"He shall build a house for my name and I will establish the throne of His kingdom forever." (2 Samuel 7:1-16)
Merry Christmas! In the name of Jesus. Amen. David wanted to build the Lord a house. It made such sense. How could King David live in a house while God's ark dwells in a tent? But, the Lord doesn't dwell in houses of wood. As much as the Lord did for David, He didn't need anything in return.
That's not how God works. God gives gifts by grace alone that are completely undeserved on our part. So, He gifts David with another gift: "I will establish the throne of your Seed forever." David's house and kingdom would be established forever before Him. David's throne would be established.
In that promise is all the God-dwelling-with-us that sinners will ever need. God doesn't need the Ark of the Covenant or a temple made of wood to dwell with His people. God dwells with His people in the person of His Son. God is with us, Immanuel, in the flesh and blood of Christ.
In the Christmas season, we are in gift-giving mode. But at the end of Christmas season, it is good for us to be reminded that we are on the receiving end of all of God's gifts. The hardest thing in the world for sinners is to receive gifts from God. We want to even up the score. If God gives us a house, we want to give Him something in return. If He gives us salvation, we want to do something for Him.
It just makes sense to do things our way. But that's not how salvation works for us, is it? That's the way the Law works. Our gifts don't repay Him, they don't satisfy the Law's demands, and they don't make up for the sins we have done.
He gives gifts freely and they are freely received. The Law demands that we give, build, make, do, work perfectly. The Gospel gives the very perfection that the Law requires in the flesh and blood of Jesus, shed for you on the Cross and delivered to you in the Lord's Supper.
Then, give all you want for you have been freely given to by God. Sing, pray, and praise, for God dwells with you in the person of Christ. What a gift! To David and to us: God dwells with us not in a temple that we can build, but in the flesh and blood of His Son.
So, one last Christmas Gift until next year: Merry Christmas! In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Daily Lectionary: Isa. 65:8-25, St. Luke 3:1-20
Higher Things would like to thank the Rev. George F. Borghardt III (Assistant Pastor, St. Mark Lutheran Church, Conroe, TX) for writing this season's Reflections.
Visit our website at www.higherthings.org to read Reflections online each day. Or sign up to receive daily Reflections in your e-mail Inbox by sending any message to: Reflections-subscribe@lists.higherthings.org.
Higher Things exists and grows on the basis of donations and free-will offerings from congregations and individuals. All donations are tax-deductible. If you wish to contribute to the work of Higher Things, Please send your donation to:
Higher Things, Inc.
PO Box 82
Hamel, MN 55340
(Donations are also accepted at www.higherthings.org via credit card or PayPal.)