April's fools....

Re-reading the Gospel of Matthew in which the first three chapters give a bird’s eye view of eighteen hundred or so years of the history of Israel and then about thirty years of Jesus’ life. Beginning with the genealogy of Jesus Christ. A land and a people subjugated two-fold, by Rome and by Herod, the ruthless, non-Davidic king. Murder of Bethlehem's innocent toddler boys.  Reminded of the stories of people following the leadership of the Almighty. The Patriarchs in Jesus’ family tree. Abraham who picked up and moved when Yahweh commanded him to move. Isaac, Jacob, on to David and Solomon. The tree ends with Joseph, a good man, who protected Mary, and listened when she said something like, “Look, I know this is sketchy, and I shouldn’t be pregnant, but this unexpected baby is from God.” The mysterious Magi, traveling in quest of a vision, a journey almost but not quite like looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or even expecting Jesus’ tomb to be empty on the third morning. Really, who among us does that? We don’t chase rainbows, and we see people die and don’t expect them to rise again. Three chapters filled with people listening to dreams in the middle of the night, seeking signs in the stars, considering counsel from ancient sages, remaining open to the breath of the Spirit, even to suspension of disbelief and logic. No longer making life decisions by what makes the most worldly sense but by the voice of God. Joseph fled to Egypt with his young family because an angel appeared to him in a dream. Then Joseph brought his family home to Nazareth after an angel spoke to him in a dream. Then 20 some years of silence in the record. Finally, John the Baptizer breaks onto the scene, to prepare the way of the Lord. The way of the Lord is not our way. The way of the Lord is counterintuitive. Make straight paths for Him. “Lord, may I listen today for the voice in the night, the intangible dream, the warning from your angels, the signs in the sky, the divine interruption of your Spirit into my rational material world!” ©2010 Ray Woolridge