Advent - Making room part 2
Readings for this week November 27 - December 3
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Day 1 – From Simplicity to Generosity
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Luke 3:10-14
John’s further admonitions to the crowd provide an excellent transition from simplicity into generosity – from a life dedicated to the simplicity of pursuing the kingdom over all else rather than material wealth and comfort, into being generous with all that we have and working in solidarity for freedom and justice for the poor, oppressed and marginalised. John could see the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer, and he was determined to leave his audience in no doubt about what their obligations were in these circumstances. Active concern for the plight of others had a central place in the message John was preaching, just as the plight of others was very much the reason for Jesus coming in the first place.
John didn’t tell the tax collectors to stop working for the hated Romans and he didn’t tell soldiers (most likely Herod’s soldiers rather than Roman soldiers) to stop being soldiers. But he did insist that they earn their living legitimately and not take any more for themselves. No exploiting their own people, no blackmailing others for personal gain, no getting rich at the expense of others. Those with two coats were to give one to someone without one – a perfect example of simplicity and generosity in tandem. Making room for others requires generosity. John wasn’t picky about it, trying to figure out who we should give to and under what circumstances. Everything we have is God’s and he tells us to be generous with it. Whatever we have, we can give.
Question to Consider
What are the things that hold us back from giving to others? Can you think how our giving can keep people at arm’s length from us?
Prayer
Holy Lord, you have given me much that I may share with others. Help me share the resources and gifts that you have given me, but also the gift of myself. May I offer myself freely to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 2 – The Generosity of God
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Matthew 2:1-4
Jesus is King of the Jews. But he is not only King of the Jews; his rule is not just limited to the Jewish people. Many passages of the Hebrew bible speak of the Messiah bringing God’s rule and peace to the entire created order. Part of the point Matthew is making in introducing the travellers from the east is that Jesus is actually the king of everyone, Jew and Gentile – the rightful king of the whole world. Who are the first people to come and proclaim Jesus as King of the Jews? The magi – wise men – foreign Gentile travellers. And they will not be the only Gentiles to proclaim him king. On the cross, he is mocked as King of the Jews by Roman soldiers, but a little later a Roman centurion declares that he really was the son of God.
Recognition of Jesus as God and King can come from many different directions and along many different trajectories. Why? Because Jesus is for all; that is the scope of God’s generosity. He came to us all and he gave himself for us all. Right from the birth of Jesus he was available to everyone. He chose a humble, ordinary family to join, and the many visitors – foreign and lowly – who went to witness the baby in the manger testify to the scope of God’s love, and the breadth of those he wanted to include in his generous gift. Jesus is God’s great gift to us all; in the incarnation we see the loving, generous heart of God in human form.
Question to Consider
How is the biblical story one of generosity? What does living generously look like for you?
Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for being the God of generosity to the point of giving yourself to us all. May we be a people who never forget this, that welcomes the stranger and the alien with the same love that you do. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 3 – All are Possible Recipients of God’s Generosity
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Matthew 2:5-10
The magi were not Israelites. They were foreigners from distant lands. But God still spoke to them, he still guided them and brought them to Israel, all the way to the house where the infant Jesus was living with his parents. God guided the magi. Through the star in the sky (a planetary conjunction? A supernova? Something else?), and their natural curiosity about celestial appearances, God brought these foreigners to where his son was waiting. And even more than this, through an angelic dream visitation, he warned them not to return to Herod and reveal to Herod the whereabouts of the new born king.
Foreigners. Not part of the people of God. Magicians, astrologers, astronomers, scholars, with beliefs and practices alien to the Israelites understanding of how to see the world – but still called and led by God to the feet of the new born Messiah. God calls people – all people – to himself, in ways that can be surprising, for purposes that can, in the short-term, seem obscure. He is generous with himself and generous in the way he wants no one to miss out on a relationship with himself and also with fellowship of his followers. The story of the magi coming to the king is a reminder that all people, in all places, holding all sorts of beliefs, can be recipients of God’s generosity, trustees of his call and instruments of his purpose. After all, if God did not speak to those who do not know him, how would any of us ever come to know him? And how would he ever speak through us to those who don’t yet know him?
Question to Consider
How has God been generous of himself to you? How did you respond?
Prayer
Almighty God, thank you for reaching out to me, before I knew you and loved you. May this be my model for reaching out to others as we share your love with those yet to know you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 4 – Going beyond Giving Gifts
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Matthew 2:11-12
The reason people think the Christmas tradition tells a story of three wise men coming to pay tribute to the new born Jesus is due to the three gifts they bring with them: three gifts obviously equals three wise men. However the number of wise men, or the magi, is never named. In fact, we cannot even be sure exactly what the word magi refers to. Were they Astrologers? Scholars? Or even kings, royalty coming a long distance in order to pay homage to a fellow royal? Even the meaning behind the three gifts has been a source of much debate. That they brought gold, frankincense and myrrh is not debated. But why those three gifts in particular? Some simply see them as gifts that would ordinarily be given to a king: gold, because it is valuable and offering something of such value showed devotion and fealty to one worthy to receive such riches; frankincense, for its fragrance and for use as a perfume; and myrrh, for its use as an anointing oil in royal coronations and ceremonies.
However you look at it, this giving of gifts is what our society has picked up on as the epitome of generosity at Christmas time. They gave Jesus gifts; we give each other gifts. Easy. But there is more to it. While there is nothing wrong with giving each other gifts, we cannot limit our generosity to currently fashionable cultural baubles; nor can we only limit such generosity to friends and family. Making room means constantly looking for ways to include others, to welcome strangers, and to give to others, whether gifts, money, time or ourselves.
Question to Consider
Who do you regularly give to? What motivates your gift-giving to others?
Prayer
Precious Lord, I offer you myself again this Christmas. Help me offer myself to others. Make me generous with my time, possessions and with myself. May people see glimpses of your kingdom through me. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
Day 5 – Generosity Keeps Giving and Giving…
Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
Scripture Reading – Philippians 2:5-11
From the glorious mystery of the Trinity and the indescribable ‘richness’ of communion at the very heart of God’s inner being, Jesus became ‘poor’ in the sense of humbling himself, taking on a human life in all its fullness – but not a human life which was rich, or important, or royal, or magnificent the way the world views things. Instead, it was a life born to a humble family in a tiny corner of the world, and one that ended painfully and shamefully on the cross. But it was a life that Jesus took on out of generous, overwhelming love for us. In Jesus, God gave himself to us; the most magnificent, costliest, loving gift ever given. And the gift of this love is one we are to share with others, not only in the way we love them, but in the way we share the story of the goodness of God with the world. Such a generous gift must be passed on and gifted to as many people as we can possibly reach.
We who have accepted God’s greatest gift are to tell others of the gift and the love the gift-giver has for them. We are to go and share the Father’s love with others, telling them of His son and sharing our experience of a renewed relationship with God, whether it is to our neighbours next door or to people on the other side of the world. We are called to go to all people and all nations, to let everyone know about God’s generous love and his kingdom. We are to be the ultimate regifters: we receive the gift, and then make sure we pass it on to others. That is the measure of true generosity.
Question to Consider
How do you feel knowing God has entrusted you with the crucial task of ‘regifting’ Jesus to others? How do you do this? How does this change how you live?
Prayer
Gracious God, the gift of your Son is a gift that has to be shared. Help me share the gift, help me always look for opportunities to pass on the gift to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.