Times of Decision

"In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan . And when he came up out of the water immediately he saw the heavens torn open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove.  And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased . . .Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the gospel."  --Mark 1: 9-11, 14-15
What are some of the key decisions that a person makes (or will make) in their lives?
Here are our answers:
--Career (vocation; purpose)
--College
--Clothes
--Driving, car
--Relationships with others
  (a) Who will you spend your life with?
  (b)  Who will you go out with?  Spend significant time with?
--What church do you want to go to?
--Where do you want to live?
--Decisions your parents are nervous about
--Leaving home
--How you will dedicate your time and attention, and the impact that will have on the future
--How you want to spend your money

As we prepared to revisit the story of Jesus' baptism (It is "Baptism of Christ Sunday" this week) we noted how momentous a decision that Jesus was making, leaving Nazareth for the long trek to the Jordan to join the throngs of people being baptized by John.  His life would take a powerful turn; he would return to Galilee but not to resume his old life.His ministry began; life took on new shape and purpose.
We knew that Jesus was around 30 years old when he was baptized and began his ministry.  The most recent story prior to that was the one we recently considered, of Jesus at age 12 in the Jerusalem Temple.
What was Jesus doing for the 18 years in between?
It was noted that the time spanned 6570 days.
--helping Joseph with carpentry
--serving as a carpenter himself, perhaps in the rebuilding of Sepphoris, the nearby city destroyed by the Roman army.
--continuing to learn and grow in the faith, attending a local synagogue and continuing to travel to Jerusalem for the Passover Feast.
--going to school
--Dating?  Did Jesus get married and have a family?  (while we noted that the scriptures don't discuss this specifically)
We wondered what moved Jesus at that particular time.  Did he know that he was going to the Jordan to begin his ministry?  Was he exploring God's path, plan for his life?  We know that he went to the place in the south where John the Baptist (his cousin, according to Luke) was baptizing people and calling them to get washed and ready for the coming of the Messiah.  Jesus came, and entered the water with all of the others there to be baptized.
We read the story from the Gospel of Luke.  In Luke, Jesus does not see the heavens opened and the Spirit coming upon him until after this baptism, when he is praying.
The voice from heaven gives Jesus new names:  Son; Beloved; God's Pleasure.  Exploring the meaning of these names will be to explore more deeply who Jesus is and how his life's purpose will unfold.
Did other people hear God's voice naming Jesus and see the Spirit coming upon him, someone asked?  We are not sure; in Luke it is presented as a more personal experience, the coming of the Spirit a bodily experience.  The narratives in Matthew and Mark are a bit more dramatic.
People wanted to explore further what the coming of the Holy Spirit upon him would mean.  We'll do that!
Did he know that he was the Messiah?  A great question we will also attend to.  I noted that it was more common for Jesus to refer to himself as the "Son of Man," the "Human One."
When Jesus returned home he embraced a new lifestyle, though much of it was lived out in the region and communities that he was familiar with.
Maybe this was a path of discovery, new direction, deeper purpose for Jesus as well as for the people he ministered to, that grew with each decision, with each relationship,
We went back and looked at our original list of decisions.  Which ones did Jesus also make?
--Vocation and purpose
--Relationships with others
--What faith community he wanted to be part of
--Where he wanted to live (among whom?)
--Choices his parents were nervous about
--Leaving home
--How he would dedicate his time and attention and the impact that would have on the future.

Questions From Our Listening

We examined Luke 2:41-52 further, attending to Jesus' style of learning and growing.  As we did so, we formulated some of our own questions that we wanted to explore as our relationships with God deepened and were filled with intention.
--How can God help me in my relationships with others?
--Who am I?
--What does God have planned for me? What are God's plans for the people around me?
--How do the biblical stories relate to me/us?
--How does God heal?
--How do we perceive God working in our world?
--How will God show God's love for to us in  way that will help and encourage us?
--When does God answer our prayers?
--When are the good things going to happen?
--How will our relationship with God inspire meaning in our lives?

