Journey To The MangerSample

God Sees More

Many of us might assume that if Jesus came to earth today, He’d choose a clean-cut, educated, well-off family to grow up with—and announce the glorious news of His birth to a select group of prominent pastors. Yet the reality of the Christmas story shows the difference between God’s vision and our worldly standards. Today, Jesus might have been born to a hardworking mechanic in a low-income neighborhood and his waitress fiancée. And perhaps the angels would have appeared to a group of ex-convicts in a labor pool, working late to finish a job digging ditches.

We often forget how far Mary and Joseph were from any kind of social prominence and how the shepherds were viewed as unclean and untrustworthy by Jewish standards. Each person who crowded around Jesus’ manger that incomparable night had experienced rejection and isolation. Yet these were the special people God chose to experience one of the holiest events of all time. He saw their hearts and their true worth—even when no one else did.

Activity: Gather some friends and serve a meal at a local homeless shelter.