Year 4, Day 211: Luke 2

Theological Commentary: Click Here 

Discipleship Focus: Calling

• Calling asks whether or not God has called the person to the particular work at this point in their life.

Luke 2 gives us several cool moments of calling stories.  At the beginning of this chapter we see Joseph called upon to protect his bride and her unborn son while they traveled to Bethlehem.  Joseph was called to ensure that Jesus was born in Bethlehem as the Scripture indicated.  He was called to keep them safe.  In Matthew’s Gospel we hear about their flight to Egypt and know that Joseph lived up to his calling very well.

Then we hear about the shepherds.  Common people – actually, lower than common people – who receive a message of hope from God.  They are called to go witness Jesus’ birth.  They are obedient to this calling.  They go forth, find Jesus, and then afterwards they go into Bethlehem testifying to what they’ve seen and what has happened to them.

Then there is Simeon.  Here is a prophet who has been told that he will not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah.  When Jesus is presented at the table, God calls him to have a prophetic moment over Jesus.  He lives up to his calling.  He is obedient.  He gives praise and glory to God for what God is doing.

We don’t want to forget Anna.  Here is a woman who has been devoted to the temple – devoted to the presence of God.  When Jesus is brought into her midst she begins to give God glory and praise His name.  She is sensitive to the Spirit and called to live out of her prophetic sensitivity.

None of these people were particularly significant.  Joseph is just a normal carpenter.  The shepherds were in some of the lowest social strata around.  Simeon was a priest, but a fairly old and normal one at that.  Anna was just a simple widow who hung around the temple praising God.  These are the people through whom God chose to work.  These are the people who were sensitive to the calling of the Lord. 

I think that’s worth pondering today.  When God’s Messiah comes into a place, common people are called and used by God.  You don’t have to be special in the world to have a special calling in the kingdom of God.

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