I am taking up regular Advent reading (HERE), but I am also continuing my regular reading pattern I began just before Advent. That reading has me in Mark 12 today (for my Gospel reading). Also, don’t forget you can follow Advent through some good devotional resources HERE.

As Jesus’ time on earth is drawing to a close, the intensity of opposition is greater. Jesus knows it’s about to come to a head. The religious leaders know something is up and they are simply fed up with Jesus’ increasing influence.

What I find interesting in this chapter is the religious leaders “ramp up” their attack by being frivolous. They ask Jesus a theological question that is, quite simply, out of left field. It’s simply a question that has conjecture but probably no real answer. (No one to that point had ever gone to heaven and come back with a report.)

It’s like sitting around in a deep discussion on who the Nephilim were…

Jesus calls out the silliness of their question:

24 Jesus said to them, “Isn’t this the reason you are wrong, because you don’t know either the scriptures or God’s power? (CEB)

He answers the question quickly, but, of course, it’s not enough to satisfy the religious leaders. They will work to kill him anyway.

The very next episode is interesting. It is a more meaningful dialogue between one of the legal experts and Jesus. He honestly asks what the greatest commandment is for the people of God. When it comes down to the basics, what is the fundamental commandment?

Jesus gives him the two commands we are so familiar with today: Love God. Love your neighbor.

The legal expert doesn’t try to squeeze out of it, or quantify it. He engages Jesus further. It is such a crucial dialogue that Jesus points out, “You aren’t far from God’s kingdom.”

Culturally, in our day, it is so easy to get caught up in the frivolous. We get sidetracked on arguments that really have no answer, though we insist the answer is our answer…

It’s Christmas season, so we’re going to drag out all the offensive times when someone said “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” to us.

We’ll have the argument over Christians even celebrating Christmas because Jesus was born in the spring.

Do we have a Christmas tree or not?

We get sidetracked.

What we need is the core. We need to be reminded in this season and every season what is CORE.

It is loving God and loving others. It is centering my life in Christ and hearing his will, praying his prayers, living out his commands. it is loving others, looking for God’s best in their lives, and doing all we can to bring Kingdom rightness into the lives of those around us.

Advent is here to help us STOP. Let us come aside and consider the season. The season of his coming. The season that should draw us to the hunger of his second coming. This season should draw us aside to reflect on the wonder of his coming… and long for his return. It’s not about longing for his return so we can escape. It’s longing for his return so we can see HIM.

I am challenged every day to push aside the frivolous and place myself squarely in front of the throne so I can go over those fundamentals again.