Re: Day 22 Advent, 12/25/23: God became a Man (John 1:14)

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On Mon, Dec 25, 2023 at 3:14 PM, Benjamin Toh

<benjamintoh@gmail.com> wrote:

Merry X'mas. This is the last day of Advent reflection   

I've often thought of God becoming a man to live among them to save them, to a man becoming a cockroach to live among cockroaches to save cockroaches. This analogy is not only gross and crude, but inconceivable. Surely you can come up with a poignant analogy that expresses the mystery and majesty of the incarnation.

Yesterday, Jim Cook shared in his sermon the Message translation of John 1:14: "The Word became flesh, and moved into the neighborhood..." which reminded Christy Toh of Mr. Rogers. Jesus is truly the intimate friend of all sinners without discrimination, or favoritism, or racism, or gender bias.

Lord, help me to always remember the great cost of the Incarnation and the ultimate cost of the Cross. Help me to live out the truth that Jesus is the Incarnate God who is with me in order to save me.

Mon, Dec 25, 2023 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) John 1:1–18 Friends, our Gospel for Christmas day is the prologue to the Gospel of John. In many ways, it is the entire Gospel, indeed the entire Bible, in miniature. Let's turn to the central passage: "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." The word used in Greek here for "made his dwelling" is eskenosen, which means literally, "pitched his tent among us." Don't read that in a folksy way. It is meant to call to mind the tabernacle of the temple. The Word becoming flesh is God coming to dwell definitively in his world, undoing the effects of sin and turning it into what it was always meant to be. Notice, too, what we see in the wake of this tabernacling: "And we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth." So John is telling us that Jesus is the new Eden, the new Temple, the restored creation, the realization of God's intention for the world. And our purpose is not simply to gaze on this fact with wonder but rather to enter into its power: "From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace." .

Day 22 Advent, 12/25/23: God became a Man (John 1:14)

Merry X'mas. This is the last day of Advent reflection   

I've often thought of God becoming a man to live among them to save them, to a man becoming a cockroach to live among cockroaches to save cockroaches. This analogy is not only gross and crude, but inconceivable. Surely you can come up with a poignant analogy that expresses the mystery and majesty of the incarnation.

Yesterday, Jim Cook shared in his sermon the Message translation of John 1:14: "The Word became flesh, and moved into the neighborhood..." which reminded Christy Toh of Mr. Rogers. Jesus is truly the intimate friend of all sinners without discrimination, or favoritism, or racism, or gender bias.

Lord, help me to always remember the great cost of the Incarnation and the ultimate cost of the Cross. Help me to live out the truth that Jesus is the Incarnate God who is with me in order to save me.

Mon, Dec 25, 2023 Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (Christmas) John 1:1–18 Friends, our Gospel for Christmas day is the prologue to the Gospel of John. In many ways, it is the entire Gospel, indeed the entire Bible, in miniature. Let's turn to the central passage: "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us." The word used in Greek here for "made his dwelling" is eskenosen, which means literally, "pitched his tent among us." Don't read that in a folksy way. It is meant to call to mind the tabernacle of the temple. The Word becoming flesh is God coming to dwell definitively in his world, undoing the effects of sin and turning it into what it was always meant to be. Notice, too, what we see in the wake of this tabernacling: "And we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth." So John is telling us that Jesus is the new Eden, the new Temple, the restored creation, the realization of God's intention for the world. And our purpose is not simply to gaze on this fact with wonder but rather to enter into its power: "From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace." .

Day 21 Advent, 12/24/23 🔴: Jesus' Kingdom will Never End

"…his kingdom will never end" (Luke 1:33).

Merry Xmas eve. In this world kingdoms rise and wane. Once a kingdom has been defeated, it never arises again. The kingdom of David was conquered by Babylon and exiled over 500 years ago in 587 B.C. But the angel promised Mary that the child she will bear "will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David" (Lk 1:32). Though this was inconceivable, God would fulfill his ancient promise made to David (2 Sam 7:16) around 1,000 B.C. as John Peace shared today during the lectionary reading.

Lord, thank you for faithfully keeping your promise despite our unfaithfulness to you. Thank you for sending your Son through whom your kingdom will never end. Help me to live with this glorious hope in my heart in the years to come.

Live on YouTube: Bishop Robert Barron - He Will Rule Forever - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon!

	PREMIERE He Will Rule Forever - Bishop Barron's Sunday Sermon

Day 20 Advent, 12/23/23: Christ came to set his people free (Luke 1:68)

2 more days to Christmas! Merry day before Christmas eve.

