December 30, 2012

Breaking Open the Scriptures Scriptures for December 30th: 1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26; Psalm 148; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 2:41-52; Theme: Living in our gifts; Song: Go Tell it on the Mountain Colossians: Advent is 4 weeks long, but the season of Christmas for the faithful is only one Sunday. Next Sunday begins the season of epiphany. We have been spending the last month in expectations. One of the major expectations have been a time of peace. The events of today remind us just how lacking peace is in our world. Our children are being shot, even while they are in school. Nothing seems to make a difference, we are constantly asking, when will there be peace in the world. And yet the scripture promises that the one who comes will bring peace. We are the people who follow this prince of peace. Colossians challenges us – if we are truly followers of peace, if we truly believe in Christ, if we truly believe that peace will only come with Christ. Then we must act like it. Colossians challenges us to live in peace, to clothe ourselves in peace as well as all of the other fruits of the spirit. It is time for us to be the peace that we are praying for. Luke: This is the only time that we will hear about Jesus growing up. We hear about him as a baby, and then we will not hear about the life of Jesus until he is thirty years old. What has he been doing all of this time? Did he go through any formal training to be the great teacher of all time? We will never know. But at the age of twelve, we learn that he felt that he needed to spend all of his time in the temple. We also learn that at the age of twelve, he was very well versed and able to converse and to challenge scholars who had been studying for years. Jesus knew from day one that he was a special child and that he was expected to do something great. His parents were intentional to make sure that their first son was raised correctly in the ways of his faith. But the son of God, made the choice very early in life to be obedient and to follow the ways of God to the letter. He showed us that we can do the same. Questions: How is it possible to be clothed in peace, in a world that is far from peaceful? Have you ever been in a situation where you noticed that doing the right thing made a difference for you and for others? How will you life be different now that you see the gifts that God brings to us all? How do you think Jesus spent his childhood? What did he learn and what did he teach? If Jesus was already good, why did he need to go through life?