Spoiler Alert
I was asked if I would be willing to contribute to the church's advent devotional this year. I've never done something like this before, but it seemed like a fun challenge, so I said yes.
The theme is Great Expectations: Hope, and it is supposed to be more of an anecdote based on the selected piece of Scripture.
Luke 2:30-32
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
In Christ alone our hope is found, and that afternoon we had lunch with Jesus. Too often we expect to see Jesus at church or Bible study, but are we allowing Him to show Himself through unlikely people and situations? In the temple, Simeon recognized that this baby boy was the awaited Messiah, born in humble circumstances to offer salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. In Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom, we should expect to find this Hope where the world would least expect it.
Lord, thank you that You sent your Son to us as a baby, an unlikely way for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you that You continue to show us Your salvation, light, and hope when we are least expecting it, and we pray that we may have eyes to see Jesus, especially in the poor and marginalized.
The theme is Great Expectations: Hope, and it is supposed to be more of an anecdote based on the selected piece of Scripture.
Luke 2:30-32
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
which you have prepared in the sight of all
nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.
My friend, Kylie, and I were sitting in Xela’s Parque Central, just talking and hanging out, when a man approached us and asked us for some money. He looked like he was needing a shower, and he said he was hungry. Begging in the park was pretty typical; sometimes we would say no, and sometimes we would give money, but this day we asked him if we could treat him to lunch instead. He chose a small comedor just below the park, and the three of us sat down at a picnic table. He ordered caldo de res, a warm vegetable and beef soup served with corn tamalitos. I remember that his manners were not up to Emily Post’s standards, but the words that came out of his mouth in between bites were pure Scripture. We listened in awe as he recited Bible story after Bible story for about two hours! He even shared Jesus’ words to Jarius’ daughter, which Kylie had tattooed on her forearm. This man’s circumstances didn’t seem very hopeful, but his words definitely were!
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.
My friend, Kylie, and I were sitting in Xela’s Parque Central, just talking and hanging out, when a man approached us and asked us for some money. He looked like he was needing a shower, and he said he was hungry. Begging in the park was pretty typical; sometimes we would say no, and sometimes we would give money, but this day we asked him if we could treat him to lunch instead. He chose a small comedor just below the park, and the three of us sat down at a picnic table. He ordered caldo de res, a warm vegetable and beef soup served with corn tamalitos. I remember that his manners were not up to Emily Post’s standards, but the words that came out of his mouth in between bites were pure Scripture. We listened in awe as he recited Bible story after Bible story for about two hours! He even shared Jesus’ words to Jarius’ daughter, which Kylie had tattooed on her forearm. This man’s circumstances didn’t seem very hopeful, but his words definitely were!
In Christ alone our hope is found, and that afternoon we had lunch with Jesus. Too often we expect to see Jesus at church or Bible study, but are we allowing Him to show Himself through unlikely people and situations? In the temple, Simeon recognized that this baby boy was the awaited Messiah, born in humble circumstances to offer salvation to both Jews and Gentiles. In Jesus’ upside-down Kingdom, we should expect to find this Hope where the world would least expect it.
Lord, thank you that You sent your Son to us as a baby, an unlikely way for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Thank you that You continue to show us Your salvation, light, and hope when we are least expecting it, and we pray that we may have eyes to see Jesus, especially in the poor and marginalized.
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