Reading
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising and have come to pay him homage.” When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’” Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.” (Matthew 2: 1-8) Reflection Traditionalists don’t really think the wise men should be in the nativity scene until Epiphany, but is anything about this year’s celebration of Christmas true to tradition? Scripture doesn’t give us a lot of specifics about the magi. Because they brought three gifts, we’ve always imagined that there were three wise men; each bearing a single gift. Those original gifts are part of why we now offer each other sparkly paper-wrapped items at this time of year. We give each other some little item to express our love. But our gift to God can’t be wrapped in fancy paper or tucked under the tree. We offer the gift of our love: To God and to each other. + --Sarah Hershberger Prayer Healing God, we live in a world of hurting. We cry out to you in pain and suffering for those who need a measure of your healing touch. In times of trial, hurt and suffering, be the balm that soothes our aching hearts. Be with those who need a special measure of your care this day. As Jesus healed many when He was on this earth, heal those who are sick and in need. Amen. Our devotions are based on this Sunday’s Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). The RCL is a three-year cycle of readings telling the story of our Christian faith and corresponding to the season church calendar. On any given Sunday, we are hearing and praying and examining the same Scripture with millions of Christians around the world. In our current Year C, the Old Testament readings progress through the Prophets and have the theme of the day that it is connected to the Gospel reading. The Psalm, a song the congregation sings in response to the Old Testament reading, most often corresponds to the theme of the Hebrew Lessons and/or that of the Gospel Lesson. The lesson from the Epistles or from Acts typifies the church’s focus on the meaning of Christ for today. The Gospel lesson is connected to the season of the Church Year. This year, our gospel readings are from Luke, who writes that Jesus is the universal Savior and the perfect Son of Man. In the current season of Christmas focuses on God within our lives. Our devotions this year were developed to look at the parts of the nativity scene.
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