Jesus had a Wife???

Here we go again.
The press has released a number of sensational articles about this "find" in an ancient text fragment with supposed evidence of Jesus being married.
Haven't we rehearsed this before?

Here is a great article explaining what's going on from Dr. Jeff Gibbs of Concordia Seminary.  I will let Dr. Gibbs' article stand for itself.

"...What she has done will be told in memory of her."

Every year, Hope Lutheran Church offers a program called "Journey to the Cross" to the community. It is an opportunity to walk through the events of Jesus' last week in Jerusalem - from his entry to his resurrection. All five senses are involved as our members tell the story of the various characters who came into contact with Jesus.
Every year, I walk through it as well with my family, but this year something struck me. We were listening as JoAn played the part of Mary - the sister of Lazarus. She was describing how she (Mary) opened up a very expensive bottle of ointment made from pure Nard and annointed Jesus' feet and wiped his feet with her hair while Jesus stayed with them in Bethany. (John 12:1-8) Matthew and Mark's account of the same story don't identify her as Mary, but add these words of Jesus:
"And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her."
As JoAn retold and enacted this story, I thought of those words of Jesus. I also thought: Mary, and all the other cast of characters were just ordinary people caught up into, and privileged to be made players in an extraordinary chain of events surrounding God in-the-flesh, Jesus of Nazareth. They were privileged to be witnesses to the extraordinary and universe-changing events of Christ's Passion - his death and resurrection. Mary and those other characters would be absolutely amazed that we would still be telling and portraying their stories. Their stories have been told for 2000 years, and here we are today in the year 2012, still telling her story, just as Jesus said we would.
Thank you JoAn and all the others who have made "Journey to the Cross" possible. Thank you for continuing to tell and enact the story!

"I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you..."

I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.” (Luke 22:14)
“I have been waiting a long time for this moment. And yet it’s been just a moment from when it all began. There, in Eden, that garden that I made for them. It was so beautiful. But there is where my first people chose the wrong way, the way of death. I promised to crush the head of the one who led them astray, and that moment has come.”
“I have been waiting a long time for this moment. And yet it’s been just a moment from when it all began. This Passover meal was instituted just before my people’s redemption and salvation from slavery in Egypt. My people have been celebrating it every year for many centuries and it has all been pointing to this moment. This Passover, the Temple, the sacrifices, all of it, all of it has always been about me and has pointed to this hour, this moment. That Lamb we are eating tonight – that will be me in a few hours – the sacrificial lamb for the redemption and salvation of my people. “
“I have been waiting a long time for this moment. These are all my friends, my students, and soon I will be sending them out into the world as my ambassadors. I love them so much. There’s so much I have told them and shown them during the past three years. And there is so much they just didn’t understand. And there is more I want to tell them tonight. But time is short…time before it’s all over…and also before it just begins for them. Then, then all of them will understand. Yes, they will understand and will experience so much as they proclaim what they have seen and heard. Bringing me to the world will bring them so much suffering – and yet, so much joy. Just like what I have to do so very soon – so much unbearable suffering, and yet, so much joy. “
“I have been waiting a long time for this moment – when I give them my last will and testament – that I will be with them in this meal I am making new in this hour. This is how I will be with them until that moment when I return and when all things are made new. It is time. This is my testament for them…”
“Take and eat, this is my body given for you. Do this in remembrance of me…take and drink, this is blood of the new testament shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. Truly I say to you, I will not drink of it again until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

The State Overstepping Its Bounds

Today, Rev. Matthew Harrison, President of our Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, testified on Capitol Hill. It is rare for faith-based organizations to testify before Congress. But today was one of those days. He did so because the Federal Government is overstepping its bounds. Here is a video of his testimony:



The Founding Fathers of this great nation understood the dangers of government. That's why we have the Constitution and the Bill of Rights - to limit the extent to which government may enter the lives and consciences of the people. Many of our forefathers came to this nation for, among other things, the freedom to practice and live out their faith in the world. The government has overstepped its bounds with regard to making religious organizations pay for birth control for its workers, specifically, birth control medications that destroy the beginning of a new human life. The Church should be able to live according to its conscience. The United States Constitution says so. I love President Harrison's last quote of Luther - that there room in the conscience only for God, not the state.

I believe the big picture behind all of this is the desire of a generation to be able to have sexual intercourse with whomever they choose - without any responsibility or consequence of action. It has now become a cultural "ideal" to the point of legislating that "right." That is the driving force behind this. That generation's legacy will be thus: the demanding and legislating of "free love" to the point of destroying a culture for future generations.

Truly sad indeed.

Christmas Foretaste

One this day when we celebrate the first advent of Jesus the Christ, families gather to celebrate around Christmas trees and dinner tables. We have our own feast planned for this evening: steaks from Perry's (the best in Friendswood), buttered and steamed asparagus (that's right Mom, I'm eating asparagus!), washed down with a fine Pinot Noir. All of which made me think of this prophecy from Isaiah:

On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine,
of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
And he will swallow up on this mountain
the covering that is cast over all peoples,
the veil that is spread over all nations.
He will swallow up death forever;
and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces,
and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.
This is the LORD; we have waited for him;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

This text is actually for Easter. But I think it fits today. Tonight we, and I hope you, will be celebrating with a fine feast celebrating the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Think of tonight's feast as a foretaste, not with the same benefits of the Sacrament, but still, a foretaste of the celebration to come - when you will be gathered by our Lord as death is wiped away forever in His Second Advent. On that day, you will be gathered with your family, the family of God, all your brothers and sisters in Christ. On that day we will praise our God with the words Isaiah foresaw: "Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation!" And feast in the feast of our Lord which has no end. May that day come quickly.
A blessed Christmas to each of you.

Defying Definition

Last weekend, our family had pictures taken for Christmas. It's something we always do. And Sheri wisely scheduled said photo session very early this year. She also insists that I wear my clerical collar for said pictures. Which makes things interesting. Whenever I am out in the community with Sheri or with the girls or with all of them, people look and I can tell the gears are just grinding in the head trying to figure it all out. According to common definition, guys who wear clerical collars are supposed to be Roman Catholic priests - which means they are supposed to be celibate. So they see me walk into Portrait Innovations with Sheri and the girls and I can just imagine: "Wait, he's a priest (and a young one at that) but is that his wife? Or is that a mistress? And they have kids!! Priests are pedophiles! Does he have a wedding ring? Yes, he has a wedding ring! So this is a priest, who's young and not old, is married, and has kids!" Sometimes they ask me if I'm a priest, and then I explain to them I'm a Lutheran pastor. "What's a Lutheran."
It's fun and a good thing not being defined by anyone's common assertions and preconceived notions. I will not be defined by popular viewpoints or pollster and marketing categories. And I am certainly not self-defined. The definitions I have been given are given by God - child of God, husband, father, U.S. citizen, and yes, a Lutheran Pastor.
And it's just hilarious when Sheri and I exhibit a public display of affection.