If you watched the Super Bowl then you likely saw the ad from He Gets Us. He Gets Us is a campaign to invite people to consider Jesus and why he matters today. The campaign is not affiliated with any church, political party, or ideological movement. It gets criticism from those who think money shouldn’t be spent on an expensive ad at the Super Bowl. Perhaps, but where else can you get such a wide audience? They’ve put an ad or two on every year for the last few years.
This year’s as is called, “Is there more to life than more?” Here it is: https://hegetsus.com/videos
The ad may leave you with many questions. I think that is its intention. But it definitely calls out our tendency to always want more; thinking that having more will somehow mean we have a better life or feel more fulfilled.
I talked about this in the sermon a couple weeks ago. We always want more. Give us the luxury of cold running water and we want hot running water. Then we want central heat. We want computers, internet, personal transportation, and more and more entertainment. We convince ourselves that whatever we happen to current have is somehow lacking and therefore not only can we have more, but that we should have/deserve to have more. All of this leads to a rat race of consumption that leaves us empty and drains the earth of precious resources. It’s all very guilt inducing. Heidi Griffith, our former music director said on a few occasions, “Why didn’t God wait for a better species than humans to evolve before sending Christ?” Indeed, we humans are fully undeserving of God’s choosing. And yet that proves the real power of God’s grace. God sacrifices greatly for a creature fundamentally flawed and undeserving.
My intention with this introduction is not to put us back into a place of guilt. It is to draw our attention to what may have been an obscure part of our gospel reading. Yet that obscure part is the first time Matthew introduces the key challenge the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus creates.
The scene was 12:38-42. There some scribes and Pharisees say to Jesus, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” But he replied, “An evil and adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to us except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was three days in the belly of the sea monster, so for three days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth.”
That is referring to the death and resurrection of Jesus. The death and resurrection of Jesus really is the core of it all. Do you believe it, or not? And if you do believe it, then how do you live it?
Earlier in the gospel John the Baptist proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Then later when John goes to prison Jesus picks up the same message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” What does that mean? What does it mean that the kingdom of heaven has come near? What do we mean when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy kingdom come”?
Many today say that the coming of the kingdom of heaven does not refer to the future at all. But that it refers to God’s own reign alive and working here on earth. Thus, when Jesus says, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” He means it literally.
Yet others will say that the coming of the kingdom of God refers to the future entirely. God’s kingdom will come about at the end of time. Only then will it be fulfilled. Thus the Lord’s Prayer is an appeal to God to hasten that day; so that the misery and problems caused by us unworthy humans will be ended.
Both of these points of view have merit and both have their place. The typical Lutheran response to, “Is the kingdom of God now or in the future?” is, “Yes.”
When the coming kingdom of God has been taught to be exclusively about the future it was often used to justify abuse. Poor people, suffering people, and enslaved people were told that God’s will was for them to suffer in this life so as to be rewarded in the future. Therefore they should just keep their heads down, be content, and quietly work hard as others exploit them. Clearly that is not what Jesus intended.
But a mess also happens when the kingdom of God is too much a ‘hear and now’ thing. Among many social justice minded Christians it has become a rally cry they use to claim the moral high ground for themselves. They say that Jesus attacked the rich and powerful for their greed and raised up the poor and lowly for their innocence and purity. They make Jesus into the image of a social justice advocate of today. What gets lost on them is what Jesus says in Luke 13 and 18 where he calls even his closest followers faithless sinners. These are people who were among the poor and oppressed. He reminds them that they have no moral superiority over their oppressors. The only difference is that their oppressors are in power and they are not. But that the coming of the kingdom of God will not somehow put them on top because they’d just be different oppressors.
No, the coming of the kingdom of God is both present and future. Both ideas must be held if the image is to work properly.
So, it also goes for the death and resurrection of Jesus. If you have it be just a future thing then you are disregarding the present world. God loves this flawed transitory world enough to be marred and die for it. You can’t just say it’s all temporary and so it ultimately doesn’t matter. At the same time, if your life is driven by this life and this life only, then you are being shortsighted about eternity. The resurrection of Christ is a promise for us too. What does it mean to live for both the present and for eternity?
I think it gives us a perspective, or perhaps a lens to view everything. It is helpful if we regularly ask ourselves if our decisions make sense in light of both the importance of the present and for eternity. The Super Bowl ad asked, “Is there more to life than more?” More money. More stuff. More security. More power. More life. What are all these things? They are all trivialities in light of eternity. It has been often studied and proven that once your most basic bodily needs are met having more does not significantly improve the quality of your life. Those who are driven to have more will never be satisfied. Whereas those who find fullness in Christ are already satisfied in this life and for eternity.
What is the eternal fate of those who just endlessly consume and want ever more; exploiting many and doing all sorts of harmful things in the process? I don’t know. That’s God’s question to answer. What I do know is that the eternal fate of those who believe and trust in the resurrection of Jesus have a rock solid identity that can weather any storm and give contentment no matter what life’s circumstances are.
Consider many things in light of eternity. Do many of the things we worry about most days really matter? Nope. And also consider all the things that we are apt to fill our days with. Are they really building God’s kingdom now or are they just our own dead-end consumption? Building God’s kingdom is always worthwhile; although it may not often be easy.
I am surprised by the advice of lawyer and financial planner Toby Mathis. He has a YouTube channel with about 600 thousand subscribers. So he isn’t truly big time, but he is influential. He always advises giving 10% of your income away to some good cause. That’s not the usual kind of advice you’d expect from a financial planner. But he says it’s important to living a satisfied life. He also teaches that having more is not more. Ultimately he finds the most satisfied people are people who are living well below their means. They have found that with a meaningful job, civic engagement, and sizeable charitable giving they are content. And if he says if you truly don’t have enough money to give any away then you need to make the time to volunteer somewhere. Because working all the time just to get ahead is not ever going to lead to getting ahead. Though he is a secular financial planner, his advice fits for a person of faith who is living the resurrection promises of Jesus.
The people of Jesus asked for a sign from him. He said the only sign they would get was the sign of Jonah, which meant the resurrection. The resurrection remains the key promise that all of our faith revolves around. It is a promise that goes for life today and for eternity. Begin every day by reminding yourself of the resurrection. Go to bed at night reminding yourself of the resurrection. When you are suffering, remember that no matter how long it may endure, it is nothing as compared to eternity. And when everything is going well and you are feeling great, realize that lasting joy and hope only come from Christ.
Monday, February 16, 2026
Monday, February 9, 2026
Matthew 11:1-20 Sermon Skit by St. John's Sunday School Children, February 8, 2026
The Sunday school children led worship on the 8th. In place of a sermon they performed a skit. Below is the script; including the stage directions.
A tour guide in 1st century Israel takes the congregation on a tour of sites. They include:
a reed shaken by the wind
a king/queen in soft robes
John the Baptist at the Jordan River
the cross of Jesus
Cast: Tour Guide
Reed shaken by the wind (dressed in tan or wearing a burlap tunic, can be holding some
palms from Palm Sunday last year.)
King/Queen – fancy robes from the costume closet
John the Baptist – wild looking, beard, dressed in burlap
Cross – a voice offstage speaking into a microphone
Two adult members of the congregation, or a couple of the Sunday school teachers who
stand up the cross and put it in its base.
Props/staging: three rolling dividers to distinguish the different locations. A chair is in front of each for the character to sit on until their part. Then they stand (except the King/Queen)
Farthest left – The Reed simply sits/stands in front of the divider.
