Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." (Luke 1:57-63a)
It's good to have people who care for you, and who will rejoice with you when good things happen. It's not so good when those same people get into your personal business, questioning your decisions, and trying to go over your head to get you to change them—as Elizabeth found, when her neighbors weren't happy with John's name!
Still, God did say in the beginning, "It is not good that the man should be alone," at which point He made another human being. Which led to more human beings in the long run. We were made to live together.
Maybe that's why Jesus came to us, born into a family, raised in a village. Maybe that's why He spent three years training His disciples, so that after Jesus died and rose to rescue us from the powers of evil, they could become the baby Christian church—the body of Christ—a community of love. Jesus' love—showing itself through the sacrificial care of our fellow believers.
WE PRAY: Lord, thank You that You have given me the rest of Your people, so I don't have to be alone. Amen.
Reflection Questions:
* What are some benefits of living in a community?
* What are some problems you've noticed?
* What is the most Christ-like community you have lived in, and why?
Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Today's Bible Readings: Psalms 79-80 Revelation 7
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