Last week in Bible class for our Persian friends at Zion Lutheran in Hamburg: While enjoying German stollen cake, lebkuchen, chocolate Santa Clauses and Iranian chai, we discussed the Old Testament lesson of that morning—Isaiah 40:1-11, which opens with those beautiful words of “‘Comfort, comfort my people,’ says your God.” Here the Lord promises consolation to His people being held captive in Babylon. As usual, I had to try to keep the group from becoming too immersed in the latest events in the Iranian revolution. At the same time, I am grateful for the regular opportunities they have to decompress in a safe, Christian environment in our two churches here. They could easily meet elsewhere, where the discussion could deteriorate into secular (and violent) means of dealing with the evil regime in Teheran. Remarkably, their natural gravitation toward this topic fit well with the theme of our Bible class because Christians in Iran (perhaps one-third of the population, as many estimate) are currently experiencing their own captivity—not from foreign armies like Babylon but, ironically, from their own leaders. *** With only a few days to go until Christmas, are any of you being held captive as well—not externally and by force like the Iranian people but perhaps by old destructive habits or negative memories? Are you perhaps still not willing to let go of the guilt over ancient sins that you once committed (or which were committed against you), but for which Jesus Christ has forgiven you many times over? Our Lord’s Nativity is right around the corner. He came not to remain in the manger but to usher in the Kingdom of God. There is no need to hang on to that old captivity in your life. It has been lifted off you and now hangs on the cross. You have been set free. And that gives *you* everlasting comfort.
tiewsfamily.org 