Right - The King/Queen sits in the fanciest chair we can find, which is set on top of the platform the pulpit sits on. A rolling divider is placed behind the platform.
Near left – John the Baptist sits/stands in front of the divider.
Cross – The cross we use for Good Friday is laying down with its base at the altar and the top towards the back of the sanctuary. It is literally a tripping hazard and the Tour Guide will trip over it several times. The cross will be stood upright near the end of the skit.
Guide: (speaking to the congregation from the front center of the sanctuary) Welcome tour guests! I am (name) and I will be your tour guide as we see sites along the Jordan river in first century Palestine.
Come with me to our first site. (Walks toward Reed but trips over the cross) Sorry, I tripped over that beam laying there.
Here we have a reed that is shaken by the wind.
Reed: (stands and sways slightly and slightly waves palm branches) Welcome to the bank of the Jordan River!
Guide: (to Reed) Tell us what it’s like for you to live here on the river bank.
Reed: Life is pretty easy. I just go with whatever the flow is. When the water rises I just bend with the current. When the wind blows I just bend to it. If the wind changes direction I switch and bend in that direction instead.
Guide: Do you ever stand firm for anything?
Reed: Why would I do that? No, I just go along with whatever is happening around me. Standing firm for something might get others upset. If they get upset then they may want to hurt me.
Guide: But what do you do when things are wrong? Don’t you ever stand up for truth or rightness?
Reed: Now why would I want to do that? I don’t care what is right or wrong. I just bend to whatever is going on. Whenever that changes, I change. That’s what suits me best. Everyone around me also does the same. Life is easier that way.
Guide: So you’re just out for the easiest possible way through life?
Reed: That pretty much sums it up. That’s me. I go along with whatever is going on. I have no spine and no real strength. All I ask is that you don’t hurt me and keep my life easy.
Guide: I suspect our tour visitors may not agree with you, but thank you for your time today.
Reed: My pleasure. Come back again sometime and always go with the flow.
Guide: (to congregation) Next let’s journey to Herod’s fortress palace of Masada. There we’ll meet someone living in soft robes and comfort.
(Guide begins to walk to the right side where King/Queen is seated. Guide trips over the cross yet again.)
Ugh, that thing is still there. It is quite a stumbling block to doing what you want to do!
(arriving at the King/Queen, spoken to the congregation) Here you can see we have arrived at the splendid palace of Masada. It is a fine example of Herodian Architecture. It was begun in the year 37 B.C. and took six years to build. Inside we’ll find staterooms, an advanced water system, a bathhouse, and defensive fortifications. Anyone living here is wrapped in comfort and security. Let’s go inside and meet the ruler.
(steps to the King/Queen and addresses him/her) Thank you for letting us tour your lovely home!
King/Queen: Welcome to Masada! This is one of several palaces I use. This one is especially designed to be secure while still being very comfortable to live in.
Guide: Tell us about living here and about ruling Judea.
King/Queen: Oh, it’s a tough thing to do, you see. Most people don’t like me. But that’s okay. I don’t like them either! Ordinary people are always jealous of those who have power and money. After all, what’s the point of power and money if you can’t use it for yourself?
Guide: Well, if we’re honest, a lot of people do question if you really do have the right to be the leader of the Jews.
King/Queen: That’s all nonsense! Of course I have the right to rule! The Romans have given me the title of ruler. And some of my ancestors are actually Jews, so it’s all legitimate, I assure you!
Guide: What do you do to the people who disagree with you?
King/Queen: I either have them killed or I put them in jail.
Guide: Doesn’t that seem a little harsh just because someone disagrees?
King/Queen: Not at all! If you want power you have to do what you have to do to keep it. Maybe I do have taxes a bit high, and maybe I do demand a lot from the population, but if I didn’t do it, someone else would. So, it might as well be me!
Guide: Do you ever feel bad about people suffering?
King/Queen: Why should I? They serve me, don’t they? I’m the ruler. They do what I say. If they don’t, then I replace them with someone who does obey me.
Guide: Before we go, what is one of your biggest concerns right now?
King/Queen: You know that John the Baptist guy? He’s a weirdo. He’s been gathering big crowds and getting them all riled up. I understand he says a lot of nasty things about me. I’m going to have to bring him in and silence him.
Guide: Thank you for your time. We’ll be on our way.
(Guide turns to leave. After taking a step the Guide says to the congregation.)
As it turns out, John the Baptist is the next stop on our tour. I wasn’t going to say that to the ruler, however!
(Guide begins to walk towards the left where John the Baptist is. Once again the Guide trips over the cross.)
Guide: Sorry, I tripped over this thing yet again. We’ll have to see about getting it out of the way. It really does get in our way!
(Guide arrives at John the Baptist, who stands.)
John the Baptist: (Points at congregation) Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come, you brood of vipers!
Guide: (a bit hesitantly) Um, hi John. We’re a tour visiting Palestine and you’re on our list. Wouldn’t you like to greet your guests with a bit more kindness?
John the Baptist: Greeting them with kindness doesn’t change anything! They need to repent. For the kingdom of heaven is coming near. The Messiah is coming and they’d better watch out!
Guide: They’re good people, I assure you.
John the Baptist: Are they really, or do they just think they are?
Guide: I see there’s no changing your tone.
John the Baptist: And why should I? They need to know. The Messiah is coming. He’s going to give them what they’ve got coming to them!
Guide: What do you mean with all this?
John the Baptist: Only that the Messiah will bring God’s justice. For too long the good haven’t been rewarded for their goodness. The bad have gotten away with being bad. The coming Messiah will kick out the Herods. He’ll kick out the Romans. He’ll get rid of all government corruption. And he alone will rule with strength and justice. He’ll kill and destroy all that is bad.
Guide: That sounds pretty scary.
John the Baptist: God’s judgment is. So you’d better watch out! The world is about to change. The bad guys are about to get what’s coming to them! It’ll be death, destruction, fire, and wrath!
Guide: Will there be any mercy from God?
John the Baptist: Why should there be mercy? Sin deserves punishment. Period. Those who sin get punished. Those who do not sin will feel satisfied as they see the sinners get what they deserve.
Guide: I have to admit, it is good to see bad guys punished and good people rewarded.
John the Baptist: That’s what I preach. I’m sure that’s what the Messiah will do!
Guide: We need to be moving on with our tour now. Thank you for being a part of it.
John the Baptist: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!
Guide: (Turns away from John and steps towards the center.) That wraps up our tour of Palestine. I hope you enjoyed the places you saw. Be sure to check out the gift shop before you head back to your cars.
(Guide steps across the cross and trips yet again.)
Guide: (yelling) WILL SOMEONE PLEASE GET THIS STUMBLING BLOCK OUT OF HERE!
(The adult congregational members who have been selected, or two Sunday school teachers, pick up the cross and put it in its stand.)
Guide: Thank you. That thing is always getting in the way! What a stumbling block it is!
Cross: Indeed I am.
Guide: (startled and looking around) Who said that?
Cross: I did.
Guide: (reaching out and tentatively touching the cross) I didn’t know you could talk. You’re not a part of the tour.
Cross: I can talk. And I should be a part of the tour.
Guide: Why? You’re not a reed shaken by the wind. You’re not someone in soft robes. You’re not a crazy man yelling out a message of repentance to everyone who walks by. You’re just in the way of everything!
Cross: True. I’m not any of those things. And I do often get in the way of everything. People often stumble over me.
Guide: Tell me about it! I’ve been tripping over you all along!
