[Dailydevo] Daily Devotion Wednesday October 19, 2005

[Barry Ludwig]

Daily Devotions Wednesday October 19, 2005

The devotions this week are written by Pastor Ludwig who is continuing the
theme of Jesus as our great high priest, by considering the Gospel of John,
chapter 17 which Bible scholars refer to as the "high priestly prayer" of
Jesus for his disciples.

 

John 17: 14-15 (Message paraphrase)

"I gave them your word; The godless world hated them because of it, because
they didn't join the world's ways,

just as I didn't join the world's ways. I'm not asking that you take them
out of the world but that you guard them from the Evil One."

 

When our daughters were young we did not "have" Santa Claus in our home at
Christmas. We believe that that the gross materialism of this American idol
has completely obscured the message of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.
It was not difficult avoiding this figure because we taught them about the
original Saint Nicholas who was a bishop in Myra (modern day Turkey) in the
4th century. He defended the poor and powerless in bold and sacrificial
ways. Of course Christmas-tide was centered on the birth of our Lord and
Savior, Jesus not a mythical man who gave gifts to those who already had
everything.

 

This became difficult when our oldest daughter was in the 2nd grade. After
Christmas vacation her teacher asked the class to share what they had
received from Santa. When it came to her turn, intimidated and somewhat
embarrassed, yet clear and strong, she answered, "Santa does not stop at our
house."  Her sensitivity to the beliefs of her classmates (she could have
said that there was no Santa) and yet her resolve to not "join in the
world's ways," astounds me to this day. 

 

Jesus prayed for us, as our high priest, that we might not be like the
godless world around us. It is so easy to cave in to temptation and become
like our culture and embrace its values. Jesus has taught us a better and
more life-giving way. This day may we hear the voice of our Lord praying for
us and follow his example.

 

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