The Perfect Gift

I couldn't resist posting one more pic of the Nativity set from Holy Cross. I am struck by the gifts that the Magi brought to the Christ child. These were gifts that would mean nothing to a toddler but meant everything to those who gave them: gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Yet it seems that the gifts we bring to Jesus fall short of the gift that comes with the child.

"Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and starts. The Father doesn't change like the shifting shadows produced by the sun and the moon." James 1:17 God's Word Translation

The perfect gift is the baby.

What makes our gifts acceptable is not the quality of the gifts nor the sacrifice that lies behind the gift. What makes the gift acceptable is the one who makes us acceptable. Just as we have been declared good through Jesus' death and resurrection so have our gifts.

That doesn't excuse us from bringing our best to the baby. In fact, quite the opposite ought to be true. The more we understand the perfect gift that God has given the world the more we ought to desire to bring God our best.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2015 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR. 

Invited

Don't you hate it when people show up at your house without an invitation?

Probably most of you reading this blog are fine with uninvited guests. Okay so I struggle a bit with people who show up at my door step like Steve Urkel. I wonder how Mary and Joseph felt when the Magi appeared.

The Magi. How many of them were there? Where did they come from? Were they kings? Did they ride camels? There are so many unanswered questions that surround these men. (Were there any women in the party?)

What we know is what they did. Today is Epiphany when we remember the Magi traveling a great distance to see the King.

"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying, 'Where is he who has been born king of the Jew?  For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him."  Matthew 2:1-2 English Standard Version

These Magi were not uninvited guests.

They knew what they were doing and why they were doing it. Even though they may not have been Jewish they knew that they were coming to worship the King. I'm assuming that they didn't have all their theology straight, but they saw Jesus and they worshiped.

I pray that we see Jesus and worship him because we, like the Magi, are invited guests.

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2015 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR. 

Saving the Best for Last

As I planned out these Christmas blogs I thought about placing the infant Jesus on the first day of Christmas (Christmas Day) or waiting until the twelfth day, that is, today. Obviously I opted for the latter. I wanted to save the best for last.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." John 3:16-17 English Standard Version

This will probably not be the last time that I use this passage in a blog, but I cannot top what it says about this gift for all humanity.

This baby is born for all. That sounds nice and pious but God means it.

We're grateful that the baby is born for us, and it is easy to give lip service to being thankful that he came for our enemies, but really, are we thankful that the baby came for all?

Are we grateful  that he came for the child abuser, mass murderer and religious fanatic? Is this how God works? We want justice (translated, we want them to burn in hell). But look closely at the baby, he did come for all no matter the extent of sin.

And we ought to be glad that he did because in someone else's category of sin your's and mine rank at the top; okay maybe not the top but up there on the list.

All sin is covered by this baby. All sinners are loved by this baby. That's saving the best for last.

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You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:30 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2014 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR. 

Life In the Real World

The holy family existed in the real world as they were surrounded by shepherds and critters. I can't imagine them staying long in the stable.

Maybe they stayed there through Mary's days of purification and before Jesus' circumcision eight days later. However, whether they were in the stable or in the guest room, the family of three was surrounded by reality.

Jesus needed to be nursed. Diapers required changing. Joseph had to work to provide for his new family. This is the stuff of life and Jesus experienced it in the context of family.

"So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin." Hebrews 4:14-15 New Living Translation

Though Jesus is the perfect Son of God, Mary and Joseph were not perfect parents. They were not chosen by God because of the sinless lives. In the context of his family, Jesus faced the real world. Mary and Joseph would come together as husband and wife and have other children.

So like all families, Jesus grew up in a dysfunction home. I say this because of the sin that affected every other member of Jesus' family.

The Jesus that you worship and adore understands growing up in a family like yours. He understands our weaknesses because he experienced it, yet without sin. He can empathize with your struggles. He's been there.

Was Mary depressed? Did Joseph have problems with anger? Were his brothers jealous? We don't know. But we do know that he was surrounded by the real world. And on the cross he gave up his life for his dysfunctional family and ours.

Why? Because he loves us and those in our households.

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You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:30 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2014 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR. 

It's All About Faith

Back track.

You'll noticed that there's no baby in the manger...again. Let's think for a moment about the relationship between Joseph and Mary.

