Scripture Scribbles: December 17, 2023
the Gospel
Jn 1:6-8, 19-28
A man named John was sent from God.
He came for testimony, to testify to the light,
so that all might believe through him.
He was not the light,
but came to testify to the light.
And this is the testimony of John.
When the Jews from Jerusalem sent priests
and Levites to him
to ask him, “Who are you?”
He admitted and did not deny it,
but admitted, “I am not the Christ.”
So they asked him,
“What are you then? Are you Elijah?”
And he said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
So they said to him,
“Who are you, so we can give an answer to those who sent us?
What do you have to say for yourself?”
He said:
“I am the voice of one crying out in the desert,
‘make straight the way of the Lord,’”
as Isaiah the prophet said.”
Some Pharisees were also sent.
They asked him,
“Why then do you baptize
if you are not the Christ or Elijah or the Prophet?”
John answered them,
“I baptize with water;
but there is one among you whom you do not recognize,
the one who is coming after me,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie.”
This happened in Bethany across the Jordan,
where John was baptizing.
the devotion
I watch as his little eyes widen at the ringing sound of bells.
He wiggles in my arms, trying to inch just a little closer to see, touch, feel, taste all that is happening just a few feet away.
I smile to myself as it hits me just how monumental it is.
It’s everything.
“Yes, woooow!” I whisper in his ear and kiss his sweet forehead.
“Yes, that’s Jesus! Can you see Him?”
He cannot tear his little eyes away.
He watches in awe as the gold Chalice is lifted and the bells ring yet again.
The people seated behind us, a sweet older couple, chuckle quietly to themselves as his innocent and unadulterated awe leaves an impression on them, too.
What a precious moment.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you for the gift of right now.
Thank you for the gift of You. For the gift of him.
I close my eyes and bask in this quiet, intimate moment between us. One that the rest of the world will never know, at least not this side of heaven. Tears fill my closed eyes as deep joy overcomes me. This feels like a personal gift He has put together for this day, this time, just for me.
The Holy Spirit shifts within me and I’m taken by the fact that before my very eyes, in the span of just a few short months, the Lord has turned my life into a living, walking icon of His love.
This is it. This is my Love.
I hear Him whisper in my heart.
I’ve been reflecting lately on the quiet life of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
There is so much life, so many little moments, that we do not hear about. It makes my heart swell when I think of all the intimate time the Holy Family spent together, those years spent simply just being a family. A living, walking, incarnation of God and His perfect Love.
Doesn’t it blow you away when you realize that the closest God could come to translating His love into physical reality is by entering the world as an infant into a family? Born of a woman, raised by a loving mother and father, the child Jesus teaches us so much without needing to say anything at all.
In today’s Gospel we hear John tell the Pharisees that “there is one among you whom you do not recognize.”
I wonder what Jesus was doing at that very moment. He was still living his quiet life outside of public ministry. He spent so many years, approximately thirty (Luke 3:23), doing just that. And none of it was wasted. None of it was unimportant. God was speaking, loudly, even in the silence.
Today, during this Advent season, in the midst of the busy holiday rush, I invite you to get quiet.
Reflect on the quiet moments.
Connect with your loved ones.
Bask in the intimate little gifts that the Lord is giving you.
Receive His Love.
Ponder all of the ways He is speaking in the silent moments of your life.
Today’s devotion is written by Rachel Smith
