior, Messiah, and Lord.

"Savior" was a title worn by the Roman Emperor, but Luke boldly declares the Jesus is the savior.  What an audacious and surprising claim!  In this distant corner of Roman influence is born one much greater than even Caesar Augustus.  Yet, he does not bear the trappings of his rank – the baby Jesus identifies with the weak and lowly.

"Messiah" implies that Jesus is Israel's long awaited Davidic King and deliverer.  "Lord" is the title used typically of God.  By declaring Jesus as "Lord", the angel is saying that Jesus is the one in whom God is working to bring forth salvation.  In verse 12, the shepherds receive a sign. This sign coincides with the description of Jesus' birth earlier in the passage.

Verses 13-14 describe the worship and celebration of "a multitude of the heavenly host."  Worship is the proper response to the miraculous work of God.  Verse 14 contains the familiar words of the angels.  Note carefully however that modern translations such as NRSV or NJB differs from the old King James' "...and on earth peace, good will toward men."  The NRSV correctly translates the best Greek manuscripts “on earth peace among those whom he favors.”  These words carry a powerful message.  They proclaim worship and glory to "God in the highest heaven."  God is worthy of honor and acclamation for his work.  Additionally, on account of the arrival of Jesus, "peace" is available for humanity, those most in need of God.  This peace of God refers to God’s desire for justice, restoration, hope, and wholeness.  Think about who received this message: lowly shepherds out in the field.  Yet, these were precisely the persons whom Jesus came to save.

Whom does God favor?  The contrast between the powerful and lowly continues here.  The announcement of the birth of Jesus by the angels does not occur in the presence of the Roman power brokers, business tycoons, or other influential elites.  The announcement of Jesus' birth came to the community of the desperate.  But God’s work does not stop with a mere announcement.  The announcement becomes a mission.

A Mission to Live

How do the shepherds respond to the birth announcement and the worship of the angels?  An experience of God’s grace is never an end in itself.  If it is authentically from God, it will always push us outside of ourselves and point to others.  The lowly shepherds become this new king’s first ambassadors. 

The shepherds head directly for Bethlehem to see things for themselves.  The authentication of the events with their own eyes causes them to proclaim the words of the angels to those who are present (verse 17).  This leads to amazement by "all who heard it" (verse 18).  Perhaps the "all" refers to those staying in the actual inn that night.  Mary, who already knows the truth about Jesus (1:1-76), simply reflects on the wondrous events around the birth of her son, Jesus (verse 19).  The shepherds then return to their flocks worshiping and praising God (verse 20).  The actions of the shepherds are significant.  They receive the good news about Jesus, and they are transformed from lowly shepherds to heralds and ambassadors of God's good news.  This is the call to all of us who know and believe the story of Jesus.  We who have experience outpourings of grace must become witnesses to the world of this fact.

A core value of Christianity is hope.  Too often we make hope a mere insider value.  In other words, Christians have hope because we put our trust in God.  This is certainly true but it is not radical enough.  Hope is also to serve as a value offered to outsiders. Christians are to be known to the world not simply as persons of hope, but more profoundly as persons who inspire others, especially those outside the Christian community, to have hope as well.  This is the true witness of Jesus' birth - that a community of the desperate becomes the source of hope for the world.

How will you be a beacon of hope for someone today?  Who represent the desperate in your circle of family, friends, and acquaintances?  

© 2016 Brian D. Russell  

Mission and Holiness

In 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, the Apostle Paul describes his method of reaching the Mediterranean world with the Gospel.

NRSV 1 Corinthians 9:19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some.

Paul describes an outreach strategy that modern thinkers would describe as contextual or indigenous. Paul worked to offer Christ to persons in terms of their own culture and thinking. Paul’s encounter with Greeks on Mars Hill is a classic example of this strategy. Paul’s conversation with a group of people on the Areopagus is recorded in Acts 17:16-34. He uses one of the Athenian’s own religious altars—one ascribed “To an Unknown God” as a vehicle for the proclamation of the good news about Jesus. In other words, Paul attempted to use some aspect of his target audiences own culture and belief system as a starting point or doorway into a conversation about Jesus Christ.

At least on the surface, most of us gravitate toward Paul’s strategy of “becoming all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.” If we wish to live an evangelistic and missional lifestyle, there is much to learn here. This is a key element to learning to speak human.

