While driving home from work I heard the news about Britney Spears' sixteen year-old sister being pregnant. I was listening to a sports radio show and the host was having a pretty good time making jokes. I called two of my friends who I know like the show and told them to listen. I was laughing pretty hard. I got home and told Rebecca a few of the jokes that involved Nickelodeon shows that our boys watch. I was still laughing. Then something hit me.
An unmarried teenage girl will be the topic of conversation in most houses tonight. Her family and even the region of the country she is from will be made fun of.
The scenario isn't the one you'd think God would use to bring the Savior into the world. But he did. Two thousand years ago, a scared, unmarried teenager became pregnant. She was from a poor section of Israel and she was ridiculed and made fun of during her whole life. Even when Jesus was an adult people referred to him as the son of Mary insinuating no one really knew who his father was.
It is another reminder of the scandal of grace. In the kingdom, the healthy are out and the broken are in. He came to make all things new. He came to redeem his broken world.
When you hear about Miss Spears tonight, remember Mary. Remember grace. Remember, that the one is forgiven much, loves much.
The Holy Spirit showed me a little more of my Pharisee heart today. I'm grateful for his gentle voice. I'm grateful for the blood of the Lamb that takes away my sin.
14 comments:
I'm going to have to go the other way on this one. I do not believe that the conception of Jesus and the pregnancy of Jamie Lynn Spears are the same scenarios. Jesus did not enter the world as the result of disobedince and promiscuity. These two events relate only in terms of unwed pregnancies, but the manner and purpose of these two pregnancies could not be further apart.
James Hayes
yes, he did enter the world as a result of promiscuity and disobedience. check out the lineage. yes, mary's story is clean, but uriah's wife and tamar's are not.
I at first had the same reaction as you, James. But then I thought about what Danny was actually saying. And I don't think his point was that the two pregnancies/conceptions were alike in manner or purpose.
What I got out of his post was that although the manner and purpose could not have been more dissimilar, the stigma and reproach Mary had to endure was the same. If anything, she endured far MORE reproach than any unwed mother will ever experience in this culture. And while the Pharisees would seek to stone someone like Jamie Lynn Spears, Jesus would have had compassion on her and shown her love even in her sinful condition. That sinful condition (of us all) is the very reason He was born and died for us.
God chose to bring His Son into this world in a scandalous way. He knew the majority would scorn and reject Jesus' conception being of the Holy Spirit and would question/mock Jesus' parentage. He could have chosen a more glorious way, but He didn't. And I believe there is a message of humility to us in that.
The Bible also makes it very clear that Jesus lineage did include sinful conception. Scripture did not have to emphasize that, but it does. Rahab, for example, is specifically mentioned. Ordinarily, at that time, a woman would not even be included in someone's genaeology. But the Bible makes sure we do not miss that important detail. Why do you think this is?
The Bible is full of individuals who were used of God, despite the fact that they failed, went astray, even denied Christ.
The whole Bible is a story of Jesus and the fact that salvation and redemption is through faith in Christ alone. And Jesus is not ashamed to have someone like Rahab in his genaeology for a reason. He died for us while we were in our sin.
If any of us feels that we are morally superior to Jamie Lynn Spears because of our own righteousness, we have not understood the gospel. (I'm not suggesting you feel morally superior by any means.)
I just realized I said Rahab instead of Tamar. Thanks for the reminder, Danny. We must have been writing at the same time.
good post danny. what you said about the "gentle voice" of grace and God revealing Himself to us and revealing our Pharisee heart could not ring more true. Suffice it to say, we all know the way Christ entered into this world was surrounded by scandal. Not by the Holy Spirit but by the hearts of fallen man who did claim Christ as "Mary's Son". This seems to be a definite slur towards Christ in hopes to circumvent his authority and deity. I believe Danny's post was one that primarily pointed out our sinful, pious hearts and our deep need for Christ to grant grace and humility. (let me know if I am off on that one, but while reading the post that's what I saw.) Your illustration was one that God used to convey this deep need for Him. The jamie lynn spears illusion was just a catalyst for a little revealing.
