"Mission Accomplished!" Luke 2:1-5

“In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) And everyone went to their own town to register. So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child.” (Luke 2:1-5) NIV

Random Thoughts:

Like a verbal Google Earth view of the ancient Roman world, Luke zooms us in from the expansive and powerful to the seemingly small and insignificant. Panning the vast empire and power that is Caesar Augustus our focus narrows to Quirinius, governor of Syria then to Joseph, a simple jewish man in an occupied land, then to his fiance Mary, an unwed teenager and finally to her unborn child, folded and curled unseen in his mother’s womb. 

The self-proclaimed “August” one, the caesar-who-would-be-god is juxtaposed with the One who truly is. So begins the journey of turning our world view of power and paradigms of God’s kingdom upside down as we hear how He takes the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. And what could be more foolish than taking on a world super-power with only a unwed mother, a seeming-bastard son born into a back-water province of no consequence? Nothing. And that’s the point.

God’s “foolishness” is about the confound the “wise”.

Question:

What paradigm shift are you having to make about how God works in this world? In what ways is his “foolishness” still confounding you?

Journal Response:

The French have a saying, “The more things change the more they stay the same.” (They also have a way of making ground goose liver and large land snails taste wonderful but I digress.) The thing is, things haven’t changed that much in thousands of years. Just as the ancient Jews expected a political messiah who would win back their nation for God, so too do I sometimes just want to see God land a good political right hook. Or left, depending on your point of view.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting we walk away from the political process to walk on water. I’m all for voting and doing what we can to be salt and light in every venue of life including politics. We happen to live in a nation where we can do that freely. And we should. After all, even Joseph and Mary dutifully packed their bags to participate in Caesar’s census. But here’s the catch. 

At the end of the day when I’ve listened to my educational NPR, my ranting Rush Limbaugh and my misinformed neighbor across the street, I find myself longing for justice here and now. For God’s kingdom to just get on with it. For Illinois to stop being the butt of every political joke and for God’s ways to be our ways, wrapped in star-spangled red white and blue. World peace now! (Or at least my version of it).

But God doesn’t win over the world because of a political party. And last time I checked, He’s not in the business of changing hearts with a vote. Sometimes I forget where the real power lies. It lies on a cross. It lies in a foolish teaching that might doesn’t make right. Meekness (harnessed strength) does. Sacrificial love does. Forgiveness does. One person at a time. God does power the hard way. Not through my vote as much as through my voice. My prayers. My time spent with others.

Sometimes I just hate that. I want to see some heavenly kick-butt that says, “Mission accomplished!” But just like my Jewish brothers all those years ago, I too, have to wait and be patient. My hope is in God’s power, not Caesar's. Yes, one Day my king will return with more power and fanfare than I could possibly dream of or imagine. And His Kingdom, too. No more political parties, no more caesar’s and no more filing jointly on my form 1040. 

That’s going to be a very, very good day.