Cross: I don’t fit into the things people like and find convenient. I also don’t fit into logic. You see, I don’t make sense in human terms.
Guide: What do you mean by all that?
Cross: I’m not a reed shaken by the wind. I stand solidly for what is right all the time. I do not yield. I do not bend. Ever. No matter how hard things get.
Guide: Indeed, you’re a hard thing when I tripped over you!
Cross: I am also not to be found with those who live in palaces wearing soft robes. I am not about getting power or keeping it. I am not about comfort, ease, and luxury. Those who live by me do not scheme for their own benefit. They are willing to work hard, even when they don’t see the benefits of it.
Guide: Yes, but must you be in the way of everything?
Cross: Yes, quite often I am. I can even get in the way of human ideas of justice.
Guide: You mean like John the Baptist saying that God’s going to get the bad guys and reward the good guys?
Cross: Indeed. While God is just, God’s justice is not like we often expect. John thinks that God’s kingdom will be about punishment and reward. That sounds good at one level. But ultimately, punishments and rewards just cause things to go round and round until everyone gets hurt. God’s justice does something different.
Guide: I don’t understand you.
Cross: John the Baptist will be arrested soon. He will be put in jail. From jail he will hear about the ministry of Jesus, the Messiah. And it will not look the way he expects. Jesus will not focus on punishing the bad. Jesus will spend time healing people, feeding people, and proclaiming the love of God. That won’t make sense to John. That’s not justice in the way John understands it. But as I said, I don’t make sense to a lot of people. That is why I am such a stumbling block.
Ultimately Jesus will be lifted up on me. He will die instead of the many people who deserve it. It’s hard to understand it, but in that way the cycles of sin and evil are broken. That is God’s justice. That sets us free.
Guide: That sounds good, but then why was I always stumbling over you?
Cross: Because even though I am good, I do not fit into the ways of the world at all, and people stumble over me. But believe me, true freedom comes when you aren’t worried about fitting in, like the reed;
or getting comfort, like the ruler;
or getting your idea of justice fulfilled by God, like John the Baptist.
Freedom is letting all of that up to God because you know what God has done for you.
Guide: I’ll try not to stumble over you again!
Cross: That’s a good idea! But you will probably stumble over me again anyway no matter how hard you try.
Guide: Well I can definitely make sure you’re on the tour in the future!
Monday, February 2, 2026
February 1, 2026 Missionary Discourse Matthew 10
We just read what is called the “Missionary Discourse” from Matthew 10. There Jesus sends out his twelve disciples to the towns of Israel to proclaim that the kingdom of God has come near, and surprisingly - to perform some miracles. We think it should be a wonderful time for them. Huge crowds have been following Jesus. They heard him give the great Sermon on the Mount. They’ve seen him perform any number of miracles. And as you may remember from where we left of in Matthew’s gospel last week, we read, “When [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefor ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.’”
We imagine crowds of lost and woebegone people who would be thrilled to hear that the kingdom of God is at hand and that the Messiah has arrived. We think the disciples would be welcomed with open arms everywhere they go. But Jesus’ instructions to them quickly goes from basic instructions about being guests in people’s homes to warnings about persecution, separation, and even death. What is going on?
I suspect the same could be said for today; although in America you wouldn’t be getting the outright physical persecutions and death for being an evangelist. But you will most likely be dismissed, ignored, and scorned.
Let’s take a critical look at what we imagine when we think about the people being harassed and helpless; and like sheep without a shepherd. How accurate are we if we imagine them as third world refugees desperate for hope and stability? If I look at 21st century American mainstream society I’d describe it as people who are harassed and helpless; like sheep without a shepherd.
People all around us don’t know who they are. And I don’t just mean the gender issues that cause splashy headlines. I mean having a basic sense of themselves. They don’t know who they are. They don’t know what their purpose is. And they don’t know where they’re going in life. But perhaps what is worst is that they don’t know that they don’t know all those things!
We live in a consumer culture. There’s not much to debate about that. We hear things about consumer habits, consumer spending, and consumer confidence. Somewhere years ago I heard someone point out that up through the 1980s the American public was referred to as “citizens”. Since then the public is referred to as “consumers”. Is that what we are? Is that our purpose, to consume things? During the invasion of Iraq in the early 1990s World War 2 survivors were asking what they should do to support the war effort. They were told that they best thing they could do was to keep consuming as usual. Consumption kept the economy going; which in turn financed the military invasion.
It’s not just Americans that like to consume things. It seems to be a fundamental part of human nature. The more we have the more we want. Give us the luxury of cold running water in our homes and we next want hot water. Then we want central heat. Then we want electricity, and telephone, and internet, and air conditioning. You can see where this is going.
One thing we are especially good at as human beings is deceiving ourselves. We tell ourselves that if we just had the next level of comfort or convenience and we’ll be happy. But once we have that then the wheels in our minds start turning. We have it and decide that instead of it being a luxury, it is a necessity. We’re quick to call just about everything a basic human right sooner or later. And as soon as we call it a basic human right we have positioned ourselves to justify the next thing we want. And on and on our consumption goes.
Jesus said the people were like sheep without a shepherd. I have heard stories of sheep who truly listened to their shepherds. I believe them. But I have to say from my own experience growing up and working on a neighbor’s sheep farm that sheep do not like following a shepherd. Give sheep a good pasture and all they want to do is get out of the fence for whatever is outside. They don’t listen. They don’t know what’s best for them. And they don’t trust anyone who sets boundaries around them to give them safety and security.
Evangelize in our society today…? You’ve got problems. People are harassed and helpless. They are like sheep without a shepherd, but they will do everything within their power to deny their reality!
Here are two observations I have made over the years. It seems to be human nature to deny the need for God. Oh, as a culture we’re willing to accept the idea that there is a god. But we don’t want to be beholden to that god. We don’t want to admit just how helpless we are and how much we need that god.
And the second observation is that we never ever want to see ourselves as being in the wrong. We create a morality for ourselves that justifies whatever it is we want to do. No one wants to go to bed at night and look back over the day and think, “Wow, what a rotten, gluttonous, selfish, greedy, exploitative, nasty being I am.” Nope, as I said a few minutes ago, we individually and as a society invent a moral structure that justifies everything we want to do.
So, the truth of evangelism in our world is to first convince people of two things they never ever want to hear. One, they need God. And two, they are fundamentally and inescapably sinners in need of God’s grace.
Lutherans rarely like to evangelize. There’s the age-old joke of what do you get when you cross a Lutheran with a Jehovah’s Witness? You get someone who rings the doorbell but then doesn’t know what to say.
Why is it awkward to evangelize? Because doing it requires you to put yourself in an embarrassing position. You are admitting you are a sinner who needs God; and you are trying to convince another person of the very same thing; which they have likely been willing to invest their whole life’s effort into denying.
We’ll come back to that in a minute, but I do want to briefly note a dynamic going on in the lives of the people Matthew originally wrote his gospel for. They were almost certainly Jews who had decided to believe in Jesus. Probably about ten years before Matthew wrote the Jews who had become Christians were being kicked out of the synagogues. Prior to that Jews who believed in Jesus were probably worshipping right alongside those who did not. Families could still be together. Neighbors still worshipped together despite their differences. But any number of crises occurred to Jews in the Roman empire. The Christians had to go. That presented a number of problems.