Thanks for making me think outside the proverbial box.
after reading your moms comment I can't help but see how you turned out so wonderful.
yes, my first reaction was like yours to roll my eyes at the lunacy of the land of fruits and nuts (although a couple of good people have come out of LA :) ) but you are right Jesus doesn't want us to think and react as the world does. We should be set apart and strive harder to have immediate compassion for those who don't know Him. To pray for them instead of ridicule and yes I'm on crutches today because my own toes have been mightily stomped with the reminder of my own sinful heart.
thanks Danny
Danny, you kow I heard the Jim Rome show yesterday as well, and like you, I laughed. Then it hit me. What does this have to do with sports? Why is this taking up that much time on the week before college bowl games starting and the NFL playoff battles heating up? It's sad that we put these people up on a pedestal anyway, because when they fail (like we always do), that's when we can't wait to ridicule these people. Why are laughing at a 16 year old getting pregnant? We have all been there, maybe not in this exact scenario, but we constantly test the Lord's will. Thank the Lord for sending Mary as a humble 13 or 14 year old unwed servant to bring our Saviour into this world. Thank you Danny for your love to our family, and demonstrating the love of Jesus to my children in a biblical worldview. Merry Christmas to you and Rebecca and the boys!
Janice, thank you for those kind and generous words. I was 18 when Danny was born. Looking back, I made many mistakes (especially nutritionally! Rebecca is my hero!)
The truth is, Danny and I have grown up together in many ways. And at times our roles have even been reversed. I am in awe of God's grace in both our lives and I am one thankful mom, above all, for the way God has blessed Danny and I to grow up together in HIM.
This seems like the perfect spot for me to say a big thank you to all of you who love and appreciate my son. When I have come to Covenant and observed that love and appreciation, I'm sure I don't have to explain to any parent how much it has meant to me. I think I most appreciate that you know his heart for God.
Forgive me for getting mushy about my kid, but I can't help it. I love him very much.
I read the other day that after leaving a baby shower for a pregnant celebrity friend Paris Hilton said, " I want a baby to" like it was a pair of new designer shoes that every one else had. This is the world Jamie Lynn lives in and these are her role models.
There was mention of her at our dinner table last night as I'm sure there was in many homes. With our words I wonder if we called for her stoning. In John 8 Jesus' words were "He who is without sin let him throw a stone at her first".
If Jamie Lynn were my little girl I would hope that Christians especially would pray for her and for that precious little baby that is not a current trend but a man or woman that God loves and values enough to send His only Son to die for.
Promiscuity had nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. I am well aware that there was promiscuity in the lineage of Jesus, but lineage was not addressed in the original post. We were told to think of Mary when we think of Jamie Lynn Spears. I appreciate the comments that have been posted, but most of them are a diversion from what Danny wrote on the blog.
Jesus also did not enter the world in a scandalous way. If He had entered the world through promiscuity (like the Spears pregnancy), then that would have been scandalous. The people's misunderstanding of the events of Jesus' birth does not make the event itself scandalous. We can't even make a comparison in terms of social acceptability. Spears' pregnancy won't even bat the eyes of most people.
I think it is dangerous to take a holy, blessed event (Mary's conception) and lower it to the level of a sinful, disobedient act (the Spears pregnancy).
I do not consider myself morally superior to Spears, but the Bible teaches us to make clear distinctions between right and wrong (I Thess. 5:21-22). It also teaches us to judge others' behavior with a proper standard of measure (read Matt. 7:1-5 carefully). When I or anyone else make those distinctions and judge situations properly, we are not Pharisees. We are following the plain teaching of Scripture.
Spears did something immoral. She needs God's grace and forgiveness, as do all of us. Those facts are not debated. But the debate is whether or not we can draw parallels between Mary and Spears.
I cannot.
James
p.s. You can save the time writing and I'll just assume you think I don't understand grace, forgiveness or the birth of Jesus.
james, what you misunderstand is the point of the post.
Danny, I listened to Andrew Osenga's CD on the way home tonight and heard the song he sings about Christ's lineage. Rahab IS in there, as well as Tamar and Uriah's wife. So, you were right, I didn't mispeak, after all.
but, the song is andrew peterson, so still humbling. i'm glad you liked the cd. it is my current favorite.
You know me and names. Is this the guy who doesn't like Steely Dan? I told John it was a different guy. We just won't go there. Ha Ha.
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