Devotion
The birth of our Lord
David Jacobs
At first glance, these verses may seem a bit disjointed and lead to some questions: Why are we told about the Roman tax laws right before learning about the birth of Christ? How would that be possible considering that Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth and not Bethlehem?
Prophets had stated for centuries that a virgin would give birth to the Messiah in Bethlehem. God shows that he has dominion over even non-believers. Caesar Augustus orders a royal decree changing the tax situation forcing people to return to their homelands to pay taxes. Through divine intervention, God asserts his power even over a head of the most powerful nation on Earth, over the most powerful man on Earth, Caesar. As a result of this sudden decree, you can probably figure out where Joseph and Mary are forced to return: Bethlehem. What may seem out of place becomes a clear message: God rules the entire world and everyone in it.
The final verses we may have heard at some point. Jesus is born, to a virgin mother, wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid in a manger. The Son of God is born to the most humble of circumstances, teaching us a valuable lesson: blessed are the meek. He made Himself poor to give us eternal life. He suffered rejection so we could be accepted. Looks can be deceiving, and as James describes, "has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?" (James 2:5)
It doesn't matter who you are: the ruler of the Roman Empire, or a poor, married couple giving birth in a manger, God rules over you. We must remember our place: humble servants of the Lord.
Prayer
Divine and glorious God, you truly rule over all. My eyes, ears, and heart are open to you, and I pray that you open them more each day. Humble me in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. As you have shown through Caesar and your only begotten son, Jesus Christ, all of creation obeys your every command. Use me as a vessel, Lord, so that I too, can be used for your glory. Amen.
Devotion
The First Fruits
Frances Taylor
In addition to the commandments, the Lord gave the people rules to live by that included dietary laws, laws concerning the various feasts that would offer blessings to God and ways of treating people that probably sound pretty strange to us today. But let's consider this one. Why do you think God is asking for the first fruits of the first harvest in the new land? To me, this is asking for a sign of gratitude for all that the Lord had done for them. He brought them out of slavery in Egypt, guided them through the desert, fed them during their journey, made sure they had water to drink and now is bringing them to a new land so that they can live in freedom. Think back to the story of Cain and Abel and their offerings. Abel offered the best of his harvest; Cain doesn't seem to have done the same. Offering sacrifice was a long-standing tradition at that time, in that culture. It would seem to be the natural thing to do. What are we asked to sacrifice ...
Morning Prayer
And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Inspiration
The scribes could only teach in the synagogue saying, "the Scripture says this or that" or "the rabbis say such and such, " but Jesus taught as one having personal authority. He was not a mere scribe, nor even only a prophet, but the very Son of God.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you are the authoritative Son of God, and your Word is Law. You bring us the Words of the Father and you are the Word of the Father. We know that you have the Words of Life, and that salvation is to be found in no other. Help us to pay careful attention to your Words and teachings, knowing from whom they come. Amen.