Jews in the Roman empire in the first century enjoyed a protected status. They were exempted from having to worship the emperor, or participate in any of the imperial religions. As long as the early Christians were also seen to be part of Judaism the Christians enjoyed the same protections. But when the Christians are kicked out the protected status goes away. And so being a Christian might be a very costly decision. It may cost you your job, your family and friends, and even your safety. There wasn’t the widespread persecution of Christians that we often believe, but it was still a risky thing. Perhaps it was like being a non-citizen in America today. You just don’t know what to expect or what will happen.
Being a follower of Christ could be costly. At the very least it opened you to a lot of unknowns. For those hearing these words in Matthew’s day, the idea of spreading the gospel was problematic. The way Matthew quotes Jesus’ advice to his disciples let’s Matthew’s original readers know that Jesus knows that despite the goodness and essentialness of their missionary work, it will be hard. They will run into problems, and many of them. They will probably fail far more often than they succeed. But they should not be overly daunted by their failures.
That takes us back to evangelism today to people who have invested their whole lives denying the reality of their sinfulness and their need for God. They are so lost in life that they don’t even know they are lost.
Believe it or not, we’re well on the way to effective evangelism when we recognize the problems we face. It’s like someone struggling with an addiction. The biggest step is recognizing the problem itself. Once you can recognize it, then you can begin to combat it.
We know the problem we face. Which is what equips us for the next step. There are no one-size-fits-all approaches to spreading the gospel. Having clever church programs or strategies aren’t the answer. Nor are advertising campaigns. Effective evangelism is always about one on one personal knowledge. You have to know the lives that you are connecting to. Being overt is rarely the best approach. It just makes everyone feel awkward. But knowing the story of Jesus and his promises well does equip us as the opportunities arise.
Fortunately for us, that is what Matthew’s gospel is. It equips us with what we need to know and how we need to know it. Evangelism is always hard. But the Holy Spirit through the biblical authors gives us what we need. We do not need to invent it.
As we continue through Matthew’s gospel I invite you to open your ears to hear it from the perspective of evangelism. Consider the triumphs and failures the disciples and Jesus will have. See the conflicts as conflicts to learn from, and apply today. Matthew gives us what we need. The work has already been done for us. We will never have 100% success in evangelism. We’ll probably never even manage to be as successful as a mediocre batting average in baseball. Which, if you not a baseball fan, is still a low percentage. But even with everyone having a low percentage, games are won.
Know the challenges. Learn from scripture. Love the people you are around. Speak to them when you must speak. And always live the grace and the hope that God provides. You may be surprised by how many do realize they are sinners, and that they need God’s grace. And whether you succeed or whether you fail, God’s will is done.
We imagine crowds of lost and woebegone people who would be thrilled to hear that the kingdom of God is at hand and that the Messiah has arrived. We think the disciples would be welcomed with open arms everywhere they go. But Jesus’ instructions to them quickly goes from basic instructions about being guests in people’s homes to warnings about persecution, separation, and even death. What is going on?
I suspect the same could be said for today; although in America you wouldn’t be getting the outright physical persecutions and death for being an evangelist. But you will most likely be dismissed, ignored, and scorned.
Let’s take a critical look at what we imagine when we think about the people being harassed and helpless; and like sheep without a shepherd. How accurate are we if we imagine them as third world refugees desperate for hope and stability? If I look at 21st century American mainstream society I’d describe it as people who are harassed and helpless; like sheep without a shepherd.
People all around us don’t know who they are. And I don’t just mean the gender issues that cause splashy headlines. I mean having a basic sense of themselves. They don’t know who they are. They don’t know what their purpose is. And they don’t know where they’re going in life. But perhaps what is worst is that they don’t know that they don’t know all those things!
We live in a consumer culture. There’s not much to debate about that. We hear things about consumer habits, consumer spending, and consumer confidence. Somewhere years ago I heard someone point out that up through the 1980s the American public was referred to as “citizens”. Since then the public is referred to as “consumers”. Is that what we are? Is that our purpose, to consume things? During the invasion of Iraq in the early 1990s World War 2 survivors were asking what they should do to support the war effort. They were told that they best thing they could do was to keep consuming as usual. Consumption kept the economy going; which in turn financed the military invasion.
It’s not just Americans that like to consume things. It seems to be a fundamental part of human nature. The more we have the more we want. Give us the luxury of cold running water in our homes and we next want hot water. Then we want central heat. Then we want electricity, and telephone, and internet, and air conditioning. You can see where this is going.
One thing we are especially good at as human beings is deceiving ourselves. We tell ourselves that if we just had the next level of comfort or convenience and we’ll be happy. But once we have that then the wheels in our minds start turning. We have it and decide that instead of it being a luxury, it is a necessity. We’re quick to call just about everything a basic human right sooner or later. And as soon as we call it a basic human right we have positioned ourselves to justify the next thing we want. And on and on our consumption goes.
Jesus said the people were like sheep without a shepherd. I have heard stories of sheep who truly listened to their shepherds. I believe them. But I have to say from my own experience growing up and working on a neighbor’s sheep farm that sheep do not like following a shepherd. Give sheep a good pasture and all they want to do is get out of the fence for whatever is outside. They don’t listen. They don’t know what’s best for them. And they don’t trust anyone who sets boundaries around them to give them safety and security.
Evangelize in our society today…? You’ve got problems. People are harassed and helpless. They are like sheep without a shepherd, but they will do everything within their power to deny their reality!
Here are two observations I have made over the years. It seems to be human nature to deny the need for God. Oh, as a culture we’re willing to accept the idea that there is a god. But we don’t want to be beholden to that god. We don’t want to admit just how helpless we are and how much we need that god.
And the second observation is that we never ever want to see ourselves as being in the wrong. We create a morality for ourselves that justifies whatever it is we want to do. No one wants to go to bed at night and look back over the day and think, “Wow, what a rotten, gluttonous, selfish, greedy, exploitative, nasty being I am.” Nope, as I said a few minutes ago, we individually and as a society invent a moral structure that justifies everything we want to do.
So, the truth of evangelism in our world is to first convince people of two things they never ever want to hear. One, they need God. And two, they are fundamentally and inescapably sinners in need of God’s grace.
Lutherans rarely like to evangelize. There’s the age-old joke of what do you get when you cross a Lutheran with a Jehovah’s Witness? You get someone who rings the doorbell but then doesn’t know what to say.
Why is it awkward to evangelize? Because doing it requires you to put yourself in an embarrassing position. You are admitting you are a sinner who needs God; and you are trying to convince another person of the very same thing; which they have likely been willing to invest their whole life’s effort into denying.
We’ll come back to that in a minute, but I do want to briefly note a dynamic going on in the lives of the people Matthew originally wrote his gospel for. They were almost certainly Jews who had decided to believe in Jesus. Probably about ten years before Matthew wrote the Jews who had become Christians were being kicked out of the synagogues. Prior to that Jews who believed in Jesus were probably worshipping right alongside those who did not. Families could still be together. Neighbors still worshipped together despite their differences. But any number of crises occurred to Jews in the Roman empire. The Christians had to go. That presented a number of problems.
Jews in the Roman empire in the first century enjoyed a protected status. They were exempted from having to worship the emperor, or participate in any of the imperial religions. As long as the early Christians were also seen to be part of Judaism the Christians enjoyed the same protections. But when the Christians are kicked out the protected status goes away. And so being a Christian might be a very costly decision. It may cost you your job, your family and friends, and even your safety. There wasn’t the widespread persecution of Christians that we often believe, but it was still a risky thing. Perhaps it was like being a non-citizen in America today. You just don’t know what to expect or what will happen.
