A good defense

And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry."  Luke 4:1-2 (ESV)

Jesus was led to take on Satan. Jesus prepared properly for this battle, and, in essence, there was no need for it since Jesus was/is God, and Satan is not, and there was no way for Jesus to lose.

Then why are we told of this futile exercise? Was it so we could see that Jesus was tempted just as we are tempted and that living the perfect life that He lived was actually meaningful? Was it to show us how perfection prepares for a Satanic encounter so that we, too, might be prepared for similar attacks? Was it to emphasize or give insight to the continuous battle we face so we do not become weary? Was this a moment similar to Job when all the heavenly host sat on the edge of their seats to observe a real heavyweight fight?

Satan is good at what he does. God, however, cannot be moved. Regardless of the reasoning, we see how to battle the evil one correctly, and we would be wise to note how Jesus prepared for and delivered his defensive blows.

A good defense is always critical to a champion, and Jesus gave Satan no ground from which to launch his attack. In this case, as in life, this always makes the offensive attack much more productive.

Arriving

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”  Luke 3:10-14 (ESV) There is a right way to live. We are to be generous, honest in our business dealings, and use our power for the good of others, not to use others for ourselves. Those who align their lives with the plans and purposes of God are not legalists; they are wise. When we do right, we do so with various motivations. It could be to please God, or align with the perfect plan and purposes of God, or because we are afraid of being punished if we do wrong, or, perhaps, because our fellow man guilted us or coerced us into it. It is always right to obey God. What I need to work towards is obeying Him because I love Him and His people. When I get there, I have finally arrived

What is it I ponder?

And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.Luke 2:47-52 (ESV) Here we find Mary pondering again. I wonder how often she ended up pausing and thinking. She knew Jesus was God. She knew that she was entrusted with the care of the King of Kings, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. She knew there was a plan, a purpose, and even that every word Jesus uttered could be written down and thought about for eternity. There was much to “ponder” about. What is it that we “ponder” about and why? About what should we be “pondering”? What is it that would cause us to change what we think about? For now, the choice is still minew

Now 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. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And 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, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.”  Luke 2:25-32 (ESV) Here it was: a man who lived looking for Jesus, a promise kept, a life fulfilled. As much as things have changed in our world, the more they have remained the same. Today I can choose to look for Jesus and wait upon Him until I see Him, and He has promised that if I truly seek Him, I will find Him. When I find Him, I will rejoice in the promise kept and have a fulfilled life. This is something I can do over and over again. Regardless of the circumstances of life, my life can be one of hope, significance, and security. These things depend upon my choices, not my luck

Purposeful Pondering

And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.  Luke 2:18-20 (ESV) Mary had much to ponder. Being rejected from the inn. The birth of her first son who, in reality, created her and the very wood that from which His birth manger was made. An angelic host singing to shepherds. The stare of Joseph and the animals, the stare of wonder, amazement and confusion. Pondering is what we do when we need to sort out the confusing signals of the day. Pondering is a practice we must employ in our personal lives if we are to make any sense of God’s hand in our lives and in the universe. Pondering is something we will be forced to do, or is a daily habit that instills stability and purpose into our daily routines. While Joseph, the shepherds, and the animals are main characters in this chapter, the star points to Jesus and Mary, and while Jesus cries, Mary ponders. We need to be intentional ponderers if we are to be used in a purposeful, significant manner by God, for the casual observer will only participate in the surface excitement, while the pondered can enjoy the depth of the unfolded plans. For now, the choice is mine

Many Missed Out

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  Luke 2:13-15 (ESV) Pent up joy. Sudden, unexpected, crazy joy expressed by a heavenly host to a receptive audience. It was an incredible moment. Often God demonstrates His faithfulness to those who are positioned to see His faithfulness. Those who were skeptical, angry, and religious missed the moment. Those who were simple, faithful, and enjoying the night sky were enamored by the angelic display. Think of what those who missed out on seeing the angels missed out on and why? Think of what it is that is causing you to possibly miss out on what God is doing and why. Perhaps there is time to correct your problem. Perhaps it too late.

The Evil Within

Those who protest for equality are not seeking balance; they are seeking superiority. If all boats rise the same when the tide goes up, many boat owners will not be satisfied. 

This is proven as you look at the continual hatred and violence strewn towards those who use their position and power to gain a position. Yet, the angry people are angry about not being privileged and hope to hold a privileged position over those who currently have that position. Nobody wants to be the same; they want to measure themselves against others and know that their life is better than others. As soon as those who are not “privileged” become “privileged,” they become the very people that they have been protesting. 

The privilege and the “non-privileged” all see their causes through their own eyes or circumstances. In the Bible, in Proverbs 26:12, it says, “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him.”

We seem to always be wise in our own eyes and live in the context of our understanding. Our anger and hatred make sense to us and is reasonable under our circumstances. Our self-inflicted misery is something we have earned, and nobody is going to take it away.

Continually comparing our lives to others places us in a prison of misery and destroys any chance of a joyful and meaningful life. 

Those who live in such a manner have normalized using people rather than loving people. The privileged can easily use people to maintain their privileged position. Those who protest against the privileged use people to gain the position they desire and then continue to use them to maintain their position. 

The privileged and those who desire to be the privileged often use people rather than love people. Those seeking to be privileged use their ability to stoke up a crowd and think nothing of sacrificing otherwise innocent youths who get swept into the passion of the movement. Those who desire to maintain their privilege use their money, power and influence to keep a comfortable distance between themselves and that “working class.”

The point is that we are all the same. The protester and the privileged seem to have the same motives and use what they have to promote or protect their cause. In that way, it seems we are already equal. 

The Scriptures teach us that we were made to love God and each other. Those in God’s family are taught that they are part of the “body” of Christ. The body illustration is perfect in that it is composed of many parts. The parts are not equal in that they do not do the same function, but they are all essential and work together to make the whole functional. Perhaps that is the way it is meant to be.