Luke

Reflection on Luke 21:25-36

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Scripture

“Watch out! Don’t let your heart be dulled by carousing and drunkenness and by the worries of this life. Don’t let that day catch you unaware.”

Observation

There will be strange signs in the heavens. On earth, the nations will be in turmoil. People will be terrified, for the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

Everyone will see the Son of Man coming on a cloud with power and glory.

We can tell the seasons by the trees and plants. We see the signs in the natural. When we see these things happen, we know the Kingdom of God is here. This generation will not pass until these things happen.

Watch out! Don’t live like the pagans do, consumed by partying and the worries of this life. We are to be prepared, ready for the coming of the Son of Man.

Application

There is some dispute about whether this passage refers to events in the future or in the past, such as the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. I think the most straightforward interpretation is that Jesus was warning his followers about the horrific events of 70 AD.

But the warnings apply to every Christian in every time period and every place.

Be ready for the coming of the Son of Man.

We are citizens of Heaven. We have a destiny in view that goes beyond this present life. As ambassadors of the Kingdom of God, our home is not in this world.

Therefore, we do not live as the people of the world do – consumed by entertainment, pleasure, and the endless anxieties that beset those who do not know that God is their Father.

We must live every day as if it were our last day, as if we could meet with Jesus tonight. We must always be ready to give an account of our lives.

This is not to say that we should live in misery and fear. It is not to say that we must never be happy or celebrate. We are the people, above all others, who are happy and joyful.

It is a matter of focus. Am I living for this life only, or do I set my heart on eternity?

Prayer

Lord, please help me to live everyday with the awareness of your presence. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 2:8-20

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Scripture

The angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “I bring good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Saviour- yes the Messiah, the Lord- has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David.”

Observation

An angel from the Lord appears to some shepherds minding their sheep near to Bethlehem. The angel tells them that the Messiah, the Saviour has been born. They will recognise Him when they see a baby lying in a manger.

A vast host of angels appears, praising God.

The shepherds decide to go and find out what is going on. They find Mary and Joseph with the baby lying in the manger.

So the shepherds tell everyone they see about what has happened.

Application

Shepherds don’t get angelic visitations- unless they have been drinking too much! How odd that the first witnesses to the coming of the Lord should be people of such ill repute.

Imagine if the local drug dealers were the people to see the angels.

These shepherds must have been wondering themselves how they came to be in this position. A whole army of angels. A tiny baby in a manger. The Messiah! The Lord!

The rulers didn’t see it! The priests didn’t see it! The religious leaders failed to understand it!

It was the shepherds who saw this thing.

This is encouraging for all of us. We don’t get overlooked by God because we don’t fit the picture of people’s expectations.

Any one of us can receive a revelation that will win nations to Christ.

It could be me.

It could be today.

Prayer

Almighty God, you reveal yourself to shepherds and princes alike. Please help me to see you and to know your presence. Amen.

Reflection on Luke 2:1-7

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Scripture

And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first-born child, a son. She wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger because there was no lodging available for them.

Observation

The Roman Emperor Augustus decrees that a census must be taken across the Empire. Everyone must go back to their ancestral town to be registered. Joseph and Mary travel to Bethlehem, the city of David.

While they are there, Mary’s baby is born. She wraps him in strips of cloth and lays him in a manger.

Application

God’s plans never pan out as we might expect them to. Even a theological degree is no guarantee of insight into the ways of the Lord. The scribes and all the learned men of Israel knew the prophecies about the Messiah, but even they missed Him.

Jesus, the Son of God, becomes flesh and He establishes His Kingdom in the world. This Kingdom is nothing like the kingdoms and empires of this world.

There is a hint of this in the fact that His birthplace seems to be dictated by the whims of the Emperor. In this first power play between Jesus and the world, it seems that the world is stronger- until you remember the ancient prophecy that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

Mary and Joseph did the parenting thing as parents have done for millennia. It is all so humble and ordinary.

How could this baby in a manger possibly be the Son of God who defeats all the kingdoms of the world and even the power of evil?

Prayer

Lord, you chose to come to us in weakness and humility, as a child. The all-powerful God comes in such a tiny package. Holy Spirit, please help me to understand the mystery of Christmas. Amen.