Dec 15 - Luke 2:12

 

The angels said,

And this will be the sign

to you: You will find a babe

wrapped in swaddling cloths,

lying in a manger.

Luke 2:12

 

There's a children's book called The Three Trees. It's about a trio of living hardwoods. But when a man approaches with an ax, rather than lamenting being cut down, they contemplate with excitement how a craftsman might use them. 

 

Now, what would be an honorable use of your tree-life today? Might you like to help build a ceiling under which songs of praise are continually sung? Might you like to be a family table, around which ten thousand meals and a hundred thousand stories of life are told? Might you like to be part of a sailing ship, gliding free in the breeze? 

 

It seemed immediately like the second tree won the lottery. It was indeed part of a boat on the sea. With this story set hundreds of years ago, a boat would have been part of important world commerce. It would have been used for fishing, cargo, transport. This tree was glad. It had a great purpose. (So ... would that be a worthy purpose for your tree-life?)

 

The first tree also had a purpose as it was pulled from the lumber yard. Its trunk was soon hewn into boards. But soon this tree lamented. It had a purpose, but it was lowly. This tree was going to be used in a musty barn. It would be a food trough for cattle and sheep. 

 

Now, you may be guessing that this tree's lowly function was ultimately redeemed when, one night, a very pregnant woman came into the barn. Suddenly this lowly tree, carved into a humble manger, was the throne of the King of kings. (Can God use you in glorious ways from a position that seems to start as humble?)

 

The second tree started fast. It was a swift ship. But it could have grieved. Surely a boat would fall short of that manger's ultimate purpose, right? Nevertheless, from the decks of this simple vessel, the King of kings one day would command the heavens and still the storm. Thus, it too became a temporary throne during Jesus' earthly life. 

 

So what about the last tree? The final log lingered for decades in a forgotten wood pile. (Have you ever felt forgotten?) Well, one day it was remembered. It was hastily grabbed by a group of course soldiers.  It was cut once. Its two pieces were pounded crudely together. And it became an instrument of death - a Roman cross. And as you are surely knowing, this tree too became one of Jesus' earthly thrones. From our Lord's final royal seat on earth, he saved the world. 

 

The point? In God's hands nothing is forgotten or worthless. Some of us may start fast. Some may start slow. Some of us might seem to have a mighty earthly job and purpose, but do you believe that God purposes to use all of us. We may not see it immediately, but if you trust in God’s purposes – and surrender your life to being used – you will inevitably have a starring role in God's divine drama.  

 

In Christ's Lord,

a thin and twisted branch 

who's been used as a

shepherd's crook

 

Discussion Questions:

 

1. The tree that became manger thought it had been destined for a lowly purpose. Have you ever discovered lowly gifts that God has used for his glory?

2. The log that became part of a great ship once thought of its purpose in utterly worldly ways. Our earthly jobs can matter greatly, but in what ways might our earthly roles be used for kingdom purposes?

3. For thirty years, the final log felt forgotten, and when it was finally used, it was twisted into a seemingly inglorious role. But God can use even those who seem forgotten by the world. God, indeed, wills to redeem those who were once on the edges of respectability. In what ways has (or might) God use your weaknesses or failures for his glory?