December 27 Devotional
December 27, 2019
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:4
For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God. For we are weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God.
This verse is from the final chapter of Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth where he warns congregants of his impending visit when he will deal with them much more sternly than in past visits. His concern is for disputes and practices that are tearing apart the Corinthian church. Paul reminds the church of the great paradox that is Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection: Christ humbled himself to be a man and allowed his captors to kill him, but with God’s divine power He was raised from the dead. It is through this paradox, that we are brought into God’s presence.
Christ’s humility is first evidenced through his birth to a lowly Jewish couple who could not even provide a room, but were forced to lay the infant in a manger. I am always awed, but especially at Christmas and Easter, when I contemplate more fully the sacrifices God made to be in relationship with me, an insignificant piece of dust. Why would the omnipotent God who created the beautiful bounty of heaven and earth go to such extreme lengths to find and save me? I am positive that if left to my own resources, I would have never found God had He not looked for me. By becoming human, Jesus created a pathway for me to reach the Father. I will never be able to comprehend such love and sacrifice.
However, I think the essential question is how am I to respond to a love this great? Christ humbled himself leaving the divine realm to join humanity to save me. Why is it then so hard for me to humble myself to help a fellow human? The world organizes people according to gender, race, sexual orientation, economic standing, political affiliation, and hundreds of other ways. If Christ can bridge the enormous gap between divinity and humanity, then I am called to bridge these minor gaps and respond to my fellow humans with the love and compassion shown to me by my Savior, not just at Christmas but every day. I invite you to join me in the coming year to attempt to put into practice these words from Paul, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank you for Advent when we celebrate the gift of the Christ child who became mortal in order to atone for the world’s sins and to create a bridge between God and humans. In so doing, He taught His disciplines to be compassionate, kind, and forgiving. In the New Year, help each of us to be His discipline and to show His love not just to the lovable but to all people especially those struggling to find justice and peace. Amen.
Submitted by: Susan McNair
Share this :
