Luke 2:8-20
Jesus' first worshipers were lowly shepherds--again defying Jewish expectations for their Messiah. But just as God once made from a lowly shepherd Israel's most noble king David, so again did He prove with His son that only He knows perfection.
Only God knows good--so doesn't it make sense that He'd be the only one to know perfect? We prove we don't know good every time we look at someone and see a sinner or an idiot or a jerk or an annoyance or a prostitute or a porn star or a crooked cop while what He sees is good enough for salvation at greatest expense.
Further, since His will is "good, pleasing, and perfect,"1 perhaps only God knows what His will is. Yet He hears our prayers and He tells us whoever asks, receives.2
Lord, give us eyes that see you, ears that hear you, hands that feel you, noses that smell you, and fingers that touch you. Thank you, dear Friend.
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When worshipping the Lord, bring something to Him--even if it's only all of you. That's what the shepherds did, and He loved it.
1. Romans 12:2
2. Matthew 7:7
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2 comments:
Dave- I hope you read this one. I think I'm seeing this passage differently than you.
You said the first worshippers of Jesus were shepherds. Does scripture actually say that they worshipped? The angels were worshipping, and the shepherds watched--in fear. I probably would be scared too if angels came with the glory of the Lord appearing. But the shepherds heard the announcement and saw the worship of the angels. I don't know if they joined in the worship.
I believe worship is a lifestyle. It's a constant focus on God through many things we can do in this life.
So here's the question- what did the worship of the angels do to the shepherds? It sent them searching. Verse 15 says it-- after the angels go back into heaven, the shepherds are saying "let's go find this thing."
So here's the real question- is my lifestyle of worship evident to the point that it sends people searching?
Now it wasn't until after they saw Jesus that they worshipped him. Verse 20 tells us they worshipped Him because they saw Him, just as was promised by the angels. So basically, they worshipped because the worship they saw from the angels was real and honest. They found out it was real, so they worship.
This is logical. You can't worship God if you don't experience Him first. But what led the shepherds to Jesus?
I think it was the sincerity of the angels' worship. And you should expect that from angels...
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So something neat real quick about Mary. Verse 19- everybody is all excited about the story from the shepherds and Mary just quietly ponders these things. I wonder if she was still in that unbelief stage, like wondering "is this really happening to me?" We should feel the same way realizing that God chooses to use us, lowly little normal people, to do amazing things.
Ry, awesome thoughts--and I agree with your reading. Brother, I read every single one of your prompts! (It helps that they are emailed to me.)
Keep 'em coming kemosabe. (Is that a word?
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