January 1, 2025

SIX days to Bethlehem…

…journeying as magi.

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding [will come into Him], the Spirit of counsel and of might [will be upon Him], the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord [will fill Him] —and He will delight in that fear of the Lord.” (Isaiah 11.1-3)

“For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12.4-8)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

In all the talk about eggs, we are easily able to discern “what is born in them.” We can associate them with the gifts of the Holy Spirit which exist in contradistinction to (following the pattern of 6 to 7 as in the song of “The Twelve Days of Christmas”) the wisdom found in Proverbs 6.16-19, “There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Those six days of creation were gifts of life deftly interwoven so that one enhances and empowers the other. It is certainly obvious that there was a pattern in place as God’s plan to move from chaos and purposelessness to harmony and goodness. Yes, “goodness” is the biblical opposite of purposelessness. What is biblically “good” is that which accomplishes the goal for which it was created. As we move from 6 to 7 (modern day association now easily redirected from the chaos such nonsense produced) we are brought to the realization that the purpose of all creation is to be at Sabbath rest. There can be no Sabbath rest (7) unless there are the six days of fulfilling the purposes of each to feed and lead to the next as well as to the others. So, from yesterday with “six geese a-laying [laying eggs out of which a new form of life is born]” we are now asked to remember the purposes of life which is born in them pertaining to God’s people and the people of God. “God’s people” includes all who on earth do dwell. They may or may not know what “gift of the spirit” they were born with into the world. Their knowledge may well align in some form or fashion with the Old Testament listing of seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (that which comes from the ruach of God which first breathed life into the lifeless form God created from the dust of the earth.) Those gifts are inate to every human being. The expression of those gifts, how they are presented and used, may vary from person to person but do not represent a gift, talent or ability. They reflect attitude and purpose that is key and critical to authentic living. They are stepping stones to avenues of life which then serve others and bring glory to God. We find them in the prophetic work of Isaiah, the 11th chapter. They are: wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and the fear of the Lord. These are essential elements which make us distinctly human. As God’s people (the general population) these are a part of our DNA. They are divinely designed and ordained as sacred elements for every person. Sadly, many people do not understand their relationship to the One True God and exercise the use of those gifts for their own device. Yes, it is a misapplication and misappropriation of the gifts. That means their effect is limited in scope and generally self-serving in nature up to and including a “god identity.” We see this tragedy occur in the Garden of Eden as the “serpent” took Adam and Eve’s eye “off the true prize” (the presence and blessing of God) and put it on another prize (the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil). What was the tragedy there? As soon as they fell into disobedience the very presence of “knowledge” that was within them became informed by sin. Not that the fruit was sinful but the intention to possess what they already had as if they did not (tantamount to the “Unforgiveable Sin” as it is called by Jesus) was sinful. The choice for Adam and Eve was simple. There were two trees among all the other trees good for eating highlighted by God for their attention. One tree was forbidden as God knew what the consequence would be. God had planned an intervention and knew it was inevitable. God did not desire that that intervention would have to be put into effect because it would mean a part of Him and His creation would have to die. The first six gifts were dependent upon (and interdependent with) leading to the seventh- the fear of the Lord. Interesting, is it not, that the parallel in the creation story is that the six gifts (six days) were dependent upon (and interdependent with) leading to the seventh- the Sabbath day to be kept holy. The very mention of holiness indicates a caveat and consequence. Keeping the Sabbath (whether the actual day or conceptually) holy fostered blessing and preparation for the six days to come next and so forth in the cycle of life spiritually and fleshly. To not honor the Sabbath and make it unholy leads to, let’s be honest, what we see in the world today. We really do not go forward in blessing to the next cycle of days. Instead, we fall back into darkness (a lack of knowledge of good and evil) and chaos (meaninglessness and purposelessness.) It is unholy and, quite frankly, hellish.

Then comes our Epiphany lesson following the journey to Bethlehem with the magi. They came as with the seven gifts of the Spirit which are for all people. They were not Jewish. We do not know for certain what their ethnicity or race or citizenry may have been. We do know they were not Jewish. They did not adhere to the constructs which God laid out for Jews as their religion, lifestyle or understanding of existence. That would change along their journey and be finalized when they came to Bethlehem on that “seventh day.” I say that “seventh day” because their stated agenda was to find the One born King of the Jews, present gifts to Him and worship Him. That is the very construct of the Jewish Sabbath as it should be for our “first day” Sabbath as followers of Christ. In that transformation from maji (possessing wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord) to evangelists, the orientation and understanding of the gifts changed. Paul’s description of the seven gifts of faith (as that which the maji received upon their obedience to worship God by accepting Jesus as the Christ) are as follow: prophecy; practical service; teaching; encouragement; tithing; leadership and dispensing mercy. While many will say those can be common practices, the orientation of them comes not from the inside out as the prior list but from the outside in via the outpouring and anointing/baptism of the Holy Spirit. The use of these gifts reach critical mass (symbolized by the number 7) when the orientation and practice of them is toward God for His glory and for the spiritual welfare of all people, especially the people of God.

How then are we able to connect the three ultimate identities of the giftedness which the “seven swans a-swimming” indicate? We find their connection in the “seventh” themselves: holy Sabbath; the fear of the Lord and the dispensing of mercy for the forgiveness and remission of sins leading to baptism and new life. Mighty ones of God, what I have presented to you is a picture of the Holy Trinity itself: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The magi became declarers of God’s true identity to the world beyond Israel just as the shepherds had become to those who were near enough to listen. It then is upon us in our “journey to Bethlehem” to receive the gifts of transformation and our orientation of understanding about them and become evangelists as well. The life of those in the world depend upon it. They depend upon us. God will provide if we will proclaim His truth, His love and His desire for our eternal life being restored to Him.

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.