SATURDAY Luke 2:41-52
• Once, John the Baptist’s followers said Jesus’ crowds were bigger than his. John humbly said, “You can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah but am sent ahead of him’….He must become greater; I must become less.” (John 3:28, 30) Zechariah praised the “rising sun”—not his own son, but the coming King his son would go before. Has your ego or desire for praise ever gotten in the way of God’s ability to use you? How can you, using “sober judgment” (Romans 12:3), be more like Zechariah and John?
Today’s Reflection by Chris Bishop
Just as a little aside for today’s reflection is that it comes on the heels of the day that the world was supposed to end. Now, as I understand it, the Mayan calendar just ended a cycle and began another…not like done for good. Anyway, today we have a chance to reflect on John the Baptist. He is the one who said prepare and make way for the Lord. I wonder what kind of looks he got from the people in his time? However, he continued on regardless of what others through or said. John had followers, but I am thinking that there were plenty of others who thought he was a little looney. John was focused on what god had in store for him. He wore camel hair, ate locust and was wild, but he was just what was needed and didn’t let the opinions of others get in the way.
I know that there have been times that I have short changed God because I was too concerned with the thoughts of others or by trying to get easy praise. I know that I need to keep grounded and focused on what god has in store for me every day. This is something that I need to work on each and every day.