Certain

Back to the beginning, back to Luke, 

”I too decided to write an orderly account for you,"  

 Luke writes the story for you and me this Advent. He writes the story differently than his peers, Mathew, Mark, and John. Luke writes in the detail his mind needs. The details are what's important to Luke. Certainty. Luke was not one of the twelve who followed Jesus day to day. He also was not a Jew. Luke, a gentile, invited in, grafted in, adopted. He needs to know the story; the parts that the Jewish people already know must be learned by Luke. All the details and prophecies are new to him.

 "I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning.” Luke writes. 

Perhaps he talks to the twelve, sits with Mary as she pours out all the things hidden in her heart. Luke takes it all in. He stands at the empty tomb and weeps. What a Savior Luke has found. And Luke becomes the author of Acts, companion of Paul, inspired missionary, powerful Evangelist. It is Luke's carefully investigated story that we follow through Advent. Luke shares the journey to Bethlehem, the awe of the shepherds, and God in the manger. 

"So that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.” Luke wants us to know it is not just a story. Luke wants us to know this for sure. If you don't know it for certain, you can. That, my friend, is where the power is. 

Our team had spent years living the Gospel with the children at the state-run shelter. It wasn't until all those years of loving were laid strong and secure that we were permitted to tell the Gospel. The Christmas party would become our yearly opportunity to speak God's love, the story written by Luke. Thank you, Luke, for writing that story. Your words reach into my generation and touch the hearts of orphans; those carefully investigated words. Thank you. 

The second year, the team found a way to share what Luke wanted to say beyond the manger. Luke the Gentile, Luke the adopted. The theme of the Christmas party was A Royal Ball. Each child, nearly one hundred of them, was given royal robes and gold crowns. The mood shifted as the volunteers tied the robes on the little boys and girls, fitted the crowns on their heads, and told them how profoundly regal they looked. The mischievous ones calmed down. The drooping shoulders squared up. The heavy hearts lightened. We could both see and feel the change of atmosphere. When all were dressed, the Christmas story was told. All characters were present, from tiny baby Jesus to Gabriel, acted out by our enthusiastic team and volunteers. And in the end, it was explained that this baby, He was the King of the world, the Creator of all created things, and He had come down for us. Why? To make us royal. Every single one of us, invited to be royal sons and daughters. Don’t think for one moment this was lost on the crowd of orphans hanging onto each word spoken. It was good news. 

The children sat in silence and listened. They embraced the story Luke so longed to be taken for certain.
I stood back and breathed in the hope. The hope in those little hearts that this was not just a story, and I hoped too, that they would one day know for certain. Amidst the games and treat bags...this was the prize of the night.
Luke's prize...
Luke the adopted, Luke the certain.