“Come, Unto Me”
Welcome to “Come Unto Me” as we journey together through the gospel of Luke. Let us pray: Gracious God we thank you for the Living Word that gives witness to the life, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. May your Holy Spirit open our souls to this Living Word. Amen
Monday, July 6 / Luke Chapter 2
As a grandparent I have had the joy of reading to my grandchildren books that I read to their dads. Books like “There are Rocks in My Socks” & “Cars and Trucks and Things that Go” & “The Great Big Fire Engine” & “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” & “Are You My Mother?” & many others. Even though it had been years since reading these books the story line came back as though it was just yesterday.
The account of the birth of Jesus according to Luke is very, very familiar. Each Christmas Eve for now over 65 years I have either heard or read that story. A story about a baby being born in a stable has become one of those stories that we just love to hear over and over again. We find ourselves drawn to this story because of what we hunger to hear – God keeping a promise to send a Savior.
Did you notice that there are many similarities between chapter 1 and 2 in Luke’s account. Both chapters speak of:
* Angels bringing a message that God wanted to be sure was not overlooked.
*People being amazed at what God was doing in their midst. (Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, those around Zechariah, the shepherds, Simeon, & Anna)
* The Holy Spirit’s guiding & helping people understand what God was doing. (Luke speaks a great deal about the Holy Spirit work)
But there is one word in Luke chapter 2 that is easily overlooked because it is a three letter word. It is a word that is at the very center of the Good News of what God is doing in the sending of a Savior. Any guesses?? Read verse 10 once again. Did you hear it? Yes - it is that gospel filled word “all”. “I am bringing you good news of great joy for ‘all’ the people.” You are not left out in what God is doing by the sending of a Savior. Wow! That is truly good news of a great joy! I wonder – who might you share this news with that might feel as though they are not part of the ‘all”? Look at verse 18. The shepherds (who many saw as not part of the ‘all’) are now caught up in the joy of this Savior that they went with haste to tell others.
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