Growing With Jesus

" After three days they found Jesus in the Temple,  sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions." --Luke 2:46

Jesus is growing up.  The end of Luke chapter 2 gives us the one account of Jesus' life between being a toddler (Matthew 2) and the advent of his ministry as an adult, probably around 30 years old.  Jesus travels with his family on their yearly pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover, the celebration of the Exodus journey of salvation, where God delivers God's people from slavery to freedom.  This would have been an enormous undertaking for humble people from Galilee, taking off work for more than a week to travel many miles.  Yet they did it each year; the practice was at the heart of their faith and self-understanding.  At age 12, Jesus was at the cusp of adulthood in their culture.  This would be a time for  his learning to take on his own religious responsibilities; to become an adult in the faith.  Not unlike Confirmation.  It would have been Joseph's responsibility to see that Jesus learned particular things on this trip.
When the family returns to Jerusalem at the end of the festival, Jesus remains behind in Jerusalem. A full day of travel takes place before Mary and Joseph realize that Jesus is not among the extended family and community members headed back to Nazareth.  They anxiously return to the capitol, searching for three days before they find him in the Temple!  He is sitting among the teachers, listening and asking them questions.  Jesus is learning, and people are amazed at the understanding and perspectives he demonstrates.
His mother is both relieved and furious.  He asks her why they had been "searching for him" for three days; Didn't they know that he needed to be immersed in the "things of my Father?" Mary and Joseph do not understand what he is telling them (which is not unusual when young men and women talk to their parents!).  Mary winds up "treasuring these words in her heart," even though she was so upset.  Jesus is maturing, and already moving deeper and further into his faith life than his parents have taught him!
Throughout history, artists who have painted the scene have had Jesus "teaching the teachers."  They have also portrayed him disputing with the teachers,as though he is correcting them.  But Luke has Jesus much more like the young people of our own church.  Jesus listens and asks important questions; from his learning and wisdom he brings forth perspectives and perhaps alternative direction!  He grows right before everyone's eyes, and I have no doubt that he offers perspectives that wind up teaching the teachers and anyone who is listening. Such is a healthy learning environment!
Here is a sample of artwork:

I like Polenov's "Among the Teachers," the second from the bottom, which has the youthful Jesus sitting among the teachers, listening.  In those days, teachers sat and students stood, so young Jesus is counted among the teachers, but it is his attention and thoughtfulness that is communicated strongly.    Iam also struck by the two portrayals that have Mary confronting Jesus, and appearing to pull him away.  Do they communicate the struggle effectively?  

Mary and Elizabeth

We had a good discussion about the story of Mary and Elizabeth (Luke 1:39-55) on Wednesday.  Here are some artistic representations of Mary's arrival, and the blessing that follows.

I'll add some notes soon!

Nativity

Here are some art images inspired by the story of Jesus' birth.  Which ones stir you?

Annunciation!

As we prepare to celebrate Christmas, let's take a close look at the accounts of Jesus' birth and the events leading up to it. Two of the four gospels have stories about Jesus' birth: Matthew and Luke.  Luke's narrative  is focused from the experience of Mary, the young woman who will be Jesus' mother.  Matthew, on the other hand, gives greater attention to Joseph's experience.    Joseph is the man who is in the process of marrying the younger Mary (though their marriage is not complete as the story begins).
O excellent Confirmands, I would like you to read the two accounts of "annunciation," where Mary and Joseph are informed of God's plans.  You will find these in Luke 1, with particular attention to verses 26-56, and Matthew 1:18-25.
What is similar about the stories?
What is different?
Are there details that you have not noticed before?
What questions arise that you would like us to explore?
Put yourself in the place of each of the main characters.  What are you feeling?

Getting Real

We took time to read Mark 2:1-12 carefully and discuss our impressions.  We tried to put ourselves in the shoes of the four people who carry the paralyzed man to Jesus.
What is motivating us?
--Faith (belief) is Jesus' capacity to heal
--A desire to help, to "be legs and arms" for the man
--The wish to "treat our friend as we would hope that someone would treat us" in a similar circumstance.
--Make our caring real
--embrace the joy of friendship
When there is no way to get into the house and be close to Jesus, because of crowd, how come they (we) don't just turn around and wait for another opportunity?
--Commitment
--Imagination
--Making space for the friend by removing an obstacle
We felt that in spite of the damage to the roof Jesus would be delighted!  We reflected on ways that we can display this kind of commitment in being a faith community that "makes room."

We considered the questions from the homework (previous post):
What does this story tell us about friendship?
--"Friends will do anything for your well-being."
--Jesus will care in all situations.
What kind of power is at work when we practice true friendship?
--Faith (defined as "trust")
--Hope
--Joy
--"Buddy system"
--Teamwork
--Care (as opposed to isolation)

What role does our faith--our trusting relationship with God, lived out in daily life--have in our friendships?
We came back to the "Golden Rule," which Jesus teaches us is at the heart of Christian faith and practice.  This story opened up possibilities to think about it in ways that impact our lives daily.