The Lord's hand was upon Zechariah and upon his son John the Baptist (Lk 1:66) and he sang a song of Christ coming to set his people free (Lk 1:68).

Bishop Barron asks, "How are you enslaved to sin? What do you have to do to become free?

Struggling through this most eventful and painful year, I go in and out of the 7 deadly sins: lust, sloth, gluttony (oh dear, Xmas!), wrath, envy, greed and pride. Impatience and hypocrisy fits in somewhere as well. David says, "I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me" (Ps 51:3). I can elaborate on each of the 7 or 9 sins. Only because Jesus took the punishment and penalty of my sins upon himself on the Cross, am I able to know God's deliverance and redemption by faith. What helps me is to always remember Scripture. Yesterday I remembered Luke 9:23, which is what Jesus says a disciple needs to do.

Lord, thank you for your mercy and grace to me to deliver me and your people from the power of sin and death. Help me to daily deny myself and take up my cross and follow you.

Saturday, December 23, 2023 Third Week of Advent Luke 1:57–66 Friends, today's Gospel tells the story of the birth and naming of John the Baptist. John's father Zechariah had been rendered speechless after his vision in the sanctuary, but we hear that "his mouth was opened, his tongue freed, and he spoke blessing God." What follows this passage is the wonderful Canticle of Zechariah, which puts Jesus and John in the context of the great story of Israel. I would like to explore two lines of that great prayer today. The God of Israel, Zechariah prays, "has come to his people and set them free." This is what God always wants to do. He hates the fact that we've become enslaved by sin and fear, and accordingly, he wants to liberate us. The central event of the Old Testament is an event of liberation from slavery. We are, as sinners, enslaved to our pride, our envy, our anger, our appetites, our greed, our lust—all of which wrap us up and keep us from being the people that we want to be. Zechariah continues: "He has raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of his servant David." God will effect this liberation through the instrumentation of a mighty Savior. This should be read against the background of Israel's long history of military struggle against its enemies. A great warrior has come, and he is from the house of Israel's greatest soldier, David. God had promised that he would put a descendant of David on the throne of Israel for all eternity, and Zechariah is prophesying that this will take place.

Day 19 Advent, 12/22/23: Mary Gave Herself Entirely to God (Luke 1:46-47)

Christmas in 4 days! Only 4 more days of Advent reflection. "My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior" (Luke 1:46-47). Mary knows what God has done. God lays low those who exalt themselves (Lk 1:51-52a). God shows grace to the humble, the weak, the helpless and the vulnerable (Lk 1:52-53). Mary wholeheartedly gives the entirety of her being to God (Lk 1:46-47), because of her gratitude for God's mercy and grace to her (Lk 1:48-49), while her ego desires nothing for itself. Her exuberant praise is due to what God has done as she also anticipates what God will do for her, for her people Israel (Lk 1:54-55), and for all generations (Lk 1:50). Lord, help me to deeply reflect and realize God's mercy upon my life, so that somehow it may give all honor and glory to you. Friday, December 22, 2023 Third Week of Advent Luke 1:46–56 Friends, in today's Gospel, we hear the Magnificat—Mary's great hymn of praise to Yahweh. The hymn commences with the simple declaration, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord." Mary announces here that her whole being is ordered to the glorification of God. Her ego wants nothing for itself; it wants only to be an occasion for giving honor to God. But since God needs nothing, whatever glory Mary gives to him returns to her benefit, so that she is magnified in the very act of magnifying him. In giving herself away fully to God, Mary becomes a superabundant source of life; indeed, she becomes pregnant with God. This odd and wonderful rhythm of magnifying and being magnified is the key to understanding everything about Mary, from her divine motherhood to her Immaculate Conception and Assumption to her mission in the life of the Church.

Day 18 Advent, 12/21/23: Can you feel the joy in this Gospel passage? (Luke 1:44)

I would not have connected this familiar Christmas passage of Mary visiting Elizabeth with David bringing the ark of the covenant back to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:12). "...in the hill country of Judea" (Lk 1:39) was where Obed-Edom apparently lived between Kireath-Jearim and Jerusalem. This is in the Judean highlands when he housed the ark for 3 months (2 Sam 6:11; 1 Ch 13:13-14; 15:25), which is 9 miles from Jerusalem.

