AN INVITATION
Day # 20
Luke 2:1 In
those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be
registered.
You go to the
mailbox and find an official looking envelope. You open it and it says, “Your
are invited to…” It is an invitation to a wedding, baby or bridal shower, a
birthday party or a graduation. It doesn’t matter what it is an invitation for,
it is an invitation to a party. You have been invited. Remember how excited you
were as a child in school when you were invited to a birthday party? It was the
most amazing thing in the world. It was the event of your year!
There was no such
excitement in A Recipe for a Savior. In fact, the people probably
groaned under the pressure that this invitation put on them. Caesar had told
them to go to their hometowns in order to be registered. This wasn’t for a
party. He did this because he wanted more money. The people were going to be
taxed again. This was an invitation that couldn’t be ignore.
Joseph and Mary
left for Bethlehem. Seems so out of character for A Recipe for a Savior.
What is Caesar doing upsetting the apple cart like he is? What kind of mess was
he making of God’s plan? Actually he was doing exactly what God wanted to be
done. He might have had his own sinful desires at heart, but he was serving as
God’s agent at this time. God had said through the prophet Micah that the
Savior would be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2) But Joseph and Mary were still
in Nazareth. A Recipe for a Savior could be messed up if they do not go
to the City of David. So an invitation goes out to tax the people. Sin and
greed leads to the invitation. And in the process, the Father smiles for He
knows that A Recipe for a Savior is about to be brought to its fullness.
“And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea,
to the City of David, which is called Bethlehem.” (Luke 2:4) Mary, his
wife, went with him. Yes, the invitation for A Recipe for a Savior has
been sent out.
You are invited to
a party. This party is a special party, one that means the world to you and
your future. This party is the celebration of the birth of the Savior. The
challenge now is how shall you answer this invitation?
Prayer:
Father, the way You work in this world is amazing. Help me in my life to see
Your hand at work in all the moving parts of my life. Help me to trust in Your
guiding care. Amen.
Deeper Thought:
Think of a time in your life when you received an invitation to an event in
which you didn’t want to go to but in the end was happy that you went. What are
some of the times the Lord has placed an invitation before you to do something
but for whatever reason, you refused the invitation. How can you act
differently as you move forward?
The Lords supper. Because the change in which it was being done I didn't agree with because it no longer felt like the Lords supper. Seems selfish and stubborn.
ReplyDeleteIt was yet another change in tradition and I personally couldn't deal with it!
Am I a bad person for this? Maybe? However I still believe in the body and blood of Christ and I know that God still loves me as his dear child
Sometimes changing our most cherished traditions is the hardest thing in our lives. Is the change right or wrong? That isn't the question. The question is: How does it feel to me? That challenges us more than anything.
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