Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Day # 20 A Recipe for a Savior

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?

2 comments:

  1. 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.
    It 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

    ReplyDelete
  2. 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.

    ReplyDelete