Being a follower of Christ could be costly. At the very least it opened you to a lot of unknowns. For those hearing these words in Matthew’s day, the idea of spreading the gospel was problematic. The way Matthew quotes Jesus’ advice to his disciples let’s Matthew’s original readers know that Jesus knows that despite the goodness and essentialness of their missionary work, it will be hard. They will run into problems, and many of them. They will probably fail far more often than they succeed. But they should not be overly daunted by their failures.
That takes us back to evangelism today to people who have invested their whole lives denying the reality of their sinfulness and their need for God. They are so lost in life that they don’t even know they are lost.
Believe it or not, we’re well on the way to effective evangelism when we recognize the problems we face. It’s like someone struggling with an addiction. The biggest step is recognizing the problem itself. Once you can recognize it, then you can begin to combat it.
We know the problem we face. Which is what equips us for the next step. There are no one-size-fits-all approaches to spreading the gospel. Having clever church programs or strategies aren’t the answer. Nor are advertising campaigns. Effective evangelism is always about one on one personal knowledge. You have to know the lives that you are connecting to. Being overt is rarely the best approach. It just makes everyone feel awkward. But knowing the story of Jesus and his promises well does equip us as the opportunities arise.
Fortunately for us, that is what Matthew’s gospel is. It equips us with what we need to know and how we need to know it. Evangelism is always hard. But the Holy Spirit through the biblical authors gives us what we need. We do not need to invent it.
As we continue through Matthew’s gospel I invite you to open your ears to hear it from the perspective of evangelism. Consider the triumphs and failures the disciples and Jesus will have. See the conflicts as conflicts to learn from, and apply today. Matthew gives us what we need. The work has already been done for us. We will never have 100% success in evangelism. We’ll probably never even manage to be as successful as a mediocre batting average in baseball. Which, if you not a baseball fan, is still a low percentage. But even with everyone having a low percentage, games are won.
Know the challenges. Learn from scripture. Love the people you are around. Speak to them when you must speak. And always live the grace and the hope that God provides. You may be surprised by how many do realize they are sinners, and that they need God’s grace. And whether you succeed or whether you fail, God’s will is done.
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
January 11, 2026 Testing of Jesus Matthew 4
It seems to be a common thing for many people my age and younger to call themselves, “spiritual but not religious.” While I can understand why so many people consider it to be appealing, I consider it to be a middle of the road, “I stand for nothing but being nice” kind of thinking.
Despite many Americans saying they don’t have religious convictions it still isn’t really socially acceptable to be an atheist. The idea of atheists suggests someone who is harshly against God. While some people say that science disproves God, that is an unsupportable argument. And most people like the idea that there is some sort of a supernatural being who oversees the universe and cares about us. Take away the idea of God altogether and life itself seems pointless.
However, people don’t want to be “religious” either; especially if “religious” means Christian. Being religious sounds like some combination of: obligation to a human institution, antiquated beliefs from the ignorant past, using faith as a crutch because you are emotionally weak, and probably some mix of patriarchy, misogyny, and nationalism. Plus there is the whole difficulty that religions require commitment. Religions want to be your priority. They want your time, your energy, and of course, your money!
So, “spiritual but not religious” it is. You get the best of all worlds at the lowest possible cost. The spiritual but not religious person gets to go to a spiritual experience when they want it. Otherwise they don’t want to be bothered.
While I want to be respectful of people and their busy lives with many demands, my experience of people who are spiritual but not religious as I look at their faith and their morality, it is this. You’ve probably heard me say this before. What I think they’ve really done is create a god in their own image. And that god is not capable of critiquing their self-made morality. In other words, they create a god and morality that just echo each other. They are never challenged and they are endlessly self-justifying.
There is definitely a belief that a person can be moral without having any religious affiliation. This seems very popular, but it is not true. Most of the morality without religious that I come across is basically just liberal Christianity. It believes that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated with respect, and that everyone is basically good. While all of that sounds nice, again, it is not some sort of natural law. It is basically ‘Christianity lite.’
Let’s look at Jesus in the wilderness right after his baptism in light of the idea of being spiritual but not religious. First, let’s remember that in the verses immediately prior to the ones we read in our gospel Jesus has been baptized. We are told that he saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. How lovely. How nice. How “spiritual” an experience for him.
But then…
That same Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested. Jesus fasts forty days and forty nights. The spiritual person would say, “Why do that, Jesus?” That’s not a nice thing to have to do for God. Surely God wouldn’t want you to do that! That’s the very problem with religion. It may make us hurt. And in the case of 40 days without nourishment, it would put you on the point of death. They’d say, “Jesus, surely you’ve misunderstood the Spirit. God couldn’t really want someone so beloved to suffer for no rational purpose. It’s fine to be out in the wilderness as a spiritual discipline before you start your public ministry, but to not eat is absurd. Jesus, you have the power to get your own food, so get it for yourself!”
Do you see where I’m going with this? The “spiritual but not religious person” can very easily speak for the devil in our gospel reading.
Then the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and places him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” The devil cites scripture – and note that the devil can quote scripture quite effectively too when it suits! The devil says, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and, “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
Said like that it is clearly not something Jesus should not do. Jesus should not use his Son of God status to perform a spectacle to test it and to get himself attention. Surely doing such a thing would have drawn a crowd and incredible praise. But let’s tweak it just subtly. Let’s say it like this, “Jesus, you have things that make you special, make you stand out. Make use of them for yourself.” Do we not tell ourselves that we should make the most of ourselves? I can easily find myself saying something like, “Fulfillment in life will come from using your abilities to the fullest.” Don’t we encourage people to develop their talents to the fullest? Don’t we encourage people with music or artistic talents to go to school to develop them as fully as they can? Don’t we tell smart people they should go to college and become scientists and engineers? Don’t we encourage kids with athletic skills to be the best athletes they can be, possibly getting an athletic scholarship or going to the Olympics? Don’t the Army have the advertising slogan, “Be all you can be in the Army.” We say we should use what makes us unique to better ourselves the most, and then also bring about the most to society.
A spiritual but not religious person would be offended if a person had abilities but didn’t use them because God or some religious organization told them not to.
Jesus knew it was God’s will that he be in the wilderness and famished. He knew it was God’s will for him not to use his special status for any ends other than what God wanted them to be used for. When Jesus is in the wilderness there is no logical reason for Jesus to do what he does. The words of the devil are precisely what human logic would conclude. They are precisely what a spiritual but not religious person would conclude.
The third test. Jesus is shown all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. They can all be his if he just falls down and worships the devil. Said like that it is pretty clear that it is wrong. But let’s say the same things a little differently. “Jesus, just play by the rules of the world. Think critically. Use what you have to get a good life for yourself. Make yourself comfortable. Make life easy. You don’t have to be a glutton. Just be reasonable. Why suffer when you don’t have to?”
Let’s make it even more subtle, “Jesus, you have great morality. You’re for: fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love. So use the moral high ground you naturally have in order to be an example that people will praise and look up to. Jesus, be the moral example the world wants and people will remember you and think highly of your forever for it.”
It sounds great when I put it like that, doesn’t it? It all sounds selfless and kind and righteous without being judgmental at all.
But it is wrong.
While I certainly think we should be moral. And I certainly think we should be for fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love, we then still have to ask ourselves why? Why would we do it? Would we do it so that we fit in with the current trends to be a socially acceptable enlightened person? Would we do it so that we can claim the moral high ground for ourselves?
