“They brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord.”—Luke 2:22
During the biggest shopping season of the year, do you worry about not having enough resources to please and bless everyone on your list? It’s tempting to whip out the credit card and max it out so we can feel like we did right by everyone.
I feel the pressure too!
But as I say every year, I encourage you to stop and focus on the reason for the season: the baby born in an animal stable with a manger for a bed because there was no room at the inn. Shepherds in the fields, the poor and humble working class of their day, were the first to be told about the birthday of the Messiah, the Savior, the King of the universe!
The humbleness of it all and yet the glorious celebration in the heavens reminds us of what we are celebrating apart from the traditions of the holiday season.
I am struck by something that happened shortly after Jesus was born.
Joseph and Mary, His earthly parents, were devout Jews who followed the customs and laws of their faith, including the dedication of the firstborn male child in the Temple.
Accordingly, they brought Jesus “to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord … and to offer a sacrifice… A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:22-24).
Traditionally, the sacrifice was a lamb. But Leviticus 12:8 tells us that if they couldn’t afford a lamb, they were allowed to bring two doves or pigeons instead.
Pastor Chuck Smith commented, “The fact that Mary and Joseph brought birds instead of a lamb reveals their poverty…. Jesus wasn’t born in the lap of luxury.”1
The Lord honored their poor sacrifice, and Jesus was blessed as “A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of Your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).
I hope this encourages you. The most important birth in history was poor compared to the riches of the world but oh so rich in its significance to all of humanity.
Love came to the world in humble manner, blessing us beyond measure. So try not to worry about what you can or cannot afford. Let God’s love bless you and help you give freely to those who need the love of God as the greatest gift.
1. Chuck Smith, The Word for Today Bible, New King James Version, (Nelson Bibles, Tennessee, 2005) p. 1319.
