Month: December 2024

Advent Reflections: 1 Peter 5:6-7

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“Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Years ago I was watching a cooking show, and the host went out of her way to emphasize that salt is not a spice. When used properly, it is a flavor enhancer. It takes what is already there and highlights it and makes it more pronounced in the dish. Yesterday we talked about the importance of humility in the Advent journey. Humility, like salt, is fundamentally about being honest. And when we are honest, a host of other things begin to become possible. One of these is something the apostle Peter highlights here. Let’s talk about a powerful thing humility can accomplish in and for us.

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Advent Reflections: Matthew 2:10-12

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“When they saw the star, they were overwhelmed with joy. Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their own country by another route.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

At one point in Jesus’ ministry, a group of mothers were attempting to bring their children to Jesus so He could bless them. The disciples started to scold them for interrupting their master when He was teaching. Jesus stopped what He was doing and immediately scolded the disciples. He told them to let the children come to Him because unless you come to Him as a child, you’ll never get to Him at all. That episode was far removed from the one we see in our passage here. The two scenes, though, are more connected than you might think. Let’s talk about why as we continue our Advent journey today.

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Advent Reflections: Matthew 2:1-2

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“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star at its rising and have come to worship him.’” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Starting with today, I think we have something on the calendar just about every single day for the next three weeks. That seems to happen every year at this time. Winter sports begin and every group wants to have a holiday gathering and there are extra church activities and there’s extra shopping to be done and decorating the house and all of that sits on top the regular events and meetings that don’t stop simply because there’s extra stuff going on. All of this busyness can easily overwhelm us and leave us completely unprepared for the actual celebration that lies ahead of us. Rather than getting excited for the season, we just want it to be over. How do we keep that from happening? As we begin our Advent journey today, let’s talk about keeping our focus where it most needs to be.

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