The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Joseph of Bethlehem" for Thursday, 1 December 2016

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Joseph of Bethlehem" for Thursday, 1 December 2016

Matthew 1:16 Ya‘akov was the father of Yosef the husband of Miryam,
    from whom was born the Yeshua who was called the Messiah.
18 Here is how the birth of Yeshua the Messiah took place. When his mother Miryam was engaged to Yosef, before they were married, she was found to be pregnant from the Ruach HaKodesh. 19 Her husband-to-be, Yosef, was a man who did what was right; so he made plans to break the engagement quietly, rather than put her to public shame.
-------
The gospel of Matthew did not duplicate the gospel of Luke, but rather complemented it. While Luke told the story of Jesus’ birth through the eyes of Mary, Matthew told the story from the standpoint of Joseph, who was engaged to Mary when the story began. Although Mary lived in the tiny village of Nazareth, it seems from the slender evidence the gospels give us that Bethlehem was Joseph’s home town (cf. Luke 2:1-4). If so, that suggests that their families arranged the marriage, as was common in their time and place.
• It would be nice if the GPS could have you read an eloquent speech Joseph made about
being Jesus’ earthly father. But, as Pastor Hamilton wrote, “Unlike Mary, Joseph has no
‘lines’—we don’t read a single word he speaks in the Gospels…. He is the patron saint of
those who serve and do the right thing without seeking any credit.”1 How easy or hard do you find it to be content when the spotlight falls on someone else more than on you?
• Pastor Hamilton also wrote, “Jesus likely learned from Joseph something he taught his
disciples. ‘Be careful not to do your acts of righteousness to be seen by others,’ he said, ‘so that you get credit in their eyes…. Instead, do your acts of righteousness in secret—your Father will see and will reward you.’”2 Try this spiritual exercise: do something good, in a way that no other human being will know about. Give yourself a chance to serve without any hope of recognition—except from God.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, continue to teach me the lessons you learned from Joseph. Help me to
value opportunities to bless and serve others more than I value applause from others. Amen.
1 Adam Hamilton, The Journey: A Season of Reflections. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2011, p. 45.
2 Adam Hamilton, The Journey: Walking the Road to Bethlehem. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2011, p. 55.
-------
Insights from Janelle Gregory

Janelle Gregory serves on the Resurrection staff as a Human Resources Specialist.
Imagine that you’re Joseph for one moment. Your young fiancée tells you that she’s pregnant. You’re immediately infuriated as you and your bride have not “known” each other (in the biblical way, that is).
“It’s not what you think, Joseph,” she tries to tell you. “An angel came to visit me, and I’m having God’s child, conceived by the Holy Spirit.”
“The Holy who?”
“The Holy Spirit. I swear that I didn’t cheat on you. I haven’t been with another man. God chose me to carry His child, the Messiah.”
At this point Joseph rolled his eyes. “Listen, you don’t have to marry me if you don’t want, but you don’t have to make up an outrageous story just to get out of it.”
At least that’s how I imagine how this played out. Would you believe Mary if you were Joseph? I doubt I would. I think our minds would go to the most logical answer in this scenario. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, then it must be a duck… or a quack. Either way, you wouldn’t want to marry it. You’d quietly break off the engagement.
I must confess that I sometimes find myself acting just like Joseph when I hear how others encounter God. My first reaction is to doubt. I’ll look for other logical explanations or assume that the person isn’t mentally stable. Surely God would not nor could not intervene in the way in which they are telling me. It’s too unbelievable.
But our faith is built on a very unbelievable story that we cherish today – a babe, born of both flesh and deity, given from heaven to save mankind. I mean, what are the odds of that happening? One in… how many people have walked the earth? Once in a while God does crazy, unbelievable things!
I’m not saying that everything that people attribute to God is true, but maybe our first reaction shouldn’t be to doubt. At the very least, maybe we should consider the validity rather than to automatically dismiss what we are hearing. Certainly that’s what the Christmas story tells us. It may walk like a duck and talk like a duck, but once in a while it’s a message, if not the very Word, of God.-------
"Joseph the carpenter" for Friday. 2 December 2016 
Matthew 13:53 When Yeshua had finished these parables, he left 54 and went to his home town. There he taught them in their synagogue in a way that astounded them, so that they asked, “Where do this man’s wisdom and miracles come from? 55 Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Miryam? and his brothers Ya‘akov, Yosef, Shim‘on and Y’hudah? 56 And his sisters, aren’t they all with us? So where does he get all this?” 57 And they took offense at him. But Yeshua said to them, “The only place people don’t respect a prophet is in his home town and in his own house.”
Mark 6:1 Then Yeshua left and went to his home town, and his talmidim followed him. 2 On Shabbat he started to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They asked, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom he has been given? What are these miracles worked through him? 3 Isn’t he just the carpenter? the son of Miryam? the brother of Ya‘akov and Yosi and Y’hudah and Shim‘on? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 But Yeshua said to them. “The only place people don’t respect a prophet is in his home town, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 So he could do no miracles there, other than lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of trust.
Then he went through the surrounding towns and villages, teaching.
-------
In keeping with Joseph’s relative obscurity, the gospel writers never specifically said what he did for a living. They never directly called him a carpenter. However, both Matthew and Mark recorded that when Jesus went to Nazareth, many of the people rejected him. In Matthew’s version, they called him “the carpenter’s son.” According to Mark, they identified Jesus himself as a carpenter—it seems logical that he would have learned his father’s trade.
• A United Bible Societies handbook for Bible translators noted, “The noun ‘carpenter’ may
refer to one who builds with wood or stone. Wood is somewhat rare in Palestine, and
houses are most frequently constructed with stone.”1 Joseph and Jesus may have been
stone masons, or may have been “subcontractors,” making wood items like doors for stone houses. People’s response suggests they did not see such workers as wise or impressive. Are you open to learning from anyone who has valuable insight to offer, or do you discount those who don’t have the “right” outward credentials?
• The texts mention Jesus’ mother and siblings, but not his father. Most scholars believe Joseph died sometime before Jesus’ public ministry began. (Again, the gospels simply do not mention that.) Joseph apparently had a 12 to 30-year window to help protect and shape Jesus growth. What opportunities do you have to serve, bless or shape people and events? Are you ever tempted to think those opportunities will last forever?
Prayer: Lord, the gospels suggest that you and your earthly father were carpenters. Sadly, many people in your day added the word “just” before carpenter. Help me to value all people, not only the ones who are like me or impress me. Amen.
1 Barclay M. Newman and Phillip C. Stine, A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew in the UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1988, p. 444
-------
Insight from Darren Lippe

Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Today’s passage is so frustrating &, sadly, so applicable to today’s culture. Jesus returns to Nazareth to preach in His home synagogue. He reads from the scroll of Isaiah that references the Year of Jubilee that declares good news to the poor, pardons for prisoners, & sight for the blind. He boldly proclaims, “The Scripture you have just heard has been fulfilled this very day.”
However, the congregation completely discounts this intriguing message &, instead, gets distracted by the optics of the scene by limiting their focus on the messenger whom they had known for years. No one questions why Jesus references the Year of Jubilee or wonders what He means by citing this is the year when God would bring hope to the frightened, healing to the broken-hearted, & help to the downtrodden.
Aside: Thanks to the distracted audience we’ll never know, but Jesus, being a masterful speaker, may have even opened with a little levity to break the tension in the room. “Verily I tell you, that young farm girl was right: There is no place like home. (Note to Self: Wait for laughter.) And I didn’t even need to click my heels.” (Wait for even more laughter.) (This is highly doubtful. The “Wonderful Wizard of Oz” wasn’t published until 1900, and secondly… Oh, never mind – Editor.)
Now we can readily understand how familiarity can breed contempt. It is like the long-retired kindergarten teacher who, preparing for an upcoming surgery, meets her surgeon. He coincidentally had been a former student. “Everyone tells me he is excellent, but I just can’t help recalling when he tried to color his teeth with his crayons.”
We fathers are also well acquainted with inverse relationship between familiarity & authority. I can tell the boys multiple times to pack hat & gloves for the upcoming winter camp-out. No response. As we are getting ready to leave, the boys say, “Wait. We need our hat & gloves.” (Smiling inwardly.) “Mr. Day said we would need them.” (Sigh.)
Like our friends in Nazareth, today’s culture is obsessed with ignoring ideas & instead attacking the person delivering the message. We don’t debate an initiative, instead we debate/attack the character of the person presenting the proposal with simplistic labels & trite comparisons. Thus, if we can drag the presenter through the mud we can be spared having to actually address the viewpoint. But, we also miss out on the value of the give & take that can only arise from debating positions to reach the best possible solution to whatever issue that may be at hand.
That Nazareth congregation had the amazing opportunity to discuss & ponder one of the most hopeful & forward-looking sermons ever preached. Instead, their only response was to defame & disparage Jesus.
Perhaps they could have (and we can) draw inspiration from the late Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia, who wrote: “I attack ideas. I don’t attack people. And some very good people have some very bad ideas. And if you can’t separate the two, you gotta get another day job. 1”
Maybe we can avoid the temptation of our Nazareth friends & strive to avoid name-calling & labels & just get back to the basics of actually discussing ideas & propositions, be it in church, within our extended family, or in the public arena.
To assist us in our assignment, an Emergency Room Doctor has made the audacious claim that he can instantly spot a bad idea: It always starts like this, “Oh yeah? Check this out. Here, hold my beer…”
1 “Antonin Scalia In His Own Words.” Los Angeles Times 13 February 2016 A4-------
"Bethlehem and Jesus" for Saturday, 3 December 2016
Micah 5:1 (2) But you, Beit-Lechem near Efrat,
so small among the clans of Y’hudah,
out of you will come forth to me
the future ruler of Isra’el,
whose origins are far in the past,
back in ancient times.
2 (3) Therefore he will give up [Isra’el]
only until she who is in labor gives birth.
Then the rest of his kinsmen
will return to the people of Isra’el.
3 (4) He will stand and feed his flock
in the strength of Adonai,
in the majesty of the name
of Adonai his God;
and they will stay put, as he grows great
to the very ends of the earth;
4 (5) and this will be peace.
If Ashur invades our land,
if he overruns our fortresses,
we will raise seven shepherds against him,
eight leaders of men.
5 (6) They will shepherd the land of Ashur with the sword,
the land of Nimrod at its gates;
and he will rescue us from Ashur
when he invades our land,
when he overruns our borders.
John 7:40 On hearing his words, some people in the crowd said, “Surely this man is ‘the prophet’”; 41 others said, “This is the Messiah.” But others said, “How can the Messiah come from the Galil? 42 Doesn’t the Tanakh say that the Messiah is from the seed of David[John 7:42 2 Samuel 7:12] and comes from Beit-Lechem,[John 7:42 Micah 5:1(2)] the village where David lived?” 43 So the people were divided because of him.
-------
Bethlehem we know, but what’s this “Ephrathah”? It meant “fruitful,” and was the name of the district around Bethlehem. The prophet Micah preached in Jerusalem about 700 years before Christ. (Jeremiah 26:17-19 mentioned him.) As the armies of the mighty Assyrian Empire threatened Jerusalem, Micah promised that God would send a deliverer, born in Bethlehem. Hebrew scribes quoted Micah 5:2 to tell King Herod the Messiah’s birthplace (Matthew 2:6). John recorded Jesus’ enemies arguing that he couldn’t possibly be God’s Messiah. They used his growing up in Galilee as proof: “Didn’t the scripture say that the Christ comes from David’s family and from Bethlehem, David’s village?” Of course, he did—if they had only paid attention to a small detail like his father’s home town.
• Micah stressed God’s ability to do big things in people and settings that seemed minor. The divine ruler born in little Bethlehem, he said, would “surely become great throughout the earth.” When have you seen God do something big through something “little”? John’s symbolism underlined that Jesus, born in Bethlehem (which meant “house of bread”) was the bread of life, the source of living water. How will you allow him to nourish your soul this Christmas season?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I don’t live anywhere near Bethlehem, but your love and grace have
touched and changed my life. Thank you for being a God who does big things even through
the small things of earth. Amen.
Family Activity: 
-------
Insights from Mike Ash