For me, there is a key question: How does one embody such a mission strategy and stay true to the Gospel? Common answers such as, “I just follow Jesus” (though true) do not quite cut it because they are overly simplistic. In order to be the sort of persons who can follow in the footsteps of Paul and his co-workers (let alone the footprints of Jesus), we need to be profoundly touched by God. We need to be so rooted in God’s character that we are capable of adapting ourselves to new challenges, structures, and circumstances without losing the substance of who we are in Jesus. This means that deep character is more important than surface character.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “The clothes make the (wo)man.” In my thinking, this is completely backwards. If we want to be adaptable so that God can use us to reach the many, then we need to embody an ethos in which “the man [or woman] makes the clothes.”

This is not easy. It is even dangerous. In fact, Paul immediately follows up the above text with two strong warnings:

1) Paul uses an athletic metaphor to describe the seriousness of the danger:
NRS 1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. 25 Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. 26 So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; 27 but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

Those of us who wish to reach out with God’s love to all persons need to realize the level of commitment necessary. Just as the athlete must continue her or his training to stay on top, so must we who follow Jesus be intentional and consistent in the nurturing our own relationship with God. To be an elite athlete requires a commitment to a training regimen that empowers the athlete to improve performance over time.

2) Then, in chapter 10 of 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds his readers of the unfaithfulness of Israel despite the fact that the Israelites were eyewitnesses of incredible acts of God.

The lesson is clear: our past history with God is no guarantee of our future faithfulness. Reflecting on Israel’s past tendency to be unfaithful in spite of God’s faithfulness, Paul warning in 1 Cor 10:14 “If you think you are standing strong, be careful that you don’t fall.”

The conclusion is this: our own personal holiness cannot be separated from the mission that God calls us to fulfill. Character matters. When the character of Jesus truly resides in us, we can adapt ourselves to new contexts and God will use us to reach others who desperately need the good news that is found only in Jesus. If we follow Jesus boldly, he will lead us into the darkest places in the world so that we can serve as light as Jesus shines through us.

Reflection:
1) How adaptable am I to new situations?

2) Am I more likely to be influenced by culture or to influence the culture for good?

3) What habits do I keep that help to nurture my soul and replenish me so that I am ready to reach out and serve others?

4) Reflect on your own understanding of the relationship between a missional lifestyle and personal holiness.

© 2006 Brian D. Russell, Revised 2016.

My latest book (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World offers reflections on how to read Scripture in light of God's mission to bless all people.

The Magi and God's Mission: Invitations for Outsiders/Warnings for Insiders

After the announcement by the angel to Joseph about Jesus' mission: God with us and save his people from their sins, Matthew's Gospel turns to an episode that is now so watered down that it has become pedestrian: Jesus and the visit of the Magi. 

In Christmas lore, the Magi are three kings who come bearing gifts. In the perfect nativity scene, the three kings arrive just after the shepherds and angels do on the joyous night of Jesus' birth. Yet a close reading of Matthew's Gospel demonstrates that much more is going on in the text.  In fact, there are profound missional insights in these verses including a strong warning to the community of faith. 

NIV Matthew 2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 "'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

A Birth Announcement

Unlike Luke's Gospel, Matthew does not spend any time at all on the night of Jesus' birth.  There is no manger.  There are no angels singing to the glory of God.  There is not even a solitary shepherd mentioned.  There is not even a hint that Mary and Joseph have had any visitors to see their miraculous gift from God.

It is stunning and alarming that a group of astrologers from the east breaks this silence.  The Magi were most likely from the area of modern southern Iraq. They had traveled hundreds of miles. They arrived in Jerusalem in search of a king. They asked innocently, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?”

At this point, this story becomes a study of character types. Matthew paints a strong contrast between the Magi and Herod/all Jerusalem. Some may be surprised by the latter group. Many of us miss the connection between King Herod and all Jerusalem, that is Jesus’ country(wo)men.

This contrast offers those who have ears 3 dangers to consider and 4 invitations upon which to act:

Danger One:

Being so invested in the status quo that we are unable to discern God’s work in our midst.

Change is difficult. Nonetheless, change is relentless and inevitable.  Yet we humans tend to resist change, almost instinctively. Whether it will be for the good or for the bad, we throw up walls to halt it.

Maxie Dunnam: “Most of us prefer the hell of a predictable situation rather than risk the joy of an unpredictable one.”