I also would not have connected John the Baptist leaping for joy in Elizabeth's womb (Lk 1:44) with David dancing before the ark of the covenant as it was brought to Jerusalem (2 Sam 6:14; 1 Ch 15:29).

I do find both connections plausible and reasonable and quite interesting.

Lord, regardless of my life circumstances, help me to always have David's joy and gratitude in his dancing in worship before the ark of the covenant.

Thursday, December 21, 2023 Third Week of Advent Luke 1:39–45 Friends, today's Gospel tells the marvelous story of the Visitation. At the Annunciation, the angel had told Mary that the child to be conceived in her would be the new David. With that magnificent prophecy still ringing in her ears, Mary set out to visit her cousin Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah, a temple priest. No first-century Jew would have missed the significance of their residence being "in the hill country of Judah." That was precisely where David found the ark, the bearer of God's presence. To that same hill country now comes Mary, the definitive and final Ark of the Covenant. Elizabeth is the first to proclaim the fullness of the Gospel: "How does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?"—the Lord, which is to say, the God of Israel. Mary brings God into the world, thus making it, at least in principle, a temple. And then Elizabeth announces that at the sound of Mary's greeting, "the infant in my womb leaped for joy." This is the unborn John the Baptist doing his version of David's dance before the ark of the covenant, his great act of worship of the King.

Day 17 Advent (12/20/23): Fall in Love with God (Luke 1:38)

It is interesting to me that in this Advent season Luke 1:26-38 appears 4 times in 22 days. Today is the 3rd time, with the 4th time being on Christmas eve, which would be the 4th Sunday of Advent.

• The 1st time on 12/8/23 addressed the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Despite doctrinal differences, may Protestants and Catholics love each other in Christ.
• The 2nd time on 12/12/23 was the first time I read about our Lady of Guadalupe. God can surely choose to reveal Himself through visions and apparitions, though this has not been my own experience.
• Today, the 3rd time, focuses on Mary's submission and obedience. God's favor to her was to conceive the Son of God as a virgin (Lk 1:28-31) while betrothed to Joseph. This would cause endless shame, disgrace, misunderstanding, fear, worry, anxiety, uncertainty, and possible stoning as an adulterous woman. Yet she welcomed it as "the Lord's servant" (Lk 1:38) with overflowing joy and gratitude (Lk 1:46ff).

Bishop Barron asks, "Why is surrender such a critical part of falling in love with God?" 

Lord, though I love many things in the world, help me to always love you utmost in my heart with joy and gratitude. Thank you for helping me to surrender my life and future into your hands alone.

Wednesday, December 20, 2023 Third Week of Advent Luke 1:26–38 Friends, in today's Gospel, the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she has been chosen to be the mother of God. In the face of this overwhelming word, Mary is confused: "How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?" And she cannot begin to imagine the full consequences of accepting this invitation: shame, exile, violent pursuit, the final agony on Calvary. And yet, despite her fear and despite the darkness, she says, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." At the crucial moment, Mary of Nazareth allows herself to fall in love with God, and in that moment of ecstasy, the Son of God enters the world for its salvation. The human tragedy began with Adam and Eve's grasp; the divine comedy commences with Mary's letting-go. This is why the medieval commentators, with their delicious sense of the co-penetration of all parts of the Bible, observed that the "Ave" of the angel of the Annunciation reverses "Eva," the mother of all the living. .

One Thing I Ask (Psalm 27:1-14)

"The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?" (Ps 27:1) "One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple" (Ps 27:4).

References:

1. John Stott. Favorite Psalms. 1988. Psalm 27: The Soul's Changing Moods.
1. Confidence in God (1-7).
2. Crying to God (8-14).
2. Tim Keller. The Songs of Jesus. 2015.
3. Gerald Wilson. Psalms Vol 1. The NIV Application Commentary. 2002.
1. Confidence in Yahweh (Ps 27:1-3).
2. Desire to dwell in the house of Yahweh (Ps 27:4-6).
3. Plea for deliverance from enemies (Ps 27:7-12).
4. Confidence and encouragement (Ps 27:13-14).
4. John Goldingay. Psalms for Everyone, Part 1. 2013. Psalm 27: One Thing.
5. Derek Kidner. Psalms 1-72, 1973. Psalms 73-150, 1975. Psalm 27: My Light and my salvation.
1. Whom shall I fear (1-3)?
2. Sanctuary (4-6).
3. Thy face..., Thy way (7-12).
6. Alec Motyer. Psalms by the Day. A New Devotional Translation. 2016. Psalm 27: The Confident Life.
   
