Tag: Christmas

Each year, parents and children, both young and old make a sacrifice to purchase Christmas gifts for the ones they love. These gifts are wrapped in beautiful packages and laid underneath the tree. Excitement builds as Christmas Day approaches, and those who have made sacrifices are anxious to watch as loved ones and friends open Christmas presents. Continue reading “An Unclaimed Gift”

If ever there was an opportunity for God to enact his plan with a majestic flourish, it was at Jesus’ birth. But God did not presume upon humanity when he stepped in to redeem it. There was no pretense in this arrival. Rather, God chose to identify in the humblest way with those made in his image. The story of Jesus’ birth in Luke mixes praise with simplicity. Its contrast to the birth of John the Baptist is remarkable. John’s birth was announced in the capital, at the temple, in the center of the Jewish nation. But Jesus arrives in rural anonymity. John is the child of a priest and his righteous wife; Jesus belongs to Jews of average social status. Continue reading “Born into a good family…”