The Jerusalem of Jesus’ day was ruled by a tyrant, Herod. Herod was a non-Jew who had been appointed by the Romans. He was brutal and steadfastly interested only in maintaining his own rule. It is not surprising that he was disturbed by the announcement of the birth of a new king, but what about Jerusalem as a whole?  Why were they as equally disturbed as Herod?

Perhaps they were disturbed because the announcement came from outsiders. The bearers of the message were pagan astrologers from a far away land. They must have asked questions and made statements such as these:

What could they possibly know about a king of the Jews?  Wouldn’t God have let us know about such a birth first?  Everything was going well until the Magi showed up. Things were just starting to run smoothly around here. God doesn’t work among the lost, does he?

Danger Two:

Knowing the Bible so well that we stop listening to it or at least stop listening to God.

One of the deepest ironies in this text is that Herod and all Jerusalem know almost immediately where to find the long awaited King. The Magi make it to Jerusalem, the capital, but there is no new born King in Jerusalem. To answer the question of the Magi, Herod calls together all of the Jewish priests and bible scholars.  He inquires about the birthplace of the Christ, the Messiah. They immediately respond with a quotation from Micah 5:2 that prophesied the Christ’s birthplace in Bethlehem. Herod and Jerusalem do not suffer from a lack of biblical knowledge or insight.  They are lacking in its transforming power.  In contrast, the Magi without any access to Scripture recognize an anomaly in the heavens as a sign from God that a King has been born.  They act on this information.

Scripture is a gift from God, but unless it fuels personal transformation and missional action, bible reading and study can mask our true need for a vital moment by moment relationship with God.

Israel’s priests and bible scholars knew where the Christ was to be found, but did they act on this information? Why didn’t they run to Bethlehem ahead of the Magi?

There is always a danger that we substitute knowledge of the Bible for knowing the God behind the Scriptures. There is a profound warning here about substituting a relationship with the living God for mere information from a text.

Danger Three:

Being so committed to our own power and prestige that we seek to thwart actively God’s mission

Herod responds to the announcement of a new born king swiftly and decisively.  Despite recognizing the birth as the fulfillment of prophecy and despite the apparent worldwide announcement sent out by God that drew the Magi, Herod took the decision to attempt to murder the baby Jesus. Why? Because the arrival of a newborn king pointed to the end of Herod’s power and prestige.

Why do we as humans have the tendency to view the new as a threat to the old?  Why do we always take account of our own power and prestige rather than revel in the new movements of God and the new people that God is working to bring into God’s Kingdom?

The frightening side of this story is that Herod and all Jerusalem plot to eliminate this threat through violence. In essence, we find here a foreshadowing of Jesus’ death on the cross. When Jesus goes to the cross as the ultimate act of salvation for the world, it is at the bidding of the Romans and those in Jerusalem who will be shouting out, “Crucify him!”

Jesus’ call is radical. It is life changing. It calls for us to give up our own lives and follow Jesus into the world on mission. Jesus’ call is for self-denial and living as though one were already dead.  Jesus’ call to follow him is always a challenge to the status quo.  It is one in which the first become last and the last become first. The humble are lifted up and the proud made to bow low. For Herod and all Jerusalem it was too much of a risk to their own power and prestige to permit God to work outside of the system. Thus, Herod acts to thwart God’s intentions by acting to kill Jesus (Matt 2:12ff).

If the story of the Magi offers a series of warnings to insiders, it also offers profound invitations to those on the outside.

Invitation One:

Seeking to follow Jesus for the chance to experience a real life.

The story of the Magi is astonishing. Magi living hundreds of miles from Israel leave their families and their ways of life to chase the mere possibility of encountering the long-awaited King of the Jews.

What would have driven these men to go to such links to meet a king? They had to have realized through their observations of the stars that something spectacular was happening.  Moreover their God-given longing for the true God must have been stirred within them.  Blaise Pascal, the seventeenth century scientist/philosopher, said, "There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus." As I have argued elsewhere, being shaped after the image of God implies that we were created for authentic relationship with one another and with the creator.  We know this instinctively.  However, too many of us fail to act and remain unchanged. 

Jesus comes to all of us this morning and says, “Follow me.” Who among us will answer his call?  What would you give for a chance to live the life of God’s dreams?  What would it mean for you to live as the person whom God created you to be?

This text invites us to follow Jesus as the true way of experiencing the life of God’s dreams.

