Five-year Bible reading plan for 15 July 2013

King James Version (en)

King James Version (en)

Luke, Chapter 2, verses 8-20

⁸ one angel relateth it to the shepherds, ¹³ many sing praises to God for it

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

¹⁴Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

¹⁵And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Read more:Luke, Chapter 2

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2

2:11 To you - Shepherds; Israel; mankind.

2:14 Glory be to God in the highest; on earth peace; good will toward men - The shouts of the multitude are generally broken into short sentences. This rejoicing acclamation strongly represents the piety and benevolence of these heavenly spirits: as if they had said, Glory be to God in the highest heavens: let all the angelic legions resound his praises. For with the Redeemer's birth, peace, and all kind of happiness, come down to dwell on earth: yea, the overflowings of Divine good will and favour are now exercised toward men.

2:20 For all the things that they had heard - From Mary; as it was told them - By the angels.

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NOTES

In the story of the birth of Jesus Christ in the manger, with the cave, the shepherds, and the angels, there is nothing sentimental or sweetly touching. But there is much that is majestic and solemn. We should not be embarrassed by...

The news of the Messiah's birth is joyful, for everyone and for each person; not only for those who would later be called Christians, but also for all who take spiritual life seriously. Of course, the Jews, the people of God, awaited Him more than anyone else; they alone then could understand what had happened and what...

The news of the Messiah's birth is joyful, for everyone and for each person; not only for those who would later be called Christians, but also for all who take spiritual life seriously. Of course, the Jews, the people of God, awaited Him more than anyone else; they alone then could understand what had happened and what the good news meant. The others could only guess.

But the issue is not only who understands what, although awareness plays a key role in spiritual life. The issue is also what exactly happened: in the Kingdom that, in the Savior's words, has "drawn near." And this can be felt not only by Christians: a person may know nothing about the Messiah, about the people of God, or in general about the history of the Covenant and salvation, but every seeker can sense the breath of the Kingdom.

In this sense, the transformation undergone in the Christian era by some Eastern teachings, such as Hinduism or Buddhism, is quite remarkable. Could anyone have imagined in pre-Christian times that a Hindu, even a consistent monotheist who had chosen the path of yoga, would call God Heavenly Father? Yet in modern Hinduism this is found, and this is by no means due to the influence of Christian missionaries: it is the breath of that very Kingdom, which does not fit within any religious framework, the Kingdom open to everyone who strives for genuine spiritual life, whatever tradition he belongs to.

Of course, there is no Kingdom without a King. But the seeker does not always know about the King right away; at times he learns about the Kingdom before learning about the One who rules in it. But the King is glad for everyone who comes. And one can come to know the King even after learning about the Kingdom, touching it, and understanding that this is exactly where one had been going, and that one has arrived where one had long wanted to be. There is still time before the full triumph of the Kingdom, before Christ's return in glory, and that means seekers still have time to meet the King, to come to know Him, to realize with whom they have met, and to entrust themselves to Him.

Of course, the direct representation of the Kingdom on earth should first of all be the Church. But she is not always equal to this task, and Christ Himself never said that He would limit His activity in the world to the boundaries of the earthly Church. He promised not to leave her, but He did not promise us, as Christians, exclusive rights to the Kingdom. After all, it is His Kingdom and His Church, and only He can decide how far it will spread and who will be able to partake of it.

For whom is the Savior born? Are you sure He is born for you? The whole world renounced Christ in advance, giving Him, the newborn Child, only a feeding trough for livestock. The first subjects of the new King turn out to be...

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