First Reading: Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15
1The Lord said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.” 3Then Moses said to the people, 11“When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the Lord’s. 13Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him, ‘By a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. 15For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’”
Psalm 111
1Hallelujah! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, in the congregation. 2Great are the deeds of the Lord! they are studied by all who delight in them. 3His work is full of majesty and splendor, and his righteousness endures forever. 4He makes his marvelous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and full of compassion. 5He gives food to those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant. 6He has shown his people the power of his works in giving them the lands of the nations. 7The works of his hands are faithfulness and justice; all his commandments are sure. 8They stand fast forever and ever, because they are done in truth and equity. 9He sent redemption to his people; he commanded his covenant forever; holy and awesome is his Name. 10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; those who act accordingly have a good understanding; his praise endures forever.
Second Reading: Colossians 3:12-17
12Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Gospel: Luke 2:22-40
22When the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, {Joseph and Mary} brought {Jesus} up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29“Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; 30for my eyes have seen your salvation 31that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” 33And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35(and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. 39And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.
Wearing the King’s Clothes
Oftentimes, we’ll receive new clothing as part of our Christmas gifts. And there’s nothing like putting on a new shirt, a new pair of pants or even new shoes to boost one’s outlook. Just ask any of the children who are getting ready to go back to school. For them, it could be one of the best parts of returning to school after the Christmas break. Even as adults, we must admit, we do feel better about ourselves when we put on something new. With a new addition to our wardrobe, we feel more confident and we seem to have more energy to tackle and complete our assignments. We feel more comfortable and better received among our peers. There may be something to the saying, “Clothes make the person”.
In our epistle reading for today, Paul encourages the Colossians to change their spiritual wardrobe, if you will. In effect, he tells them that since they now belong to Christ, that they ought to look the part. To get the whole of this passage we need to go back to the beginning of chapter. In part Paul says, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry (vss. 1-5). But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator” (vs.8-10).
Paul isn’t literally telling the Colossian Christians to go out and buy a new wardrobe. What he’s telling them, and to us, is that they, and we, need to live lives that reflect the glory of God. He calls on them to take advantage of their new estate and make the changes in their lives that will allow them to fully reflect the love of God that they experienced in Jesus. The outside, that is our words and deeds need to reflect what God in Christ has done in our lives. This was a radical concept for the people back then, and I think the same can be said for us today.
In the Bible Exposition Commentary, Warren Wiersbe reminds us that the pagan religions of Paul’s day taught little to nothing about personal morality: A worshiper could bow before an idol, put his offering on the altar, and go back to the same old life of sin. What a person believed had no direct relationship with how they behaved. This is of course what the world wants us to believe. Society teaches us that our faith has nothing to do with our public life. The two must be separated.
Culture insists that one’s religious beliefs are to be kept in a box and only opened when in church. The most blasphemous thing the world teaches is that one’s faith must never interfere in how one interacts with the world, as if our faith doesn’t inform the way we think, speak and act. Let’s face it, the devil has done an excellent job of getting people to believe this, because there are many who hear the gospel and feel good about it. But that’s where it ends. It has no affect in their lives beyond the walls of the church.
Luke tells of an occasion where several people came to Jesus and declared that they would follow Him, only to make one excuse after another. One man says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” He is easily put off when Jesus says that he will have no place to lay his head. A second man says he will follow “right after I bury my father,” and Jesus sees right through him. A third man says, “Let me first say farewell to those at my home,” and Jesus sends him away. The same thing happens today.
The hard thing for many to admit about our family members and friends, and even about ourselves, is that there are people sitting in our pews who say they love Jesus on Sunday, but that’s where their devotion to God ends. On Monday far too many people, who claim to be Christians, simply go right back out and do whatever they please.
Paul says to love God is to be a new creation and to be crucified and resurrected with Christ. Therefore, we need a set of clothes, a new look, a new appearance when we begin walking with Him. St. Paul, in Ephesians chapter 6, tells us to put on the whole armor of God. There should be a distinct difference between us, as Christians, and the rest of the people in the culture in which we live. Those we meet each day should see a difference between us and the world around us. Ask your kids who they look to for inspiration, and you’ll likely get some surprising answers.
They may point to a notable figure in media or some sports superstar. They may point to a popular singer or movie star. Look at their wardrobe and you’ll see who influences them the most. Look at the way they wear their hair, and you’ll see who they want to be like. We become that which we idolize. This is why Paul encourages us to “set your hearts on things above.” He wants us to keep our eyes on Jesus so that we emulate Him in our lives. And the first step in doing this is to get rid of our old ways.
Someone said there’s nothing as comfortable as an old shoe. There is some truth in that. Many of us enjoy wearing an old pair of jeans or our favorite T-shirt. As a matter of fact, there are people who purposely buy, at a premium price mind you, old jeans with holes already in them. I’m told it’s the style. And as much as we like to put on new clothes, some of us have a hard time getting rid of the old ones.
