Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Saturday, December 29, 2012 Read - Luke 1:67-80 As we have noted all three songs sung at the births of the three children in the telling of Luke’s gospel and in 1 Samuel have a common theme. God is blessing his people – but that blessing is not pleasant for the strong and self-sufficient. God is bringing down the mighty and raising up the lowly. and faithful stewardship of what is really not our own. We may have to work a little to really appreciate these songs for ourselves but they do point us to the grace of God. There may be another reason why Luke has chosen to begin his gospel with these songs about the lowly and the poor. More than any other gospel Luke has concern for the poor and the outcast. Luke How do we see ourselves? To be honest I think that sometimes I am the strong. Perhaps you see yourself in that light too – at least some of the time. Is there a word of hope and grace for us in these songs? I think there certainly is. While it is possible for the prosperity that we enjoy to become a burden for us, especially when we deny our real blessed position in this world, it is also possible to know the humility of having received everything as a gift for which we can be truly grateful. It is a matter of good stewardship that comes into play for us. When we realize that all we are and have is a gift of God to us then we are able to release it all into God’s hands and become good will talk about money and property more than any other gospel writer and Luke will call us into account. We will need to watch for that. It is a theme that begins here and flows throughout his gospel – one of the touches Luke makes in his creative venture.