It is so easy in our current political and economic situation to claim superior morality or logic for ourselves and our point of view. We associate with people like ourselves and look down upon others as ignorant or foolish. Perhaps you’re better than that, but I certainly catch myself doing it plenty.
The Spirit of God led the Son of God into the wilderness for intense testing before he began his public ministry. Would Jesus stay true to what God wanted him to do, and only what God wanted him to do, or would he be swayed by public opinion, fitting in, and making a comfortable life for himself?
We know that the testing of Jesus in the wilderness was hard for Jesus. But it was nothing compared to how hard the crucifixion was. How can letting yourself be captured and arrested, then tried and beaten, and ultimately executed in humiliation be God’s will?
No ”spiritual but not religious” person would do it. The spiritual but not religious person is ultimately out for themselves. They’ve collected what suits them for life and rejected anything that inconveniences them. Perhaps I’m being overly harsh. I don’t mean it to be condemnatory or judgmental. But for the most part I find it to be a self-serving way to live. It is the belief that humans can find fulfillment within themselves.
I make you no promises about longevity, ease of life, or even a sense of fulfillment if you are a truly committed Christian. But I do promise that, apart from God’s will, nothing that this world values is of any real consequence. This world will convince us that we are good people apart from God. God’s grace says that before you can be amazed at how wonderful God is, you must first realize that apart from God you cannot be a good person.
Religions aren’t perfect. Christianity certainly isn’t. Many people have valid complaints. So the spiritual but not religious perspective has some legitimate criticism to offer. But Christianity as a religion shows us the truth of our fallacies. Christianity reminds us that we are fundamentally flawed and sinful beings. That is not to be mean. It is just reality. It gives us genuine humility. And that with discipline, commitment, prayer, and discernment we seek the will of God. Sometimes God’s will makes sense. Sometimes it doesn’t. But following it draws us closer to God and keeps us from going astray into meaninglessness.
Despite many Americans saying they don’t have religious convictions it still isn’t really socially acceptable to be an atheist. The idea of atheists suggests someone who is harshly against God. While some people say that science disproves God, that is an unsupportable argument. And most people like the idea that there is some sort of a supernatural being who oversees the universe and cares about us. Take away the idea of God altogether and life itself seems pointless.
However, people don’t want to be “religious” either; especially if “religious” means Christian. Being religious sounds like some combination of: obligation to a human institution, antiquated beliefs from the ignorant past, using faith as a crutch because you are emotionally weak, and probably some mix of patriarchy, misogyny, and nationalism. Plus there is the whole difficulty that religions require commitment. Religions want to be your priority. They want your time, your energy, and of course, your money!
So, “spiritual but not religious” it is. You get the best of all worlds at the lowest possible cost. The spiritual but not religious person gets to go to a spiritual experience when they want it. Otherwise they don’t want to be bothered.
While I want to be respectful of people and their busy lives with many demands, my experience of people who are spiritual but not religious as I look at their faith and their morality, it is this. You’ve probably heard me say this before. What I think they’ve really done is create a god in their own image. And that god is not capable of critiquing their self-made morality. In other words, they create a god and morality that just echo each other. They are never challenged and they are endlessly self-justifying.
There is definitely a belief that a person can be moral without having any religious affiliation. This seems very popular, but it is not true. Most of the morality without religious that I come across is basically just liberal Christianity. It believes that everyone is equal, that everyone should be treated with respect, and that everyone is basically good. While all of that sounds nice, again, it is not some sort of natural law. It is basically ‘Christianity lite.’
Let’s look at Jesus in the wilderness right after his baptism in light of the idea of being spiritual but not religious. First, let’s remember that in the verses immediately prior to the ones we read in our gospel Jesus has been baptized. We are told that he saw the Spirit of God descending upon him like a dove. How lovely. How nice. How “spiritual” an experience for him.
But then…
That same Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tested. Jesus fasts forty days and forty nights. The spiritual person would say, “Why do that, Jesus?” That’s not a nice thing to have to do for God. Surely God wouldn’t want you to do that! That’s the very problem with religion. It may make us hurt. And in the case of 40 days without nourishment, it would put you on the point of death. They’d say, “Jesus, surely you’ve misunderstood the Spirit. God couldn’t really want someone so beloved to suffer for no rational purpose. It’s fine to be out in the wilderness as a spiritual discipline before you start your public ministry, but to not eat is absurd. Jesus, you have the power to get your own food, so get it for yourself!”
Do you see where I’m going with this? The “spiritual but not religious person” can very easily speak for the devil in our gospel reading.
Then the devil takes Jesus to Jerusalem and places him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down.” The devil cites scripture – and note that the devil can quote scripture quite effectively too when it suits! The devil says, “He will command his angels concerning you,” and, “On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.”
Said like that it is clearly not something Jesus should not do. Jesus should not use his Son of God status to perform a spectacle to test it and to get himself attention. Surely doing such a thing would have drawn a crowd and incredible praise. But let’s tweak it just subtly. Let’s say it like this, “Jesus, you have things that make you special, make you stand out. Make use of them for yourself.” Do we not tell ourselves that we should make the most of ourselves? I can easily find myself saying something like, “Fulfillment in life will come from using your abilities to the fullest.” Don’t we encourage people to develop their talents to the fullest? Don’t we encourage people with music or artistic talents to go to school to develop them as fully as they can? Don’t we tell smart people they should go to college and become scientists and engineers? Don’t we encourage kids with athletic skills to be the best athletes they can be, possibly getting an athletic scholarship or going to the Olympics? Don’t the Army have the advertising slogan, “Be all you can be in the Army.” We say we should use what makes us unique to better ourselves the most, and then also bring about the most to society.
A spiritual but not religious person would be offended if a person had abilities but didn’t use them because God or some religious organization told them not to.
Jesus knew it was God’s will that he be in the wilderness and famished. He knew it was God’s will for him not to use his special status for any ends other than what God wanted them to be used for. When Jesus is in the wilderness there is no logical reason for Jesus to do what he does. The words of the devil are precisely what human logic would conclude. They are precisely what a spiritual but not religious person would conclude.
The third test. Jesus is shown all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. They can all be his if he just falls down and worships the devil. Said like that it is pretty clear that it is wrong. But let’s say the same things a little differently. “Jesus, just play by the rules of the world. Think critically. Use what you have to get a good life for yourself. Make yourself comfortable. Make life easy. You don’t have to be a glutton. Just be reasonable. Why suffer when you don’t have to?”
Let’s make it even more subtle, “Jesus, you have great morality. You’re for: fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love. So use the moral high ground you naturally have in order to be an example that people will praise and look up to. Jesus, be the moral example the world wants and people will remember you and think highly of your forever for it.”
It sounds great when I put it like that, doesn’t it? It all sounds selfless and kind and righteous without being judgmental at all.
But it is wrong.
While I certainly think we should be moral. And I certainly think we should be for fairness, equity, inclusion, justice, and love, we then still have to ask ourselves why? Why would we do it? Would we do it so that we fit in with the current trends to be a socially acceptable enlightened person? Would we do it so that we can claim the moral high ground for ourselves?
It is so easy in our current political and economic situation to claim superior morality or logic for ourselves and our point of view. We associate with people like ourselves and look down upon others as ignorant or foolish. Perhaps you’re better than that, but I certainly catch myself doing it plenty.
The Spirit of God led the Son of God into the wilderness for intense testing before he began his public ministry. Would Jesus stay true to what God wanted him to do, and only what God wanted him to do, or would he be swayed by public opinion, fitting in, and making a comfortable life for himself?