First, there is their age difference. Now granted, there is nothing stated in the Bible about their age but it's quite possible that Joseph is much older than Mary. They are two people who come at life from two different perspectives. Joseph has been seasoned by life. Mary is only beginning to experience life.

Then there is the fact of the baby. Okay, so Mary isn't pregnant by another man. Does it make it any easier that it is from the Holy Spirit? We somehow get this impression that everything was smooth sailing for this couple following the visitation of the angel to both Mary and Joseph.

They weren't married.  Mary's pregnant. They make a long journey to Bethlehem. You're going to tell me that there weren't rough spots for this couple?

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 English Standard Version

Both Mary and Joseph displayed faith in the Word of God.

It is interesting to think that their faith in the promise of God affected their relationship with each other. It is true that the Bible doesn't address the issue of the holy couple's marital relationship but look at the details of the story. Mary goes with Joseph. Joseph provides a place for Mary to give birth. They make a long trip to Egypt then settle in Nazareth.

And, most importantly, they raise the Christ child.

Janice and I have faced some very difficult and challenging situations in our marriage (and more will be coming since we are two sinners). I can honestly write, that, but by the grace of God and faith in the One who has redeemed us, we continue to persevere.

It begins (and ends) with faith in the One who has come for us. Life is about faith.

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You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:30 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

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Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2014 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR. 

The Problem of Being Dad

Whereas it seems that mothering comes easy for many women (I know there are those of you who will dispute this statement), for the majority of us guys, fatherhood does not come quite so easily.

We could probably argue the reasons for this phenomenon. It might be the confusing role of dad in today's culture (disciplinarian, buddy, chief homework guy), or laziness ("Hey! Mom is better at changing diapers than I am."). Joseph's struggles were unique.

How do you father the Son of God?  

"And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.  And the favor of God was upon him." Luke 2:40 English Standard Version

We believe that Joseph had something to teach his Son. He taught him how to be a carpenter. Because of the scarcity of trees in and around Nazareth there are those who believe that Joseph's skill was being a stone mason. And it is this skill that he passed on to Jesus.

Being the sinless Son of God didn't mean that he knew how to do everything. There is nothing sinful about cutting a rock incorrectly (at least I don't think so).

If Jesus learned the skill of carpentry from his father, are we willing to learn the skill of life from Jesus?

No one can teach us what it means to live like the one who has given us life. There might have been a few painful lessons for Jesus to learn from his father about carpentry. There are painful things that we need to learn about life (like picking up our cross and following Jesus). But who better to teach us than Jesus.

And where do we learn about life? We learn about life from the book that, from beginning to end, points to the baby born for us.

Join the conversation on our Facebook group: Praying With the Eyes

You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:30 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2014 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR. 

Following the Infant

No, this is not the same picture I posted a couple of days ago.

If you go back to Monday's blog you will note that Jesus is out of focus. There was a reason. I wanted to focus (pun intended) on Mary. As we continue to move through this nativity scene, it's time to concentrate on relationships.

There is no better place to begin than that relationship between mother and child.

"When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby [his cross], he said to his mother, 'Woman, behold your son!' Then he said to the disciple, 'Behold, your mother!' And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home." John 21:26-27 ESV

There is a great deal of history between the manger and the cross.

At one point Jesus' family didn't know what to make of him, and his mom, leading the pack, came "seeking" him (Luke 8:19-21). Yet it was her baby who was now being crucified. The one who brought this life into the world becomes a follower of the one to whom she gave birth.

And she followed him to his death.

Outside of John, the other disciples fled the cross. But not his mom. What unbearable pain must have pierced her soul (Luke 2:35). Yet what joy when she experienced the empty tomb.

The cross and the empty tomb don't mean a thing to the person living outside of a relationship with the baby, but they mean everything to the person with whom God has established this relationship.

Following the infant means living in a relationship with him who takes us to his cross and his empty tomb. It can be an emotionally painful, gruesome visit and liberating at the same time. It is a trip that flows from a relationship with the infant child.

By the way, HAPPY NEW YEAR.  May God grant all of you blessed 2015.

Join the conversation on our Facebook group: Praying With the Eyes

You can listen to the Praying With the Eyes broadcast at the ib network on Sundays at 8:00 am, 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 8:30 pm MST (www.ibnetwork.us). You can also listen to the show on the ib network on Tunin Radio.  

(Click on picture to enlarge.)

Text and Photographs ©Copyright 2012-2014 Douglas P. Brauner.  ARR.