From that experience, or your own, you can probably identify some answers drive religious people crazy: Santa, gifts, Elf on the Shelf, and so on. They will shout – it’s about Jesus!
You can also probably identify some answers religious people would love. Jesus is the reason for the season. A saviour was born. God is with us.
You can see how polarizing Christmas can be! It is a religious occasion that is solemn, deep and meaningful, and yet it is also a cultural reality with rampant consumerism, time with family, funny traditions and oddities like eggnog and mistletoe.
You might think Chiristmas shouldn’t be polarizing, and that this is a new reality. But Christmas and its effect on the world was polarizing not just today, but 2000 years ago. We’ll see how later this week.
Question: How much of Christmas do you think is religious, and how much is cultural? How much Santa, how much Jesus?
Reminder: We have a great Christmas event coming December 14th, 2013: The Original Christmas Party. Hope you’re coming!
Read the Bible in Sync Today
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In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
What's your reaction? Do you laugh? Yeah, right, I'm supposed to be perfect like God!
Or do you feel guilt? I'm so not perfect…but I should be.
Do you try to rationalize it? He doesn't really meant that?
It's not a mistake. This idea comes up elsewhere in the Bible.
i.e. Be holy as I am holy. Leviticus 11:44
Holiness is God's quality. Good, perfect, godly.
Is Jesus really asking us to be like God in some way?
If people were trying to redefine holy to get around this passage from Leviticus, Jesus makes it clear. I really mean I want you to be perfect and holy.
By our usual definitions, it seems overly idealistic.
Something for young, dreamy-eyed people.
But have you ever tried to follow all God’s laws to the letter?
The Sermon on the Mount can be discouraging if we treat it this way, and this line is the cherry on top.
We'll see tomorrow what this means.
Question: Jesus seems to expect the impossible of his followers. How do you react to this?