Paul addresses that in the next part of the text. He lists out several habits that we should abandon. As we look at the list, it becomes obvious that it’s easier said than done. Some of the sins we commit have established strongholds in our lives. We may even justify some of them and in turn found ways to make them look acceptable. But Paul reminds us that these will be dealt with by the wrath of God. The truth is, we make all kinds of excuses for what we do.
We lie to each other and pretend that God doesn’t care. Paul tells us otherwise. God does cares. As a matter of fact, lying is one sin that the Bible deals with harshly. In Revelation 21:8 we read, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
I heard a story about a man who went with some friends to an amusement park on a hot summer day. They decided to go on a white-water rafting ride so they could cool off. Lo and behold, they got soaked. As they got off the ride, they looked at each other and began debating whether or not to go back to the car to get a change of clothes. No one wanted to admit just how uncomfortable they were, so they decided they would continue on. They spent the next two hours feeling nasty and washed out. Whenever one of them would ask another if they wanted to go back to the car, the reply was always the same. “I’m okay. Did you want to go back to the car?” “No. I’m okay.” Back and forth it went.
That night as they were driving home, the man said to his friends, “I can’t wait to get home and get changed. I’ve been miserable all day.” One by one, they all confessed the same thing. What we’re wearing can make us miserable. The same can be said about sinful habits and behaviors.
Annie Dillard, in her book Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, writes: At the end of the island, I noticed a small green frog. He was exactly half in and half out of the water. He was a very small frog with wide, dull eyes. And just as I looked at him, he slowly crumpled and began to sag. The spirit vanished from his eyes as if snuffed. His skin emptied and drooped; his very skull seemed to collapse and settle like a kicked tent. An oval shadow hung in the water behind the drained frog: then the shadow glided away. The frog skin bag started to sink.
I had read about the water bug, but never seen one. “Giant water bug” is really the name of the creature, which is an enormous, heavy-bodied, brown beetle. It eats insects, tadpoles, fish, and frogs. Its grasping forelegs are mighty and hooked inward. It seizes a victim with these legs, hugs it tight, and paralyzes it with enzymes injected during a vicious bite. Through the puncture holes it shoots the poison that dissolves the victim’s muscles, bones, and organs — all but the skin — and through it the giant water bug sucks out all the victim’s body, reducing it to liquid. Like the giant water bug, sin can suck the life out of you.
You cannot walk with Christ and at the same time do things you know are contrary to what the Bible teaches. Your spiritual life will be sucked out of you. Your walk will be filled with disappointment, guilt, and discouragement. That’s why we must confront it. One of the basic principles in a twelve-step program is admitting that you have a problem. Recovery cannot take place until you’re honest with yourself and confront your failings. This is why St. John wrote, “if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sin, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9). Once we admit our sinful ways, it’s then that we can begin dealing with it and reclaim our life. At that point, we can put on the new wardrobe that God provides through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Jesus shows us the way to live a life that is both meaningful and joyful, as well as, pleasing to God. When Paul says, “Put on Christ,” he’s saying that we should live life as though Christ were living through us. It all goes back to asking the question, “What would Jesus do?” It’s not only a moral imperative, it’s also a way to find joy and happiness in life. Jesus shows us the way to live a completely satisfying life. He offers us everything we need to find our fulfillment without having to revert back to our old lifestyles. Our life will never be the same when we turn our lives over to Jesus and decide to walk with Him.
I came across a story on the internet about a man named Don Calhoun. He worked for five dollars an hour at an office supply store in Bloomington, Illinois. Tickets to a professional basketball game were so expensive that although he lived close enough to the arena, he had only attended two Chicago Bulls’ basketball games in his life. It was a pretty special moment when he arrived for his third game ever. A woman who worked for the Bulls’ organization walked up to him and told him they were selecting him to take part in a promotional event during the game called the “Million-Dollar Shot.”
The shot came after a time-out in the third quarter. If Calhoun could shoot a basket standing 79 feet away — meaning he had to stand behind the free-throw line on the opposite end of the court and throw the ball three-quarters of the length of the court — he would win a million dollars. While Calhoun played basketball at the Bloomington YMCA, he had never attempted a shot like this before. When the time came, he took the basketball in his hands and looked over at Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls. He could see they were pulling for him.
Calhoun stepped to the line and let it fly. As soon as the basketball left his hand, coach Phil Jackson said, “It’s good.” Indeed, the ball went through the basket with a swish. The stadium crowd went wild. Calhoun rushed into the arms of Michael Jordan and the rest of the Bulls’ players crowded around slapping him on the back.
When Don Calhoun went home that night, he had only two dollars in his wallet, but he would receive $50,000 a year for the next twenty years. His life had been changed in an instant. Can you imagine having that kind of life-changing experience?
That’s exactly what will happens when we choose to stop living for ourselves and begin to live a life that is pleasing to God. We may look the same, but we are a new creation. You and I are living with a promise. Because Jesus was obedient to the Father and came to us as a babe in a manger, we are joint heirs with Christ and therefore we can proudly live the life of a faithful disciple and take on a wardrobe that befits a king. Amen.
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