Great things Come in Little Packages

A Reflection on the First Reading for December 23rd, 2018:
Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5.2-5

The Lord says to his people:
“You, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one of the little clans of Judea,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old, from ancient days.”

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred
shall return to the children of Israel.
And he shall stand and feed his flock
in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.

And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be peace.

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When I first looked at this passage, I wondered what I could possibly say about it. At first glance, it seems to be a simple and straightforward directive to the people of this place and time. But everything written in the Word of God has something inside, some nugget hidden from a cursory glance but revealed, with probing and pondering. So I read and re-read it out loud, using Lectio Divina, and certain words emerged from the page in bold print. “Little”, “rule”, “great”.

Bethlehem in the Ephrathah region is a little place, but Bethlehem will be the birth place of the Messiah. The Lord Jesus comes from the line of Jesse, father of David, a shepherd who became a king. The little who end up ruling. The insignificant who do great things.
 
The Lord came as a little baby.

I feel spiritually little when I think of how much more I could be doing for the Lord. Sometimes I think that nothing I do or say will have lasting significance. I do not pray enough, or read my Bible enough, or anything enough! I miss opportunities to show Christ to the wounded in our midst, mostly because I’m not staying in the moment. I’m thinking of the next thing and suddenly I’ve moved past the person in need. And still, God can use the little in me. In the beautiful song Be Born In Me, these words of Mary our Mother jump off the page:

“I am not brave, I’ll never be. The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy.”

I want to say that and mean it. Lord Jesus, be born in me.

​Judy Savoy

"God can use the little in me. In the beautiful song Be Born In Me, these words of Mary our Mother
​jump off the page: “I am not brave, I’ll never be. The only thing my heart can offer is a vacancy.” 
I want to say that and mean it. Lord Jesus, be born in me."

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