Extraordinary Favor
Last Christmas, I crafted a traditional photo card to send family and friends our best wishes for wonderful holidays. There was a small space on the back of the card to add text, so I added three sentences to sum up 2020 for our family. I could have filled a journal with details about that year in our lives, but a few words were enough to tell the story.
In our passage today, Luke uses three sentences to summarize twelve years. Luke moves us from Christ’s infancy through His childhood in two verses. He explains that Mary and Joseph completed the requirements in the Jewish law for a family with a newborn son. Then, they went home. His description is matter of fact, ordinary, unremarkable, and human. Doctor Luke was a man of details in other things he wrote. Here, simplicity wins out. Luke describes a regular Jewish family in everyday, normal life habits as they begin to raise their child.
Earlier, we are introduced to our Savior, the Lord Christ. In this two-verse transition, we are introduced to the boy, Jesus of Nazareth. We’ve spent time worshiping the divine Christ child, and now observe His equally important humanity. Verse 40 tells us that Jesus grew and became strong. I imagine His parents were delighted as He reached each expected milestone of development. Their son was thriving right on schedule.
The final descriptions of Jesus are more unique. This young boy was filled with wisdom, “and the favor of God was upon Him.” “Charis,“ in Greek, translates to “favor” or “grace” in English. It is defined as, “divine influence upon the heart and it’s reflection in the life.” God’s favor distinguishes Jesus. We’re left only to wonder how His divinely influenced heart led Him to act at home, at play, at school, and with others.
Grace is often defined as unmerited favor. In Hebrew, a word meaning both grace and favor is defined, “To bend or stoop in kindness. To find favor and to show favor.” In three sentences, Luke reminds us Jesus not only had God’s favor, He is God’s Favor. The King of Heaven stooped down from His throne and became the perfect human and perfect sacrifice, so that God’s full favor could rest with all who would believe. We, who have found favor through faith, then may reflect God’s favor in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of our lives.
Cyndi LeForce, Tallowood 11th Grade Connect Group Leader