What do you need to give up today to embrace the life offered to us by God through Jesus?

Invitation Two:

Experiencing true joy in encountering Jesus.

After the detour in Jerusalem, the Magi follow a special star to Bethlehem.  The star stops over the place where the child was staying.  Our text says that the Magi were overjoyed over arriving at their destination. This was a joy in discovering an allusive pursuit.  As humans created in God’s image, we long for happiness.  We long to find meaning and fulfillment in life. Yet how many of us actually find it?  How often do we experience an overwhelming sense of joy in our lives? 

My children constantly remind me of the joy of living.  My daughters have always enjoy going for car rides to look at Christmas lights and decorations in the neighborhoods surrounding our home. When my children were preschoolers, there responses to a good light display were memorable. They would squeal at the top of their lungs, “LIGHTS!!!” at the first site of the display. Their faces would glow and their smiles were seemingly miles wide.

Joy like this is a gift from God.  It is a reminder of something that too many of us have lost. The Magi rediscovered their capacity for true joy when they encountered the baby Jesus.  We can too.  This text invites us to find joy

What is the source of greatest joy in your life?  What if following Jesus Christ were the only way to true joy?

Invitation Three:

Finding our true self in the surrender to and worship of Jesus.

The Magi aren't content to experience Jesus from afar. They have arrived at their destination so they approach and enter the house containing Jesus and his mother Mary.

There response is profound.  In the presence of this young child born not among the rich and powerful of the Jerusalem elite but out in the country in Bethlehem, these elites from the east bow down and worship him. The word worship is repeated three times in our passage (vv. 2, 8, and 11) and it is a significant term in Matthew's Gospel (13 uses).  Worship is the proper response to the person of Jesus in Matthew (cf. 2:2, 11; 8:2; 15:25, and 28:9, 17). It is the recognition of his person and authority. This stands in profound contrast to the actions of Herod and all Jerusalem who sought to thwart God's plans through the murder of the young king.

But the Magi do not stop with worship. They also offer the baby Jesus costly gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. These gifts are gestures of submission. They represent the surrender of the Magi to the Lordship of Jesus. They are ritually offering to Jesus all that they are for the use of his Kingdom. This text invites us to do the same. True life is not found in amassing power, wealth, or prestige through our own efforts.  True life is found in surrendering all that we are to Jesus.

Have you gotten to the point in your life in which you have surrendered yourself to God and moved from a life focused on self to a life focused on serving God?

Invitation Four:

Returning to our old lives to share the message.

An encounter with God is never a mere existential experience.  When God meets us, we are transformed from self-centered persons committed to self-fulfilment and gratification to an over-oriented existence as the Spirit propels us back into the world to participate fully in God’s mission to bring salvation to the ends of the earth through Jesus Christ.

The Magi do not remain in Israel with the savior of the world. They offer themselves to the King and then they return to their homeland. We do not hear from these men again in the New Testament, but these unnamed Magi become the very first Christian missionaries in history. They came to pay homage to the King because they instinctively realized that Jesus was the one for whom their very beings longed. 

Having met Jesus, they return to their old lives. But this is only half of the story. They do return to their old lives but they are now living as transformed persons.  The actions of the Magi foreshadow the end of the Gospel where the Risen Jesus sends out his eleven disciples into the world to make disciples of all persons. This is the Gospel mandate.  Or as my friend Alex McManus reminds us, “The Gospel comes to us on the way to someone else.”

The Magi do not become secluded from the world. They become agents of transformation for others. This is our call as well.

How is God using you to shape the lives of others and to share the Gospel?

© 2015 Brian D. Russell

For resources on preaching Scripture missionally and for establishing a missional community, I recommend the following:

 

Video Blog: Becoming a Person who Must (Part Two): Overcoming Limiting Beliefs/Fears

Resurrection and Mission (Part Two): Luke 24:13–35 The Road to Emmaus

The second scene in Luke 24 verses 13-35 (Read opening essay on Luke 24:1-12) builds on the first. This is the famous “Walk to Emmaus” narrative:

    NRS Luke 24:13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16 but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19 He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22 Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23 and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25 Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26 Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28 As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29 But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31 Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33 That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34 They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

This narrative is filled with mystery and intrigue. Only one of the two persons is named (Cleopas, v. 18), but neither of them is among the Eleven traditional disciples. They are joined by the Risen Jesus, but are unable to recognize him during the journey. They end up in a conversation about Jesus’ death and the women’s strange (24:1-12) report from earlier in the day. “Jesus” then begins to instruct them from the Scriptures about the necessity of the Messiah to suffer. On the road to Emmaus, Jesus taught them from Israel’s Scriptures beginning with Moses everything taught about Messiah. Upon reaching Emmaus, they persuade “Jesus” to stay with them for the evening. They do not recognize Jesus’ true identity until Jesus “took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them” (24:30). At this moment, they realize that they have been journeying with Jesus. Jesus disappears and the two men hurry back to Jerusalem in order to declare to the Eleven that Jesus is truly risen.

