Sunday, December 14, 2014

12-15-14 God and the Helpless

Dec. 15, 2014
Scripture: And in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.  And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:8-11).

Thoughts: It was not the high and mighty, the religious leaders or kings of this world, to whom the angels appeared.  It was to shepherds, to those who were not considered good, smart, powerful, or trustworthy.  They were nobodys in the social structure of the ancient East.  They were not even able to testify in court because their testimony was considered unreliable.  Yet they saw the angels and were entrusted with a twofold sign, namely, this child would be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.  What does this twofold sign signify?  First, it signifies that the child wrapped in “swaddling clothes” (i.e., rags) would not only suffer cold and hunger as any other baby who has come into this world, but he would also suffer helplessness until his last day when it was said of him: “He saved others; himself he cannot save” (Matthew 27:42).  Second, the manger foreshadows the homelessness he would experience throughout his life to the point that one day he said: “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20).  For those who know they are homeless and helpless in this world apart from God, the shepherds – even though they were not considered good, smart, powerful, or trustworthy – point us still to him who is our help and who leads us home.



Prayer: Lord, help us in our helplessness and homelessness in this world to rely on you by following your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen.


Application: Do a kind deed in Jesus’ name for someone who is spiritually or materially helpless or homeless in this world.

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