December 29 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

Most of Jesus' life on earth was very ordinary, just as our lives are ordinary. He lived the routine of day and night, meals and work. And he was related to his parents and brothers and sisters, just as we are related to ours.

Joseph probably died young. He was still alive when Jesus was twelve years old, but after Jesus began his official ministry when he was thirty, Joseph's name is not mentioned. We do hear of Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters (Mark 3:31; 6:3). The idea that Jesus was the only child of Mary was invented when people began to worship Mary's virginity.

As the oldest boy in the family, Jesus must have had to work hard—especially if Joseph passed away while Jesus was still young. By God's wise decision, we know nothing about Jesus' life from when he was a baby until the time he was twelve years old. Then we are told about his trip to the temple. And then follow eighteen years of which we know nothing.

People have made up many stories about Jesus' childhood miracles. But they are the work of pious imagination. You can be sure that Jesus simply worked for a living. He did not turn stones into bread or use the kind of magic you see on television. In Nazareth, the town where he grew up, people called Jesus "the carpenter" (Mark 6:3). That tells the story. In small towns, people know each other. Jesus was simply known as the carpenter.

Ordinary work is a beautiful thing. Otherwise Jesus could not have spent most of his life doing a carpenter's job. So if I were a carpenter today, I'd say, "It's time to get back to the daily routine. Back to work."

Jesus is coming. And when the Lord comes back and finds us at our ordinary work—whether it's in the factory, on the farm, at the office, at school, or in the kitchen—it's perfectly all right. After all, that's what he did himself for most of his years on earth.

REFLECTIONS

What does Jesus' "ordinary life" as a child and then later as a carpenter say to you about your "ordinary" daily routine?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.