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Tower of the Flock, Part 2 – Joseph’s Story
Joseph’s story Luke 2:1-6 My heart squeezed when I saw Mary sitting on a boulder on the outskirts of town. Her eyes were closed, pinched shut in pain. Her jaw clenched, stifling a moan. My first memory of her flashed through my mind. Giggles filtered through the sycamore leaves overhead. I looked up to see her legs dangling from a branch as she and my little sister gobbled ripe, juicy figs straight from the tree. My sister jostled her reaching for another fig, and Mary lost her balance. She fell into my arms. I had no idea then that it was only the first time I would hold her. But…
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The Tower of the Flock, Part 1 – Eliezer’s Story
Eliezer’s Story At Migdal Eder Squinting in the late afternoon sun, I wiped my brow and surveyed our work. The crazy intense, sleep-deprived spring was well behind us. The last ewe had delivered the last lamb. We’d had a lovely, lazy summer letting the sheep graze the lush hill country. I’d been glad to get away from town for a few months. But harvest had come and gone, and we’d brought the sheep to the fields to eat what the gleaners left behind. That morning, Uncle Asa sent me to the watchtower on the edge of town to ready it for the next lambing season. Ignoring my aching back and…
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Man of Sorrows, the Suffering Servant
I’ve been dreading this post for weeks. It’s Christmas time, the time to celebrate the joyous birth of our Savior–Hark the Herald and O Come, All Ye Faithful. Gloria in Excelsis Deo. And yet, this week, we’re looking at the man of sorrows. His parents fled because Herod wanted to kill him. Jesus spent His whole life under a cloud of suspicion that He was illegitimate. During His earthly ministry, His own family rejected Him. He was an itinerant – homeless – rabbi. Dirt poor. The precious Christ child grew up to be a man of sorrows, an Ish Makoboth. The Suffering Servant came to suffer and die for our…
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Why a Manger?
I don’t know about you, but it always bothered me that Jesus was born in a stable among a bunch of smelly animals. No comfy crib for the Son of God – He slept in a stone feed trough. Can’t you just picture a sheep sticking his head in the manger looking for a snack only to end up nibbling on Jesus’s hair? Why was Jesus born where farm animals live? The usual explanation made sense. The Father chose a humble place for the birth of the Savior to show how He can sympathize with the poor and downtrodden. But that’s not a very satisfying answer. I thought Mary had…
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Servant
But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and those in high position exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wants to become prominent among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:25-28 When does Jesus tell the disciples this? Just before they head to Jerusalem and His crucifixion. To prepare them, He tells them He’ll be handed over to the…
