Presence Weekly 12/11/2023

[The Devo] Who’s on the Naughty List

Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offerings in righteousness to the Lord. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years. Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts. (Malachi 3:1-5)

One of our family's favorite Christmas movies is Elf, featuring Will Ferrell playing a curiously large elf named Buddy. Early in the film, we see a ridiculous-looking Buddy sitting in a tiny chair, exuberantly reciting The Code of Elves, 

1. Treat every day like Christmas.
2. There’s room for everyone on the nice list.
3. The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear. 

After realizing he is, in fact, a human and not an elf, Buddy decides to travel to New York City to find his real father so they can sing Christmas carols and eat sugar plums. But, before going, Santa must break the bad news, 

“You know, Buddy, your father, he’s on the naughty list.” 

As you might imagine, this news is devastating to the innocent, naive, and idealistic Buddy, who cannot imagine a world where his own father is on the naughty list. In response, he simply cries out, “NOOOOOOOOOOO!”

In Buddy’s mind, if there is room for everyone on the nice list, then how can someone he loves be on the naughty list? The maxim and the reality seem irreconcilable. Yet, this scene points to the reality of our own lives. 

In Washington, putting others on the naughty list is part of the gig. From our vantage point, our opponents’ views and actions are not just reprehensible they are morally wrong! Then, there are the times that a servant or leader has so stepped over line of acceptable behavior, the media can castigate them without penalty. Because most news outlets make their living from ad revenue, our joy of hearing the details of how and why certain public square servants and leaders belong on the naughty list is swiftly monetized for profit. Two weeks ago, former Congressman George Santos found himself on the naughty list. Last week, three Ivy League university presidents put themselves on the same list. Instead of a lump of coal, they received public castigation and removal from office.

Nearly 400 years before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the prophet Malachi asked a question to the people awaiting the Messiah, “But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?”

The answer from most who heard that question must have been something like, “Me and all my friends, but certainly not my enemies and the bad people.” But, the prophet’s further explanation of those on the naughty list would reveal a troubling criteria for evaluation,

Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the Lord of hosts.

In the New Testament, we read similarly troubling passages describing how to end up on the naughty list, 

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality,  idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians. 5:17-19) 

The harsh reality is this: We all deserve to be on the naughty list! Or, as Scripture says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)

It’s at just this point, that we, too, realizing that we belong on the naughty list, should cry out in desperation and despair. There is nothing we can do to earn our way onto the nice list. Our sin makes that impossible. 

But, through Christ and his willingness to pay the penalty for our sins, “He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians. 1:13-14)

In other words, though we all belong on the naughty list, Our Father, through Christ, moves us off that list, and onto the list of the redeemed children of God. 

Instead of a lump of coal, His gift to us is forgiveness, redemption, and adoption as sons and daughters.

Application

1. Looking at the "works of the flesh" in Galatians 5, how does the fullness of this list place you on the naughty list? 
2. What are the gospel implications for how you think of the faults of others? How about your own?

Last Things...

Next week will be our final Presence weekly of the year as the following two Mondays are federal holidays and most Washington, D.C. staff will be enjoying time off with family for Christmas.