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Scripture for the day: John 1:31-34 His disciples urged Him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.”
But He said to them, “I have food to eat of which you do not know.”
Therefore, the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought Him anything to eat?”
Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.
Thought for the day: Close your eyes and picture the following story with me. Well, OK, don’t close your eyes; you won’t be able to read the story if you do. You’re the vice-president in a large international corporation. Every day you come to work, have a steaming cup of coffee in your expansive corner office in the penthouse of the 40-story headquarters building, and then spend the entire day with the president, making decisions that affect millions around the world. Everything you can imagine that might make life more pleasant is yours. Everyone in the company stands ready to jump at your every command, not just because of your position of authority, but because of who you are to them. Houses, lands, private jets, limousines. Horse stables; you name the luxury, the best of them are at your disposal at any time. Dream of the most luxurious life-style you can imagine, add to that the love and admiration of everyone around you. Nothing is withheld from you.
One day, as you settle down behind your beautiful teakwood desk with your coffee in hand, you discover a note left there by the president of the company: “See me as soon as you get in. I have an important assignment for you.”
You enter the office of the president and sit down to listen as he outlines his audacious plan that will require you to clear out your office, step down from your position, and leave headquarters behind. Your assignment will be to assume the identity of a nobody, living in an obscure village in a remote corner of the earth. You will be without any of the amenities of life and will remain unknown for the foreseeable future. What do you do?
As far as any analogy will take us, that’s just what happened to Jesus. I know, He was in on the plan of redemption from before the foundation of the world. Nothing came as a surprise to Him, but He still set aside everything to which He was fully entitled, became as nothing and “humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).
When we look at the manger, we so often see a helpless child, a scene of peace and tranquility, and, certainly, the advent of the One who would provide redemption for all who would believe. But do we see an act of obedience? I hope we can, for that is what it was; the only begotten Son of God saying, “Nevertheless, not My will but Your will be done.” Obedience to the wishes of the Father was as natural to Jesus as breathing. How often did He remind the disciples of this? “I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30).
As food and water are the two basic necessities of our lives, so obedience was absolutely necessary to the Christ. Doing the will of the Father was the thing that energized and provided purpose for Jesus every moment of His life. In the context of today’s scripture, He was bringing the Good News to a woman who was living entirely without hope; this was the will of the Father, that “whoever should believe would not perish but have everlasting life,” and that included those considered least worthy of consideration.
Look at the manger scene once more during this Christmas season and consider the obedience our Savior showed in entering into the human experience in response to the will of the Father. Perhaps we can find a way to renew our own commitment to living in an attitude of “Thy will be done.”
Now go take on your world. - Bill