Christmas
The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ
"Christmas"
The weapons of the strong are smashed to pieces,
while the weak are infused with fresh strength. ~ 1 Samuel 2:4 (MSG)
Mary said: He drags strong rulers
from their thrones
and puts humble people
in places of power.
God gives the hungry
good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing. ~ Luke 1:52-53 (CEV)
KEY IDEA:
God's method of operation is to ruin the mighty and then to raise up the humble.
PRAYER:
Lord, you are master of both the powerful and the weak. And you choose to get your work done through the weak. That's good news for me. I'm not so powerful. Thank you for giving me a part in your great transformation. Forgive me for seeking power that I can use to get my way. Help me to live with the kind of humility that characterized the life of Christ. We see that humility so fully displayed in the humble birth of the baby Jesus which we celebrate today. I'm going to celebrate and imitate. Amen.
TRANSLATIONS
ABP = Authorized Boydston Paraphrase — my own freestyle biblical adaptation — somewhere between paraphrase, commentary, and sermon
CEB = Common English Bible (©2011, the Common English Bible)
CEV = Contemporary English Version (©1995, American Bible Society)
MSG = The Message (©1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
NIRV = New International Reader's Version (©1996, 1998, Biblica)
NIV = New International Version (©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, Biblica)
NLT = New Living Translation (©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, Tyndale House Foundation)
