Tues.’s Devo - Jesus’ Humble Beginning

Read Luke 2:1-7 I guess the Mayan Calendar was wrong and the Bible is right… we’re still here. (Not surprised. I just can’t’ wait to hear their reason for why it didn’t happen.) For us, we get to advance to Luke 2, finally! Caesar Augusus was the first Roman Emperor over Rome and he decided to tax his kingdom which was so large it was termed “all the world”. Interesting that Jesus would be born into a one-world system and he will come back under one. “Augustus” means “radiant” which is how the world saw him. Everyone was to go back to their home town to give their tax. Usually the Romans taxed from where they lived not where they were from, but prophecy had Jesus being born in Bethlehem, so God needed to get Mary there. God often uses ungodly sources to get us into his will. Since Mary and Joseph were both from Bethlehem, they had to leave Galilee and Nazareth and go to Judea to the town of Bethlehem which was called the city of David. This would be the same road Jesus would walk on his own feet during his ministry. Bethlehem was the “house of bread” and since Jesus was the bread of life he needed to start his life there. The hard thing was that Mary was about to deliver. (God doesn’t seem to pamper us when it comes to what is important to him. He does not mind a little adversity to stir us up and keep us dependent on him.) Because of all the people coming to Bethlehem and them having to walk so far and so slowly, they were late for finding a place to stay, so they found a stable where Jesus, the king of kings would be born. She delivered right there in the barn with the manure and the animals. I’m sure it was totally unsterile. What a honeymoon! But God knew what he was doing and was totally fine with all of it. Sometimes, I forget that God is not after my comfort, but my heart, which is always in need of conforming. Lord, help us not to center our lives around ourselves and what we might feel is entitled us, even from God. Give us a humble heart and remind us, you chose to bring your son into the world in the most humble way.