Today’s Scripture: Luke 1:57-66, 80; Matthew 3:1-12
I’ve read this Christmas story more times than I can count, but just recently did I notice a fourth question in this chapter. The people asked: What then will this child be? Of course, they were referring to John the Baptist, probably because of the unusual events surrounding his birth: Born to elderly parents who were beyond the age of conception; an angelic visitation with astounding promise about his life; his father’s inability to speak for the duration of Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Small wonder that the people asked, “What then will this child be?”
John the Baptist turned out to be a strange kid who hung out in the desert by himself. He dressed in odd clothes (made of camel’s hair), and ate gross food (honey and locusts). He sure wouldn’t have been part of the popular crowd today. John didn’t even follow in his father’s footsteps by pursuing the priesthood. His calling was to be a forerunner of Jesus Christ, and he fulfilled his mission to the death.
When our daughters were growing up, we were careful who we allowed them to hang around with. If a certain kid wasn’t raised the way we were raising our kids, we tried to discourage play dates or close friendships. I remember one “dysfunctional” family we tried to avoid because we didn’t want their children to have what we thought might be a bad influence on ours.
A few years ago, we attended the funeral of one of the members of this “dysfunctional” family. Much to our surprise, we discovered that the very kids we wanted our daughters to avoid had turned out to be well-educated, sharp, highly-employed adults. Maybe we should have asked What then will this child be? before we assumed otherwise.
We never know who the Lord’s hand is on, do we? Let’s purpose to be curious about a child’s future before we jump to conclusions. Who knows? We may be very influential helping that kid fulfill God’s will.
- What child/youth is within your sphere of influence right now? How can you help him reach the full potential God intends for his life?
- How will your relationship with the Lord be different after this week’s quest?
Please share your thoughts and insights about this week’s scripture.