Luke 2:15-21
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them, 19 and Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told them.
21 When the eighth day came, it was time to circumcise the child, and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
After the miraculous birth of their Holy Child, Mary and Joseph did what every other good, Jewish, parents did. They had their child circumcised and they named him before God. Then they went home and went about raising him in an ordinary household.
When did Jesus know that he was different? When did Mary and Joseph begin to notice Godly things about him? The scriptures are silent about this, so we’ll never know for sure.
As we enter into a new year, I find myself comforted by the ordinariness of Jesus’ childhood. Just like each of us, Jesus had long stretches of everyday life interspersed with joys and trials along the way. Jesus, and his family, loved each other and worshipped God together. I’m sure they also argued and got on each other’s nerves now and then, just like we do.
Here, at the dawn of 2026, I’m giving thanks to God for the blessing of plain old ordinary daily life. That is where the richness of life in all its abundance in Christ is found.
Prayer: Lord Jesus: Thank you for the simple blessings of our life together in this world with You. AMEN