• A1. Confidence (1-3).
• B1. God's house, my security in his shelter (4-6).
• B2. God's face, my security in his favor (7-12).
• A2. Confidence (13-14).
7. Tremper Longman III & David E Garland. Psalms. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 2008.
8. Robert Altar. The Hebrew Bible. A Translation with Commentary. 2019.

One thing I ask of the Lord. Having confidence to wait on the Lord. The seeking, waiting life rewarded. God will not forsake you.

Day 16, Advent, 12/19/23: Take Away My Disgrace (Luke 1:25)

"The Lord has done this for me," she said. "In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people" (Luke 1:25).

Luke 1:5-25 describes how Elizabeth, the childless wife of a priest, learns that she will give birth to a prophet named John the Baptist, thus taking away her disgrace as a barren woman which was considered to be a curse from God (cf. Gen 1:28). God's passion is to take away our disgrace (Lk 1:25) — the disgrace of our failure, our misfortune, our sin, and even of our circumstances. Elizabeth being childless was a circumstance beyond her control but still considered a disgrace by many people in her time and her culture.

What disgrace, disappointment, or disaster do you have that is holding upi back? Will you openly confess it and the feelings that it fosters within you, and ask God to take it away?

In the past I felt a sense of pride for becoming a medical doctor, coming to the U.S. against all odds, having kids and grandkids, discipling Christians in the U.S., Malaysia and the Philippines, and planting a small church community at WL. But I've never really felt any significant public shame or disgrace until my recent indictment, arrest, trial, conviction and guilty verdict this year. The daily feeling of shame, disgrace and uneasiness follow the incessant accusatory thoughts that God is punishing me for my sin, and that God is not pleased with me after blessing me beyond measure (2 Sam 12:7-8).

Lord, I know my sin that is always before me and that my sin is always against you (Ps 51:3-4). Lord, help me know, as Elizabeth did, that through Jesus, you have already shown me your favor and taken away my disgrace.

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Third Week of Advent Luke 1:5–25 Friends, our Gospel today is from the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, which is thoroughly drenched in Davidic themes from the Old Testament. The first thing we hear about Zechariah is that he serves as priest in the Jerusalem temple; and David's dream was to build the temple in which Zechariah serves. While in the sanctuary, Zechariah is visited by the angel Gabriel; and the temple locale and the announcement of the birth of a child against all expectations brings us back to Hannah's pregnancy, which resulted in the birth of the forerunner to David. Indeed, Elizabeth's words upon conceiving—"So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others"—powerfully evoke Hannah's frame of mind when she, after many tears and much prayer, finally became pregnant. What does this have to do with the life of Jesus? From beginning to end of his preaching career, Jesus' central theme was the arrival of the kingdom of God, which was understood to mean the ingathering of the scattered tribes of Israel. And what becomes eminently clear in all of the Gospels is that this coming together would happen in and through Jesus himself, much as the knitting together of ancient Israel happened in the person of David. Jesus definitively fulfills what David himself left incomplete and unfinished. .

Clean Hands and a Pure Heart (Psalm 24:1-10)

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it" (Ps 24:1). "Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god" (Ps 24:3-4).

Snapshots of God in Psalm 24 (There is no prayer; it is all declarative):

1. The Creator (1-2). The all-creating. God's creative authority. Everything/everyone belongs to God (1 Cor 6:19-20).
2. The Holy God (3-6). The all-holy. Preparation to enter the Presence of God. Holy in deed (outward actions) and thought (inward motives). Holy relationship with God (no idolatry) and neighbor (no deceit) (Ps 24:4; 1 Sam 16:7).
3. The Glorious King (7-10). The all-victorious. The King of Glory comes.

The most powerful Psalm prayer to start your day. Who can enter God's presence? Hymn to the King of Glory. The King of Glory and His Kingdom.

God Will Not Abandon You (Psalm 16:1-11)

"Keep me safe, my God, for in you I take refuge" (Ps 16:1).  "I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken" (Ps 16:8).

Although it begins with a brief petition (Ps 16:1), Psalm 16 primarily expresses confident resting in God, a believer's testimony regarding both his present faith and his future hope. Having taken refuge in God (Ps 16:1), he finds in Him his greatest good (Ps 16:2, 6, 7) and is convinced that even death cannot rob him of that true life which consists of fellowship with God (Ps 16:10-11). Peter on the day of Pentecost and Paul in the synagogue of Antioch in Pisidia (Ac 2:24-31; 13:34-37) apply the final verses to the resurrection of Christ.

