I had the privilege of preaching at the Yucca Valley, CA EFC yesterday. I took the congregation through the familiar account of Jesus' birth in Luke's Gospel. I asked them to pretend that they didn't know the end of the story. If one is able to do that it's interesting (to me anyway) to note that the first 8 verses would probably have the reader asking, "So what?"
It was an ordinary time. Caesar is taking a census in order to levy taxes to pay for road maintenance, support of the armies of Rome and to keep him in the lifestyle to which he has grown accustomed. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary place. Both Nazareth, where the young couple starts out from and Bethlehem, where they stop, are backwater towns. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary couple. Luke does not give the back story of angel visitations, so the reader simply sees a couple, not yet married, who are expecting a child. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary birth. The time came for her to be delivered. Like millions of women before her, the baby makes his way into the world. She wraps him snuggly like millions of mothers before her. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
It was an ordinary setting. The shepherds were doing what they always had done, watching their sheep. There is nothing extraordinary about that.
In verse 9 everything changes. Angelic messengers, a good news announcement from God for all people, a response of faith by the shepherds (who traditionally didn't get to the Temple much because of their profession), a glimpse at the face of God in the flesh, and an amazed wonder from Mary who treasures all that has happened.
I've been part of God's family through faith in Jesus since 1970. One of the things I've discovered over those years is that God does extraordinary things, but most often He does them using ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. Part of the reason, Scripture tells us, is that in this way, God gets the glory He deserves.
Paul writes to the Christians at Corinth, "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God. God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NLT
So continue to do the ordinary and watch for God to do the extraordinary.
