Today's Advent reading is Luke 21. The account of Jesus is nearing the climax. It is easy to skip over the initial story of Jesus at the temple and the widow putting in her two small coins. However, it is significant because she gave her all and Jesus commended her for it, in the coming chapters this is what Jesus will do also.
The chapter goes on talking about the end times. What ever your end time view the reality is we are much closer than Jesus Disciples were in their day. But as I read the chapter part of a verse jumped out at me. Now it is out of context and poor exegesis but the truth is real at this advent time.
Luke 21:34 (The Message)
""But be on your guard. Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping..."
We are in a season of expectation, both the season of advent and the season of looking forward to the coming of Christ. It is easy for both expectations to be dulled. They are dulled by shopping and parties this time of year! The pursuit of stuff (more shopping) dulls our senses the rest of the year. Culture pushes us to live lives that are one excitement to another, our culture just pursues pleasure at every turn. This party atmosphere is dulling our expectation of the coming of Christ.
I pray that this season of advent will be one where we don't miss the joy and excitement of looking forward in expectation to the birth of Christ.
I also pray that we will take this renewed sense of expectation into the year and live in the great joy of the expectation that Christ will return, because when he does we can be excited because just like the widow at the start of the chapter, Jesus paid the full price, he gave it all!
- Andrew Snook
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