1. Present faith (1-6). Faithful servant.
2. Future hope (7-11). Faithful Lord.

References:

1. John Stott. Favorite Psalms. 1988. Psalm 16: Present faith and future hope.
1. Present faith (1-6).
2. Future hope (7-11).
2. Tim Keller. The Songs of Jesus. 2015.
3. Gerald Wilson. Psalms Vol 1. The NIV Application Commentary. 2002.
1. The initial plea (Ps 16:1).
2. Profession of faith (Ps 16:2).
3. Refusal to worship other gods (Ps 16:3-4).
4. Commitment to Yahweh (Ps 16:5-8).
5. Confidence and joy in Yahweh (Ps 16:9-11).
4. John Goldingay. Psalms for Everyone, Part 1. 2013. Psalm 16: The secret of life.
5. Derek Kidner. Psalms 1-72, 1973. Psalms 73-150, 1975. Psalm 16: All my delight.
1. Faithful servant (1-6).
2. Faithful Lord (7-11).
6. Alec Motyer. Psalms by the Day. A New Devotional Translation. 2016. Psalm 16: Security in God.
   
7. Tremper Longman III & David E Garland. Psalms. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 2008.
8. Robert Altar. The Hebrew Bible. A Translation with Commentary. 2019.

Three Voices in Harmony (Psalm 19:1-14)

The self-revelation of God. C.S. Lewis says that Psalm 19 is "the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world." It contains the clearest summary of the doctrine of revelation in the OT, namely that God has made himself known to all people as:

1. Creator (1-6): General revelation.
2. Lawgiver (7-10): Special revelation.
3. Redeemer (11-14): Personal revelation.

References:

1. John Stott. Favorite Psalms. 1988. Psalm 19: The self-revelation of God.
2. Tim Keller. The Songs of Jesus. 2015.
3. Gerald Wilson. Psalms Vol 1. The NIV Application Commentary. 2002.
4. John Goldingay. Psalms for Everyone, Part 1. 2013. Psalm 19: The mystery of sin.
5. Derek Kidner. Psalms 1-72, 1973. Psalms 73-150, 1975. Psalm 19: The Skies, the Scriptures.
6. Alec Motyer. Psalms by the Day. A New Devotional Translation. 2016. Psalm 19: Three voices in harmony.
   
7. Tremper Longman III & David E Garland. Psalms. The Expositor's Bible Commentary. 2008.
8. Robert Altar. The Hebrew Bible. A Translation with Commentary. 2019.

Day 15 Advent, 12/18/23: Some questions

Some random questions for myself from today's Advent reflection on God's purpose for Joseph's life (Mt 1:18-25):

Fear: Does fear rule in your heart? "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife..." (Mt 1:20). Maybe not so much fear, but sadness and sorrow.

Salvation: Can you save yourself? "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins" (Mt 1:21). Fortunately no, despite the constant default to do so.

Presence: Who do you depend on to help you? "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us") (Mt 1:23). Thank God who "abandoned" his Son (Ps 22:1), so that he would not abandon us!

Bishop Barron's question (disaster): What, in your own life, appeared to be a disaster but was meaningful from God's perspective when you viewed it in hindsight and with the eyes of faith? Even now looking back over my life, what is happening currently is the best thing and God's perfect love and plan for my life and future.

Monday, December 18, 2023 Third Week of Advent Matthew 1:18–25 Friends, today's Gospel centers on one of the most beloved figures in Christian history: Joseph, the foster father of Jesus. He's featured in countless works of art and is prominent in the devotional lives of many. Yet we know almost nothing about him. The scant verses here in Matthew offer the most extensive description, yet even they reveal some powerful spiritual themes. First, we discover Mary was betrothed to Joseph and this union had been blessed by God. But then Joseph finds his betrothed is pregnant. Can you imagine the distress? This must have been an emotional maelstrom for him. And at a deeper level, it was a spiritual crisis. What did God want him to do? But then an angel appears to him in a dream and tells him, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home." He realizes at that moment that these puzzling events are part of God's much greater plan. What appears to be a disaster from his perspective is meaningful from God's perspective. Joseph was willing to cooperate with the divine plan, though he in no way knew its contours or deepest purpose. Like his wife, Mary, at the Annunciation, he trusted and let himself be led. .