We know that the testing of Jesus in the wilderness was hard for Jesus. But it was nothing compared to how hard the crucifixion was. How can letting yourself be captured and arrested, then tried and beaten, and ultimately executed in humiliation be God’s will?
No ”spiritual but not religious” person would do it. The spiritual but not religious person is ultimately out for themselves. They’ve collected what suits them for life and rejected anything that inconveniences them. Perhaps I’m being overly harsh. I don’t mean it to be condemnatory or judgmental. But for the most part I find it to be a self-serving way to live. It is the belief that humans can find fulfillment within themselves.
I make you no promises about longevity, ease of life, or even a sense of fulfillment if you are a truly committed Christian. But I do promise that, apart from God’s will, nothing that this world values is of any real consequence. This world will convince us that we are good people apart from God. God’s grace says that before you can be amazed at how wonderful God is, you must first realize that apart from God you cannot be a good person.
Religions aren’t perfect. Christianity certainly isn’t. Many people have valid complaints. So the spiritual but not religious perspective has some legitimate criticism to offer. But Christianity as a religion shows us the truth of our fallacies. Christianity reminds us that we are fundamentally flawed and sinful beings. That is not to be mean. It is just reality. It gives us genuine humility. And that with discipline, commitment, prayer, and discernment we seek the will of God. Sometimes God’s will makes sense. Sometimes it doesn’t. But following it draws us closer to God and keeps us from going astray into meaninglessness.
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
January 4, 2023 John the Baptist Matthew 3
Only a few days ago were wishing each other, “Happy New Year!” The new year is a time for fresh beginnings. People make resolutions to improve. Putting effort into self improvement is usually a good thing. And perhaps it is a bit jarring, or perhaps it fits, to then come to worship and hear the message of John the Baptist as he says, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
I believe John’s repentance message can put us on the right track for the new year. I don’t mean a simple change of practice. I mean a genuine wrestling with the dynamics of our hearts. I think we can get at that by looking at a very famous person this time of year, although a fictional person, Ebenezer Scrooge. He is certainly an example of repentance. But it is important that we understand the true nature of his repentance.
Here is what it is not. This is a Facebook post by Daniel Williams that went around a few years ago. He writes:
"Every single major life trauma to happen to Ebenezer Scrooge happened at Christmas time: his parents abandoned him at boarding school, his fiance left him, his beloved sister died. It's not like Ebenezer just woke up one day hating Christmas - it's painful for him, and so he does what a lot of us do: he ignores the pain, he tries to keep the painful reminders of his own loss at bay. So of course he gets upset and lashes out when other people (unknowingly) insist on reminding him of his trauma by telling him he should be in the Christmas spirit. Then what happens? An old friend recognizes his maladaptive strategy and forces him to get help from experts who allow him to: first, confront his past traumas; second, recognize other, healthier ways of coping with them; and, finally, understand the probable consequences of continuing with destructive strategies designed to avoid hurt by avoiding human relationships.
"A Christmas Carol isn't a story about how you're so much better than the mean rich person. It's a story about how anyone, even the rich and powerful, can struggle with trauma."
Um, no. Wrong. If it’s been a long time since you’ve read Charles Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol, or if you’ve never read it at all, I encourage you to do so. It’s relatively short. Lots of interpretations and adaptations have been made to it. I think if Daniel Williams reread the original story and paid attention to it that he’d realize just how wrong he is. It is the right interpretation of the story that gets us to where John the Baptist is.
If you know the story well then you know that early on the ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner comes to Scrooge and warns him that he needs to change is ways or suffer the consequences. Scrooge rejects this notion.
The first ghostly visitor, the Ghost of Christmas Past, shows Scrooge several scenes from his past. We learn that Scrooge was indeed abused by his father and neglected as a child. But we also learn that there were significant improvements in his father. We learn that Scrooge had a fiancé who genuinely loved him and cared for him. In the early days of their relationship Scrooge was loving in return. But over time he began to distance himself from her and went down a path of greed. She only leaves him when she realizes that despite her ongoing love, he has chosen earthly wealth over human relationship.
Then the second ghost comes. It is the Ghost of Christmas Present. The ghost shows Scrooge several scenes about the present day. By the time Scrooge is done with this ghost we realize that Scrooge has had a change of heart. He has decided to change. He has decided to become a better person.
Dickens could have left the story off there. It would indeed be the story of a rich and mean old man who has a change of heart because, as Daniel Williams says, he has seen the probable consequences of continuing with destructive strategies. If that were the case the story would be no different than hundreds of other holiday movies that show up this time of year. If it were that sort of story it would have been forgotten in the dustbin of sentimentality over 150 years ago.
But Dickens continues the story. There is one question remaining. That question is, why has Scrooge changed? If he has changed because he recognizes there will be dire consequences if he does not change, then his change would merely be a strategic move for his own ultimate gain. But if he has changed because he has truly become a better person, then his change will not have a strategic benefit for himself.
This is the part that Daniel Williams, and many people, get completely wrong. Enter the third ghost. As the ghost shows Scrooge horrific things in the future that happen to a dead person, Scrooge eventually comes to realize that the dead person is him. And he asks the ghost repeatedly -he even pleads with the ghost to know- can he, by making changes in his life, change the course of the future.
Now we are at the core of the story. If you know the story well you know that the Ghost of Christmas Future never ever says a word. All it ever does is point. And so as Scrooge pleads for an answer… he never gets one.
This is where the magic of Dickens’ story happens. If Scrooge changes it will be because he has become a fundamentally better person with no desire whatsoever for personal gain. He is not changing in order to give himself a longer and better future. No, he doesn’t know whether that can happen or not. His change means that he will truly be: generous, selfless, loving, and kind; regardless of whether it will better him or not.
You know how the story ends.
This is the ultimate, deep, genuine repentance John the Baptist calls for in our gospel reading. He is like the Joseph Marley character in A Christmas Carol. He is telling people to repent or suffer the consequences. But the repentance is to be absolute and real; not a strategy.
When John is so cruelly harsh to the Pharisees and Sadducees he knows that they fundamentally believe that they are good people. At the beginning of A Christmas Carol Scrooge considers himself to be pragmatic and wise when it comes to the way he treats other people, especially those who are struggling. I want to avoid drawing too strong a parallel between Scrooge and the Pharisees and Sadducees, but there are similarities. If you have convinced yourself that you are good, and if you have surrounded yourself with life dynamics that affirm your goodness, all the while keeping hidden the bad things that result from your life, then you feel no need for repentance.
John the Baptist did not invent the idea of baptism. There are records from Judaism at that time that shows that Jews did have ceremonial washings. But John is the one who elevates baptism to a one-time event meant to bring about serious and permanent life changes. Baptism as John did it predates Christianity, but Christianity adopts it as its own initiation rite.
For most of us living in a generally Christian culture baptism doesn’t really change our lives much. But in those days, being baptized into Christianity meant a serious life change. It may mean many life changes. It may mean stopping doing all sort of things. It may mean changing one’s friends. It may even mean being ostracized from your family.
And central to that is what John the Baptist had in mind – a genuine, authentic, enduring, fundamental change of heart and life direction. No longer would a person live strategically for themselves. No. Now, it would be a life of genuine love and giving for the sake of God’s kingdom.
John the Baptist’s core message was, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” When John is arrested and goes off stage Jesus picks up the identical message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The kingdom of heaven is when people genuinely live that life direction.
