Are you busy getting ready for Christmas? Do you wish you had several elves to help you accomplish all that needs to be done before the holiday arrives? Thank you for setting aside time to join me in our Advent study of Luke, chapter 6.
Jesus had no elves as helpers. He had only three years to accomplish God’s plan of salvation. In heaven, Jesus could have called upon thousands of angels to assist him with the work, but on earth, he had only a dozen disciples. In this chapter, Jesus chose twelve apostles to help get his message out to towns all over the region of Galilee.
These young men were of dubious help, kind of like a young child trying to “help” Grandma make Christmas cookies: Flour gets everywhere. The kitchen is a mess. There is even more work for Grandma to clean up.
The disciples often wanted to do things their own way. The disciples pushed aside small children and tried to ignore a blind man. They forgot the lessons Jesus taught about humility. James and John wanted the biggest portions of glory for themselves. And their companions became jealous. Not a great success story.
Look back at all the angels in the Christmas story. Gabriel carried news to Zecharias and Mary. Heavenly hosts announced a birth to shepherds. A star led magi over 800 miles directly to Bethlehem. All these heavenly elements accomplished their assigned tasks perfectly.
In contrast? The disciples were ordinary fallible men. When Cornelius knelt to worship Peter in Acts 10:25-26, Peter responded, “Stand up! I am an ordinary man just like you.” Just like you or me? Consider the things those twelve ordinary disciples went on to accomplish. What might God want to accomplish through ordinary you today?
