Advent Devotion - Day 18

DECEMBER 18 – Luke 2: 1-5

By: Peter Lund

Last year, I was “fortunate” enough to be assigned John 3:16 as the verse on which to base my devotional;
having to write a devotional on what is arguably the most famous verse in the Bible is quite a privilege! However, what are we to make of Luke 2:1-5 – a verse that is very “factual,” for lack of a better term? In this verse, we are told that the Roman census was taking place throughout the empire,
and as such Joseph returned to his home town in order to be registered.

If John 3:16 can be considered a highly theological, esoteric verse, then Luke 2:1-5 merely states the facts and nothing more…right? Well, I’m not so sure. For me, it is easy to get caught up in the Biblical narrative as being somewhat of a fantasy story, existing in some fictional universe, and nothing more.A verse such as Luke 2:1-5 firmly grounds the story in history, with historical figures and events; as such, we can actually consider this to be a very important verse, because it reminds us that these events occurred in a very REAL world – that is, OUR world.

I know that some people are blessed with a faith that allows them to believe without questioning, but that has never described me. Personally, I am always battling with doubts, but a verse that plants the story in history serves as a strong reminder that this is more than just some feel-good tale; these are real events, involving real people – people just like us.

Prayer
Lord, thank you for bringing your story into our real world, and despite my doubts, help me to see hat
your story is firmly grounded in history, and we are all a part of your ongoing narrative.

Family Moment
Joseph lived in Nazareth but he knew that he must obey the Roman emperor and go back to Bethlehem to be counted with the rest of his family. They were related to David who had lived in Bethlehem and was King many, many, many years before. Joseph didn’t have a car or bike for the 80 mile trip. He probably worried that it would be a very long walk for Mary who would soon give birth to Baby Jesus. But Joseph trusted that God would watch over them. How long would it take you to walk 80 miles? Who would go with you? What would you bring? Do you know another name for Bethlehem?