Mike Ash is the worship leader and Director of Community Life at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection’s Blue Springs Campus.
I am always amazed with how God’s kingdom works. God sees lowly shepherds, and sends an angel to tell them of the Saviors birth. Luke 2:9-11: “An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is the Christ the Lord.’”
We are all born with a deep need to be loved and accepted. This heavenly messenger went to the seemingly insignificant shepherds proclaiming God’s love for them and for “all people.”
I love how verse 13 begins: Suddenly. “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all people on whom his favor rests.’”
I like to think that this wasn’t a scripted Christmas play. “Okay Gabriel you enter stage left, read your lines loudly. Now cue the heavenly host, with gusto–sing it out!”
What if the heavenly host were going off script? What if this was a spontaneous display of joy? Maybe they were so overwhelmed they couldn’t help themselves and the thin place between earth and heaven was ripped apart with their joyous announcement!
This message of hope and love is still true today for me and you and for all people.
Good news, everyone! God loves us, and is as approachable as a new born baby.
Pray for the grace to accept acceptance. Rejoice and be glad, for God’s favor is with you.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I don’t live anywhere near Bethlehem, but your love and grace have touched and changed my life. Thank you for being a God who does big things even through the small things of earth. Amen.-------
Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Jim Purcell and family on the death of his wife Christy Purcell, 11/20
•Friends and family of Ida Yuille on her death, 11/17
•Gisele Shore and family on the death of her sister Tina Wilson, 11/15
-------

Download the GPS App

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
913.897.0120
-------