21-Dec-14

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. Luke 2:1-5Joseph traveled eighty miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem leading the donkey that carried Mary, great with child.  What was she thinking as each step jolted her body?  Was she in pain?  Was she dreading the birth?  Did she say the words that we say while deep in a process of misery?  “This, too, shall pass.”  There seemed to be no end to this traveling.  How many others traveled to a destination?  Adam and Eve, Jacob and his family, Abraham and Sarah, Ruth and Naomi, Moses with the children of Israel, Jonah, those exiled in Babylon, Apostle Paul, to name a few.And Jesus traveled the longest distance — from the Heavenlies to earth.  What was the purpose of all the traveling?  Jesus came to seek and save.  God our Father sends each of us on a journey of the soul, teaching us, leading us through our lives.  He gives us manna as we journey in this wilderness to our Promised Land.  That manna is the bread of Heaven – the Word of God, written to feed us on our journey.  The Word is Jesus.Are we demanding to be shown a miracle s0 that we can be saved?  “Show us a miracle, so that we can believe!”  Can we not see that all around us are miracles?  At this Christmas season, let us celebrate traveling that brought us Jesus, travel that criss-crosses the land, searching…. Searching to share the manna that sustains us with those who do not know Jesus, the bread of Heaven.The Good News is Jesus, and we celebrate, we journey through this land, we worship Him.  Jesus loves us, and we believe that Jesus and Jesus alone is the Only Son of God!They answered, “Show us a miraculous sign if you want us to believe in you. What can you do? After all, our ancestors ate manna while they journeyed through the wilderness! The Scriptures say, ‘Moses gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. John 6:30-32