Rediscovering Christmas 3

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Rediscovering Christmas 2

Reading Mark 9:33-37

This passage is when Jesus asks his disciples what they were talking about. They do not want to tell him because they were arguing about who was the greatest or as I say, the favorite. Then he tells them that they need to serve. And being a servant means you are the lowest. PERIOD. Then it doesn't matter where you rank because you, by being a servant, have placed yourself on the bottom.

My human side of me starts to rebuke that a bit, and thinks that it is self deprecating to live like this. Then people will walk all over you. You will need to at some point stick up for yourself. Then I remember Jesus. Who could have come into this world in a blaze of glory, but he didn't. He came in as a helpless, fragile, baby. And not with a crazy reception, in a beautiful home/inn. Where everyone was there to witness it. But in a stable or cave with no witnesses but the mother and the father. He could have risen into power. But He chose to spend most of his time with those that were not powerful, that were placed on the outside of society. He made himself low with every choice he made, the connections he had, and even where he spent his time.

The next part of this section Jesus brings a child to himself and remarks that anyone who receives a child in Jesus's name receives Jesus and whoever receives Jesus receives the one who sent Jesus, the father, God.

Right after Jesus talks about being a servant and making yourself last, he talks about receiving a child. I do not think these are separate I think they go together. People to do not often think of children well. Not that they dislike them, but more so that children are naive and cannot contribute to society yet... the list can go on. I think of the saying "A child should be seen and not heard." They do not have anything meaningful to contribute. But here Jesus is saying that they do, they have meaning, they should be thought of, welcomed in, brought up, received. I would make the parallel that children are low, just as a servant is meant to be low. That children are like the outsiders that Jesus strove to connect with. And we must connect with them too, not just when they get older, but now, when they are young. They do have contributions, we think they are naive, but really they trust wholeheartedly. They have not been tainted by the world yet. They trust because they have not been given a reason not to yet.

It is interesting to think that a child/children were so close to Jesus that he was able to take one in his arms with ease. Children were around him and He didn't seem to mind.

Where do you spend the majority of your time, who is there, what are you doing? Are you serving, or being served? Take time this Christmas season to serve.