Read Proverbs 2: 1 & 5
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you … then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God.” Proverbs presses home the commands of God which are clear in the Bible but not always in the minds of people. It’s not within ourselves but within the Bible that the true knowledge of God exists.
As you read the Bible Stop; Read; Ponder; and Pray.
Monday Luke 2:1-7
Once again Luke wants to fix the historical time of his narrative by referring to the Roman Census at the time of Caesar Augustus. [for a commentary on the life and rule of Caesar Augustus see David Guzik’s https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/luke-2/ ]
Because of his lineage Joseph had to go to Bethlehem with Mary, because she was betrothed to him, and the journey of about 70 miles would take three or four days (the Bible doesn’t say she rode on a donkey!). It would certainly be a strenuous journey and Mary gave birth to Jesus when they arrived at Bethlehem. Their accommodation wasn’t in a travellers Inn or lodging place but more likely a family home with a kataluma, a spare, possibly upper room, which could be used for guests but which wasn’t available at the time, so they were most probably accommodated downstairs in the living area of the family where animals were also brought in during poor weather and where there would have been a feeding manger. No cold stable but the warmth of a family would be the setting for Jesus birth.
Tuesday Luke 2:8-17
We come now to the shepherds in the fields at night and the angel message given to them. Why shepherds? A good question; did the nighttime have anything to do with it? Or perhaps the message of Jesus becoming a shepherd of the lost sheep of his people? Whatever God’s reasoning shepherds weren’t reckoned high on the social scale yet it was to them that the message of the long awaited Messiah was given and after the message a great company of angels (or the heavenly host as Luke describes it) appeared in a great paean of praise to God. As Luke has said that he gathered his gospel together from eyewitnesses and early believers it sounds as though some of those shepherds may have been among the witnesses to that night.
They came to the decision that they ought to go into Bethlehem to find out more of the thing that had been revealed to them. How they found the family we are not told but when they did they spread the word of what had been revealed to them.
Wednesday Luke 2:18-21
A good indication of Luke’s research on the early story of Jesus birth is seen in his detailing of Mary’s reaction to all these events in Bethlehem. “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart” (v19) while the shepherds returned to their roles glorifying God because of the things which they were told having turned out as they were told.
It is interesting to wonder what she would have ‘pondered’ but surely in all her child rearing the messages given her would have played a part. It should play a part in our lives to ponder what we find revealed to us in holy scripture connecting it to our ongoing lives.
Thursday Luke 2:22-32
The journey to the temple in Jerusalem was for the purpose outlined in Leviticus 12 of the rite of purification after the birth of a child. Prior to this the woman would have to live separate from the normal role she would take because the birth would make her impure for the purposes of worship which implied closeness to God. Why this is the case is not clear but maybe because of the loss of blood required in the process of giving birth with thatblood indicating loss of life. However the purification by sacrifice is seen as restoring the mother with the child to normal relations before God. The whole process showed that Jesus though without sin and in relation to his heavenly Father accepted the role of fallen humanity in his earthly nature by this procedure first of circumcision and then in the rite of purification. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law.
While there they meet the old man Simeon whose words are recorded in the song called the Nunc Dimmitis Luke tells us that it had been revealed to Simeon that he would not die before seeing the Lord’s Messiah (this probably told to Mary at the time and passed on to Luke personally or via others).
Friday Luke 2:33-40
Simeon, having received the child with rejoicing in seeing the Christ, follows with prophetic words about his future, He says, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against” and by this he means that responses to him will be for and against, some will receive him willingly but others will be the opposite and we can see this in all the gospels. In one of the best known parables about the men who built their houses on the sand or on the rock he is the rock but those who build on the sand will come to nothing. Although this is the case the wording shows that they would be some who would fall initially but who might rise afterwords. That can be the case not just of the Jews but also of Gentiles too.
Ha also tells of the pain that will strike at the heart of Mary in the future intimating the future crucifixion of her dear son,
Not only Simeon but also elderly Anna came to give thanks to God and became a sharer of the good news to all in the temple. Doubtless all these things would be added to the thoughts that Mary would ponder as Jesus grew up.
Saturday Luke 2:41-52
This passage tells us that Mary and Joseph lived as a faithful Jewish household regularly going up to Jerusalem for the Passover and Jesus would be with them but when he was 12 we find a particular development with teachers of the law in the Temple. As a 12 year old boy ha had a degree of independence and the family assumed he was probably with relatives or friends on the company making for home. Luke tells us that they returned to Jerusalem and after three days (interesting number) they found him listening and asking questions of the teachers. Those around heard him and were amazed at his understanding.
This is the only passage in any of the gospels that mention something of Jesus life between his birth and the start of his ministry as an adult. Luke obviously wanted to put this in for Theophilus who being a Greek would possibly have questioned this as it was common for Greek gods to have a history of their origins detailed. Luke told not of weird and wonderful miraculous signs (as some apocryphal gospels did – e.g. The Gospel of Thomas where young Jesus made clay birds, clapping his hands and making them fly away). His account is of Jesus “growing in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man” (v52)