Thursday, December 20

Luke 1: 26-38 (NIV)

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
How will this be," Mary asked the angel,
"since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God."
"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Every time I read this story, I am amazed at Mary’s faithful answer, “May it be to me as you have said.” I can’t help but wonder if my faith would be as strong as Mary’s.

We always compound the question by saying that Mary was so young when this happened, but the truth is that Mary was, in her culture, a grown woman. A woman ready for marriage and motherhood.

Though it may be inconceivable to us, it was the social norm for Mary’s culture.

Therefore, we cannot multiply her extraordinary faith based on her age. If this is true, I suppose we can place less value on Mary’s faithful reaction to God’s plan.

Not so! Whatever the age, whatever the social norm, any woman is told she will be bearing a child, though she is a virgin, would rightfully respond with fear and panic. Instead, dear Mary trusted fully in God to take care of her and to use her for a great purpose. This year, I will pray for the faith Mary had in our Mighty God!

Pray: God, give me strength to trust you more. Amen.

Wednesday, December 19

Micah 5:2-5a (NRSV)

But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore, he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labor has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred
shall return to the people of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

If you ask me about the origin of my family, I am likely to say that home for my side of the family is Marshfield, Missouri. This is the town where my grandparents chose to reside when grandpa returned from WWII. It is where he built the house that my mom and her sister were raised in. It was the house that I would visit every time I went to see my grandparents. This is the town in which my parents grew up. This is the town where my dad’s mother taught school and my mom’s mother taught piano lessons.

It was this town where my parents met one another, courted, and “Studied” in the library which I would visit years later to find good books for the summertime.

It was Marshfield which sat a mere 27 miles from Springfield, where my parents attended college, and where my older brother and I were born. Yes, Marshfield, Missouri is town I attribute to my family’s origin.

For Joseph, his family’s town of origin was Bethlehem it went back many generations. Bethlehem was the hometown of Joseph’s descendant King David.

The prophet Micah is telling people that from this tiny, insignificant town will come the Messiah.

This is why Joseph took Mary to his town of origin for the census, and where Jesus was born, it was at this time that Micah’s prophecy had been fulfilled!

In a sense, Bethlehem is the town where all of us originates. Jesus was God in human form and we are all God’s children.

So, when we go home for Christmas, let’s go to Bethlehem, where we remember Christ’s birth. I’ll be home for Christmas, will you?

Pray: Bring us home to Bethlehem, where we can reconnect with you, our family. Amen

Tuesday, December 18

Isaiah 7:14 (NRSV)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.
Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.

We read this passage during Advent, and it really has no revelatory meaning for us. Of course, this is speaking of Jesus, of course Immanuel, “God with us,” is Jesus Christ.

For the earliest Christians, this verse was indeed very special. Most of the earliest Christians had been Jewish. This prophetic text was read for centuries in anticipation of the unknown Messiah. The story of Jesus’ birth aligned him with the prophesy.

For Messianic Jewish people, this passage holds much of the same awe and wonder as it did for the earliest believers. You see, this group of faithful Jewish people believe that Jesus is indeed the long-awaited Messiah. Attend their Saturday Shabbat service, and you will discover a beautiful blend of Hebrew liturgy and Christian hymns or praise songs.

For them, the words of Isaiah bring proof that the long-awaited Messiah has indeed come. The words we glance over each year serve as a profound statement of faith for the Messianic Jewish people. Maybe we too should read the text with awe and gratitude.

Pray: Help us to rediscover the wonder of your coming. Amen.