Luke 2:22-24 (ESV)
[22] And when the time came for
their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to
Jerusalem to present him to the Lord [23] (as it is written in the Law of the
Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”)
[24] and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord,
“a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”
Jesus was circumcised on the eighth
day after his birth. When he was forty-one days old, he was taken to the temple
to be presented to the Lord according to the instructions of the Old Testament
Law (see Lev 12). Three things are significant about this. First, this was expected
of every child born in Israel. Second, as the firstborn, he belonged to God and
was to be consecrated as such (see Ex 13:1). Third, the proper offering when
presenting the child to the temple was a lamb. The passage quoted in verse 24
refers to the offering of those in poverty who could not afford to offer a lamb
(see Leve 12:8).
Jesus, then, was born in poverty.
The King of All Creation came to earth not only in the form of a human child,
but a human child born in poverty. He came humbly. He came to serve not be
served. He came to die that we might live. He will one day return as the
conquering king, but he came first as an impoverished child.
For those of us who say that we want
to be like Jesus, what does that say about how we ought to live? Rather than amassing
more and more stuff, should we not be giving and serving? Rather than being
concerned about what people think of us, should we not be concerned about how we
think of others? Rather than being offended when people do not honor or respect
us, should we not honor and respect others? Be like Jesus, the King of All
Creation who came in humility rather than pride and arrogance.
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