The (Lieben)GOOD LIFE

* A Reflection on Jesus' encounter with two men on their way to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-27) Lent is usually the time of year that could be described as "confrontational." We roll up our sleeves and ask God "to search us and know our hearts; too try us and know our thoughts; to see if there is any idolatrous way in us; and to lead us in the right way (adapted from Psalm 139:23-24)." We are more intentional about setting aside time in our days to consider the ways in which our lives do not conform to the words of Jesus and the revelation he brings to us in the Epiphany. We are more deliberate about self-examination, seeking to pay closer attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away (Heb 2:1). And over the course of those 40 plus days of auditing, we become acutely aware of all the ways we "fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23)."  Easter is a welcome relief! Yes, we fall short, but God has bridged the gap, defeating the one who has the powe...

The Book of Revelation is about "works."  To be more precise, the Book of Revelation is about how works are a condition for journeying successfully through the wilderness of Babylon (Revelation 17-18) into the Promised Land of the New Jerusalem/New Garden (Revelation 21-22).  We get a glimpse of the importance of the work that disciples of Jesus are called to by attending to two images of Jesus in the opening chapter.  Two Orienting Visions of Jesus In Revelation 1:5-6, we see that the accomplishments of Jesus are described after the pattern of Exodus, that paradigmatic event that demonstrated YHWH's power to deliver his people. In John's description, the death of Jesus functions like the blood of the Passover, liberating (literally "loosing" or "unbinding") God's people from the tyranny of sin. Just like the first exodus, this liberation comes with a responsibility, work to do: the work of being priests to the God and Father of Jesus Christ.  ...

One of the reasons I enjoy researching and teaching in the latter part of the New Testament (e.g., 1-2 Peter, Hebrews, and Revelation) is because these often unfamiliar texts say things in ways that we are not accustomed to hearing them said, especially as it relates to how we conceive of life in Christ. And sometimes this different way of saying things runs up against what we "know" to be true.  In my most recent go-around at teaching Revelation, I have been struck by this simple, pervasive, and yet often-overlooked fact: John's Apocalypse is about works!  To be even more precise,  John's Apocalypse is about being saved by works! In the midst of the fantastic and perplexing imagery of Revelation, especially in chapters 6-20, it is easy to loose the forest for the trees. But, as I will try to show (in the next three posts), the majestic extravagance of Revelation 4-5 and the shocking horror of the seals, the trumpets, and the bowls are in the service of this most fun...

Wilderness Christianity, Part 2: Hebrews In this series we are exploring the way in which New Testament authors draw on the wilderness tradition in order to shape Christian identity and mission.  In part 1, we looked at the way in which 1 Peter characterizes Jesus as the Passover lamb who has actualized a new or second exodus in which believers have been ransomed (liberated) from the futile ways of life handed to them by their forefathers and now learn a new culture or way of life as they are gathered to participate in Jesus' faithfulness while enduring hardship, suffering, and alienation by their compeers. Peter encourages his readers to think of themselves as "elect sojourners" (1.1), a privileged people with a calling (that is a recapitulation of the wilderness calling of Exodus 19.4-6 [1 Pet 2.4-10]) to represent God in the midst of a hostile and idolatrous world; a people  whose allegiance to the Christ is being tested in a variety of ways as they journey towar...

One of the more interesting, and often neglected, themes in the New Testament is that of the wilderness. For a number of New Testament authors, they look to the wilderness as a helpful way of understanding what Jesus has accomplished and as a way of fomenting Christian identity and mission. To be clear, the wilderness these New Testament authors have in mind is Israel's sojourn out of slavery from Egypt and towards their inheritance, the Promised Land. This journey is cataloged in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) and remembered in a variety of Psalms (e.g. 95, 105, 106). But it is important to note that in the Old Testament itself the Exodus story becomes the paradigm for a future restoration that will impact not only Israel but also the entire world. In a variety of ways, Old Testament prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea, Micah, and Zechariah speak of a day in which God will again redeem His people from exile and slavery and fulfill His co...