Scripture Reading: John 1:10-11
He was in the world and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.
Devotional: The Word was not recognized even by those who were of His kin and religion. They did not recognize that He came from God, and was God, and so they did not accept Him.
Surely it must have been because His people did not expect the Word to be sent by God as an act of Grace, a gift. Surely the God who created the world; who chose the Jews as His special people; who gave the Jews the Law and the Prophets - surely this God would not send the Word into the human situation to be God and man at one and the same person. How extraordinary! How unpredictable! How shocking! Yet even those who believed in God at some level had to be impressed with the freedom of God not to conform God's Self to the expectations of humankind. Surely they realized by reading the Old Testament that God is not bound by human reason or logic or intellect or language and tradition. Yet the enfleshment of God was not appreciated or appropriated or accepted by the majority of Jesus' own people. Even in the light of miracles and healing and teaching about God, Jesus was asked to leave. At times the opposition came from His family and His hometown. Finally the leaders of His religious tradition demanded His execution. It looked as if the darkness had won and would continue to win. But God's Will is never thwarted by darkness. The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not and will not overcome it. God's Son is on the side of life, not sin and death, and neither sin nor death can determine the life of one who will receive the Word through faith.
What is true for Christ is true for His Gospel and His Church. Popularity and acceptance of God work in redeeming this world in and through Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Come, Lord Jesus.
No comments:
Post a Comment