I apologize due to the late nature of this reflection.
A few things stuck out to me in this chapter.
1. We have the birth of Jesus, but it is introduced and interwoven into the story of the shepherds. The first section (vs. 1-20) end with the shepherds. Again I read this like a movie.
2. 2:19 is one of my favorite verses of all time:
Mary committed these things to memory and considered them carefully.
Mary was at end of the first phase of the journey and she committed to memory the things that have happened. We would be served well to commit to memory God’s faithfulness in the past as we live in the present and look ahead to the future.
3. Vs. 21-24: Mary and Joseph take Jesus to the temple to do what the law of God required and offered Jesus to God.
4. Vs. 25-36: two people that get to see Jesus – Simeon and Anna before they die. It is cool that both male and females are lifted not only by God via the Holy Spirit, but also that Luke includes these two stories
5. Notice the work of the Holy Spirit again throughout the chapter
6. Shenanigans of Jesus. We fast forward from 8 days old to 12 years old. He goes to the temple and then hangs out with the teachers of the law and amazes them. His earthly parents did not seem happy about this, but Jesus was like, “didn’t you know I would be in my Father’s house”. If I can say this with out sounding sacrilegious – Jesus was twelve!
Have a great weekend.
Strength and courage,
Kevin
Comments