This narrative contains some key insights:

1) The Scriptures must be understood in light of Jesus. Jesus opens the Scriptures to Cleopas and his friend. The Scriptures of Israel (the Old Testament) point to the necessity of a suffering Messiah. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah is the climax of God’s work in calling Israel as a community of God’s people. Individuals now need to find themselves in this narrative and live their lives in light of it.

2) The power, mystery, and possibility of encountering Jesus in the breaking of bread is a theme. In v. 30, Jesus “took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them.”  This was no mere meal. These words are an explicit allusion to the Last Supper. Compare the language of 24:30 with that of 22:19: "And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’” This is a mysterious passage. Why were Cleopas and his friend unable to recognize Jesus? Regardless, it is only after Jesus reenacts the Last Supper meal that they see him for who he truly is. I think that there is a word here for us-particularly for those among us who take a low view of the Eucharist. Let’s invite people to the Lord’s Table so that they may encounter the Risen Jesus through the meal.

3) Cleopas and his friend are transformed from forlorn former followers to empowered, passionate proclaimers. Just as the women in vv. 1-12, Cleopas and his friend are transformed into Jesus’ witnesses. There is no commission given, but they immediately return to Jerusalem to announce to the Eleven what they had seen and heard. Encountering the Risen Jesus is all that is required for a call to a missional life.

Have you encountered the Risen Jesus?

How has the resurrection of Jesus affected your life? 

What would it look like for you to live as an empowered, passionate proclaimmer and witness?

© 2015 Brian D. Russell
For more, pick up and read my latest book, (re)Aligning with God: Reading Scripture for Church and World . Now available!

 

Reading Matthew's Gospel Missionally

I am teaching an applied hermeneutics course at Asbury Theological Seminary. It focuses on the text of Matthew’s Gospel. I am working hone a missional approach to Scripture as a key lens for appropriating the message of the text in the West for the 21st century.

When I talk about a missional hermeneutic, one of the key questions that I am asked is this: Is a missional reading or hermeneutic something that we as readers impose on the text?

My short answer is this: A missional reading of the Bible arises out of a close reading of the text itself. The reader however does bring the issue of mission as part of the investigation. This is not a foreign imposition on the text because the Bible itself assumes mission. We have often missed the missional element in Scripture because we have grown up in a Church culture in which mission was not at the center. This was not the case for the recipients of Matthew’s Gospel. The NT (and the OT) assumes mission. If we are to understand truly the Scriptures, we need to locate our own readings within a context of missional engagement with the world.

How can I say that Matthew assumes mission?

Here are some representative texts and comments:

1) The Gospel of Matthew reaches its zenith in Jesus’ commissioning of his disciples to Make Disciples (Matt 28:18-20). Notices that this is not merely a call for certain followers to serve as ambassadors. It is the mission of all followers of Jesus. This was true in the initial call to “follow Jesus and learn to fish for people” (4:19). The book of Matthew is a manual on missional discipleship.

The Great Commission is the no brainer “mission” text, but Matthew from beginning to end is about Jesus’ announcement of the kingdom and call of disciples to follow him into the world announcing the good news.

2) Matthew opens with a genealogy (1:1-17). Part of this genealogy affirms Jesus as “Son of Abraham”. It was to be through Abraham that “all peoples of the earth will be blessed” (Gen 12:3). The possibility of persons outside of Israel being saved is opened up through references to Abraham in the Gospel of Matthew (see Matt 3:9 and 8:11). Moreover, Jesus’ ministry begins in “Galilee of gentiles” (4:15) and Jesus gives the Great Commission from Galilee (28:16­–20).

