Daily Devotion, January 2, 2022

 

Devotion:

Read Luke 2:41-52.

Jesus is now twelve years old and with his parents in Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. Every year, they have gone to Jerusalem for this Festival. Jesus would have been very familiar with the traditions and location. The Festival commemorates God’s deliverance of the Hebrew people from their four hundred years of slavery in Egypt.

All is going well until on their way home, Mary and Joseph discover that Jesus isn’t with the group. They return to Jerusalem and find him after searching for him for three days. He is in the temple courts listening to the teachers and asking them questions. When asked, “Why?” Jesus answers with a question, “Didn’t you know that I had to be in my Father’s house?”

Luke writes, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and humankind.” The baby Jesus grew up; let us allow him to guide us to grow in Christ. As we study more about Jesus’ life, we are often surprised by his teaching which calls us beyond our comfort zones to be transformed in ways of love. Enabled by the Holy Spirit, we can grow in wisdom and understanding of what it means to love God, others and self with all of who we are.

Jesus’ life has a balance of time spent in prayer, worship and scripture studies and time spent serving others. John Wesley helps us understand what this looks like. “We are called to be witnesses of Christ and follow his teachings through acts of compassion, justice, worship and devotion.” With this New Year, this is a good time to examine and re-prioritize our lives. How will our time be spent? When 2022 concludes, would Luke be able to write about us, that “we had grown in wisdom and in favor with God and humankind?”

Personal Worship Option:

God is faithful, gentle and kind to meet us where we are and to help us grow in transforming love. “Dear God, open our eyes to see the ways of Jesus in new ways this year. Help us to grow in wisdom and in our love for you, others and self. Thank you for your faithful covenant unto us. Help us to live faithfully unto you. Amen.”