God's Love, Poverty, and two Turtle Doves

Luke 2:22-24

22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.”

The interesting detail omitted in this passage is the fact that Jesus came from a poor background. While it is true that the Law of Moses stated that during purification, a sacrifice was necessary for the firstborn male, the ones mentioned initially were a lamb and a turtledove. Leviticus 12:8 states if the parents were too poor to afford the lamb, they were allowed to sacrifice two pigeons or a pair of doves.

Think about that for a second, in God's Providence, He chose poor human parents to be responsible for raising His son. In our culture today such a proposal would not be even considered for a family looking to adopt a child. One of the first concerns for social workers besides being a loving family, is whether the prospective parents will be able to financially support the child. The reality is that almost every prospective parent with a financial portfolio like Mary and Joseph would be denied. Yet God doesn't think like us.

Throughout Scripture He has often used the "have-not's" to accomplish His purposes. Page after page He has chosen women unable to get pregnant, the second over the firstborn, exiles in foreign countries, people born with physical handicaps, and even some who have failed in marriage multiple times while being ostracized by their community because of their immoral practices. Like Rudolph and his shiny nose, God has given these "have-not's" purpose, worth, and value. It is no wonder when Jesus grew up to be a man, he also had a heart for those who were oppressed and marginalized.

The birth of Jesus to such lowly parents reveals that God does not bless us for what we have, but rather because in His providence, He simply chooses to. Yes, some are more blessed than others, but most of those people need it more than we do if we're honest. God knows their background narrative, whether financial, relational, physical, emotional, much better than we do. In the end, His blessings for others, hit the bulls-eye.

As Christmas approaches, avoid the cultural marketing ploy that states the more stuff you accumulate the better your Christmas will be. Avoid the temptation to dwell on what you don't have to give this holiday season. The dedication of Jesus reminds us that we can experience a background of poverty, yet still be blessed by God.

We are never to poor for Him to love us. We are never to far enough removed from society that He doesn't see us. We are never too isolated where He won't befriend us. Having more stuff is nice, but experiencing God's love is everlasting. Don't focus on what you don't have this Christmas, focus on what you got.