3) Matthew focuses on the inclusion of outsiders in the scope of Jesus’ mission. This begins with the Magi (2:1-12) and continues on with Jesus’ ministry to those outsiders desperate for the Kingdom (see especially Jesus’ mighty acts in chapters 8-9). Who are the recipients of Jesus’ ministry? Lepers, foreigners, women, Roman centurions, tax collectors. This is a significant demonstration of the expansion of the scope of Israel’s ministry through the person of Jesus the Messiah.

4) Jesus’ ministry begins with his calling of the first disciples (4:18-22) on the heels of his initial proclamation of the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven (4:17). This is a significant linkage of the core of Jesus’ message and the necessity of calling together a new community. This community is given a missional ethos from its beginning as Jesus calls this new community to follow him into the world on mission. Jesus even models incarnational language by describing the fishermen’s new evangelistic vocation as “fishing for people.”

5) Jesus practices boundary -breaking ministry. After teaching the ethos of the Kingdom for his disciples (Matt 5–7), he then models it in a series of mighty acts in Matt 8:1–9:34. Jesus does not allow uncleanness, foreignness, or sexism to stop the advance of the kingdom.

6) The “missionary discourse” (Matt 9:35-11:1) is Jesus’ empowerment and deployment of his followers to engage in the same sort of ministry that he had modelled for them in Matt 5-9. The Gospel of Matthew serves to teach God’s people how to live as a holy missional community to/for/in the world.

7) Jesus does not call persons to faith faith per se. Instead, Jesus calls people to “follow me”. This is significant. The Christian life is not merely about right thinking; it is about right living as well. But right living cannot be subsumed under the heading of ethics. Instead the ethos of the Christ following movement is centered on mission. When Jesus called persons to follow him, Jesus led them on mission. This is model for the Christ following movement. The Risen Christ continues to lead his people on mission to save the universe (Matt 28:20).

What do you think? What else would you add?

© 2007 with significant revisions in 2009 and 2015.

My Personal Affirmations about Scripture

I teach a course at Asbury Theological Seminary called "Scripture and Spiritual Formation." One of the writing assignments is for each of us to create a list of affirmations that we make about Scripture as we seek to engage it for personal transformation as we seek to live as God's missional community for the world. These are mine:

Scripture is endlessly interesting if we learn to ponder it deeply.

Scripture is endlessly interesting when we remain mindful enough to ponder it deeply and listen attentively.

When reading Scripture don't pray for mastery of the text, pray that the text masters you.

If we are to read the Scriptures for all that they seek to accomplish, we must physically locate ourselves in God’s mission.

Reading Scripture leads us to the true world that God desires for us to inhabit.

Reading Scripture requires that we approach the text as its servant rather than its master.

“Reading the Bible as Christian Scripture is a craft that pleads for the lifelong apprenticeship of its artisans." Joel B. Green, NT Prof

If we are to read the Scriptures faithfully, we must participate actively in God’s mission.

It’s not about fitting the Bible into our lives; it’s about fitting our lives into the biblical story.

Reading Scripture involves a willingness to be astonished anew by the mysteries of God’s kingdom.

Our reading of Scripture seeks to recreate the world of the text so that we can imagine what our lives might be and become if we entered its world.

The book of Psalms seeks to shape a people into a missional community through prayer and praise rooted in sacred memory.

Biblical interpretation involves a devout willingness by the interpreter to realign continuously with the message of Scripture.

Studying and reading Scripture is about conversion (ours and the world's).

Scripture is not primarily interested in answering our questions. Any question may be brought to the text, but ultimately the Bible is interested in confronting its readers with the reality of God’s claims on our lives. It intends to raise questions that we must answer.

Reading the Scriptures involves hearing the voice of God speaking through an ancient text calling and inviting the reader and hearer to align or realign his or her life with the purposes of God in the world.

Reading Scripture is not ultimately about bringing our questions to the text; it is about opening ourselves up to the questions that the text desires to ask of us.

Reading Scripture requires our recognition that our presuppositions and prior commitments must be open for nuance, correction, or change on the basis of the text.

Reading Scripture leads us to the true world that God desires for us to inhabit and work toward in our lives together.

Reading the Scripture is not a means of self-actualization; it is a means of personal conversion to God.

Reading Scripture shapes us for God’s global mission, inspires us to live as persons in community, and transforms us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Reading Scripture shapes us for mission, calls us to community, and transforms us through the Spirit.

What affirmations do you make about Scripture?

© 2015 Brian D. Russell