The Pharisees and Sadducees probably thought their lives just needed a little bit of a tune-up when they came to John to be baptized. He felt they really needed a major change in life priorities.
If you are driven to being kind and giving because it is a strategy to avoid negative consequences, well, I suppose that works. But understand that your life is one of calculation and a constant subtle cost/benefit analysis. If your life is one of constant cost/benefit analysis then joy will at best be fleeting, and you will live a half life of anxiety and exhaustion. You will question your purpose, meaning, and direction in life.
If you are driven to being kind and giving because it is a natural flow from the love and goodness God has for you, then I make no promises as to how your life will go. Remember, Scrooge received no promises from the Ghost of Christmas Future. Things may go poorly. Or they may go quite well. But know that you will discover deep and enduring satisfaction, wholeness, and meaning.
It is January 4th, 2026. It is a new year full of new possibilities. May it be a year where you become nothing short of excellent at living in God’s love and goodness.
I believe John’s repentance message can put us on the right track for the new year. I don’t mean a simple change of practice. I mean a genuine wrestling with the dynamics of our hearts. I think we can get at that by looking at a very famous person this time of year, although a fictional person, Ebenezer Scrooge. He is certainly an example of repentance. But it is important that we understand the true nature of his repentance.
Here is what it is not. This is a Facebook post by Daniel Williams that went around a few years ago. He writes:
"Every single major life trauma to happen to Ebenezer Scrooge happened at Christmas time: his parents abandoned him at boarding school, his fiance left him, his beloved sister died. It's not like Ebenezer just woke up one day hating Christmas - it's painful for him, and so he does what a lot of us do: he ignores the pain, he tries to keep the painful reminders of his own loss at bay. So of course he gets upset and lashes out when other people (unknowingly) insist on reminding him of his trauma by telling him he should be in the Christmas spirit. Then what happens? An old friend recognizes his maladaptive strategy and forces him to get help from experts who allow him to: first, confront his past traumas; second, recognize other, healthier ways of coping with them; and, finally, understand the probable consequences of continuing with destructive strategies designed to avoid hurt by avoiding human relationships.
"A Christmas Carol isn't a story about how you're so much better than the mean rich person. It's a story about how anyone, even the rich and powerful, can struggle with trauma."
Um, no. Wrong. If it’s been a long time since you’ve read Charles Dickens’ book, A Christmas Carol, or if you’ve never read it at all, I encourage you to do so. It’s relatively short. Lots of interpretations and adaptations have been made to it. I think if Daniel Williams reread the original story and paid attention to it that he’d realize just how wrong he is. It is the right interpretation of the story that gets us to where John the Baptist is.
If you know the story well then you know that early on the ghost of Scrooge’s former business partner comes to Scrooge and warns him that he needs to change is ways or suffer the consequences. Scrooge rejects this notion.
The first ghostly visitor, the Ghost of Christmas Past, shows Scrooge several scenes from his past. We learn that Scrooge was indeed abused by his father and neglected as a child. But we also learn that there were significant improvements in his father. We learn that Scrooge had a fiancé who genuinely loved him and cared for him. In the early days of their relationship Scrooge was loving in return. But over time he began to distance himself from her and went down a path of greed. She only leaves him when she realizes that despite her ongoing love, he has chosen earthly wealth over human relationship.
Then the second ghost comes. It is the Ghost of Christmas Present. The ghost shows Scrooge several scenes about the present day. By the time Scrooge is done with this ghost we realize that Scrooge has had a change of heart. He has decided to change. He has decided to become a better person.
Dickens could have left the story off there. It would indeed be the story of a rich and mean old man who has a change of heart because, as Daniel Williams says, he has seen the probable consequences of continuing with destructive strategies. If that were the case the story would be no different than hundreds of other holiday movies that show up this time of year. If it were that sort of story it would have been forgotten in the dustbin of sentimentality over 150 years ago.
But Dickens continues the story. There is one question remaining. That question is, why has Scrooge changed? If he has changed because he recognizes there will be dire consequences if he does not change, then his change would merely be a strategic move for his own ultimate gain. But if he has changed because he has truly become a better person, then his change will not have a strategic benefit for himself.
This is the part that Daniel Williams, and many people, get completely wrong. Enter the third ghost. As the ghost shows Scrooge horrific things in the future that happen to a dead person, Scrooge eventually comes to realize that the dead person is him. And he asks the ghost repeatedly -he even pleads with the ghost to know- can he, by making changes in his life, change the course of the future.
Now we are at the core of the story. If you know the story well you know that the Ghost of Christmas Future never ever says a word. All it ever does is point. And so as Scrooge pleads for an answer… he never gets one.
This is where the magic of Dickens’ story happens. If Scrooge changes it will be because he has become a fundamentally better person with no desire whatsoever for personal gain. He is not changing in order to give himself a longer and better future. No, he doesn’t know whether that can happen or not. His change means that he will truly be: generous, selfless, loving, and kind; regardless of whether it will better him or not.
You know how the story ends.
This is the ultimate, deep, genuine repentance John the Baptist calls for in our gospel reading. He is like the Joseph Marley character in A Christmas Carol. He is telling people to repent or suffer the consequences. But the repentance is to be absolute and real; not a strategy.
When John is so cruelly harsh to the Pharisees and Sadducees he knows that they fundamentally believe that they are good people. At the beginning of A Christmas Carol Scrooge considers himself to be pragmatic and wise when it comes to the way he treats other people, especially those who are struggling. I want to avoid drawing too strong a parallel between Scrooge and the Pharisees and Sadducees, but there are similarities. If you have convinced yourself that you are good, and if you have surrounded yourself with life dynamics that affirm your goodness, all the while keeping hidden the bad things that result from your life, then you feel no need for repentance.
John the Baptist did not invent the idea of baptism. There are records from Judaism at that time that shows that Jews did have ceremonial washings. But John is the one who elevates baptism to a one-time event meant to bring about serious and permanent life changes. Baptism as John did it predates Christianity, but Christianity adopts it as its own initiation rite.
For most of us living in a generally Christian culture baptism doesn’t really change our lives much. But in those days, being baptized into Christianity meant a serious life change. It may mean many life changes. It may mean stopping doing all sort of things. It may mean changing one’s friends. It may even mean being ostracized from your family.
And central to that is what John the Baptist had in mind – a genuine, authentic, enduring, fundamental change of heart and life direction. No longer would a person live strategically for themselves. No. Now, it would be a life of genuine love and giving for the sake of God’s kingdom.
John the Baptist’s core message was, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” When John is arrested and goes off stage Jesus picks up the identical message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
The kingdom of heaven is when people genuinely live that life direction.
The Pharisees and Sadducees probably thought their lives just needed a little bit of a tune-up when they came to John to be baptized. He felt they really needed a major change in life priorities.
If you are driven to being kind and giving because it is a strategy to avoid negative consequences, well, I suppose that works. But understand that your life is one of calculation and a constant subtle cost/benefit analysis. If your life is one of constant cost/benefit analysis then joy will at best be fleeting, and you will live a half life of anxiety and exhaustion. You will question your purpose, meaning, and direction in life.
If you are driven to being kind and giving because it is a natural flow from the love and goodness God has for you, then I make no promises as to how your life will go. Remember, Scrooge received no promises from the Ghost of Christmas Future. Things may go poorly. Or they may go quite well. But know that you will discover deep and enduring satisfaction, wholeness, and meaning.
It is January 4th, 2026. It is a new year full of new possibilities. May it be a year where you become nothing short of excellent at living in God’s love and goodness.
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