Upside-Down Christmas: Luke 3

Luke 3

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Welcome back to the Upside-Down Christmas podcast. We’re walking our way through the Book of Luke one chapter at a time looking at the great themes of reversal—the rich becoming poor, the weak made strong, the high becoming low. And this week, we’re looking at the ministry of John the Baptist in chapter 3.

And I love John’s story because here’s this guy who has parents that are deeply connected to the inner workings of the religious institutions of the time that were right in the heart of Jerusalem. His father Zechariah was one of the priests who would work inside the temple. In fact, in chapter 1, we find out that Zechariah is in the holy place when an angel prophesies to him that his wife, Elizabeth—who was barren at the time—she will bear a son named John.

But John’s ministry doesn’t take place in the temple. It doesn’t take place even in Jerusalem. Instead, John does his ministry out in the wilderness, in places where no one lives, places that don’t really matter. Of course the desert places have a long history with the people of God. The Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years; Elijah went deep into the wilderness to meet with the Lord. Even Jesus would spend 40 days in the wilderness.

But according to the ways of the world, those desert places—they don’t matter. You can’t do anything important there. If you’re going to do anything that matters you’ve got to be in the places that matter. Right?

It’s certainly true that there are a lot of people who think that the important things can only be done in the important places. But that doesn’t seem to be the case with God. Instead, God seems to take pleasure in turning these instincts on their heads, and I think the reason why is because—to echo Francis Schaeffer—there are no little places. In other words, we attach all kinds of value to being in “important places” with “important people” doing “important things.”

But God seems to have different ideas. And the reason is because he doesn’t need us to be important or to do important things. Instead, God is looking for us to be faithful. Just to be faithful to whatever we’ve been called to wherever we’ve been called to it. And sometimes he calls us to be faithful with “little people” in “nowhere places.” And sometimes that faithfulness is seen by few.

Let’s pray: Lord, we think we have to be important for you, but that’s not the case. Help us to enjoy being faithful to you with whatever we’ve been called to do wherever we’ve been called to do it. And grant us a refreshed mind and spirit to see that we really are pleasing in your sight when we live faithfully in these ways. Amen.

Family Devotional:

John's ministry took place in the wilderness. What do you imagine day to day life looked like out there? What are some of the "normal" things you do that would be difficult for John? In the wilderness, there are no resources or people--just you and God. How would you feel about going out to a place like that and spending time with God?

John dressed kind of crazy, wearing camel hair clothing; he also had a wierd diet, eating bugs. More than that he had some crazy and shocking things to say. Do you think if John existed today you would go out to see him? Why or why not? What would motivate you to go? What woud hold you back?