The God of surprises
Because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home.
Luke 2:4
Jesus was born in the little town of Bethlehem. Even today, it’s not a particularly large town. With a population of around 28,000 people, it is the size of a small market town, but Bethlehem was full of significance. It was here that David was anointed by Samuel after the prophet received instruction from God to visit the town and find a king to replace Saul. God led him to the family of Jesse, where the proud father happily presented his sons. One by one they met with Samuel and, impressive as they were, God didn’t consider them suitable. The prophet had to learn that: “people judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). David was the youngest of these sons and was such an unlikely choice that they hadn’t even bothered to invite him in from the fields where he was watching over the sheep and goats. But as soon as he arrived, he was the one whom the Lord identified as the new king.
David may not have seemed a likely candidate, but he went on to become a formidable military commander and a wise leader of his people. In the centuries after his reign, the nation continued to look back to David as being the high water mark in their history. The people of Israel learnt that God often works in surprising ways, and the fact that Jesus came from David’s family line is a further illustration of that. Who would have thought that the Messiah would enter the world in such a humble way and at such an awkward moment in the nation’s history? Surely the Messiah would be welcomed by kings and rulers, or at least by the Chief Priest and his entourage. But it was not to be. Jesus came to a young couple who had no profile or seniority and well away from the important people in the land.
This God of surprises, whom we meet in the Christmas story, is the one we worship today. Time and again he comes not to the leaders and the powerful, but to the humble people who simply agree to do his will. In a society in which image, influence and platform mean so much, we need to remind ourselves that although we tend to look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.
QUESTION
In what ways have you seen God working in surprising ways in your own life?
PRAYER
Lord God, help me not to be fooled by people’s appearance, but to see them as you do. Amen