David Bahn – Reflections

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These devotions are part of the Follow the Word Bible reading program at St. John Lutheran Church in Cypress, Texas. This year we are reading through the Scriptures together, listening for how God speaks through his Word day by day. I hope you will join me on this journey.

Today’s readings are Micah 5-7, Psalm 26.

Micah 5:2-5

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.
³ Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.
⁴ And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.
⁵ And he shall be their peace.

“Big gifts come in small packages.” Did you learn that growing up? I did. And, as a child, I wasn’t convinced. I wanted the big packages. Little packages might have held some supposed treasure—at least by adults’ standards—but not for me. Give me the biggest box under the Christmas tree.

When it comes to churches, many people think the same way. Surely the biggest churches have the greatest treasures to offer. Often they do—a large choir or outstanding praise band, vibrant children’s and youth ministries, thriving Bible studies, gifted staff, excellent facilities, and an abundance of volunteers. Good things often come in large packages.

And there’s nothing wrong with that. I served in a large congregation for many years, and the quality of the staff, programs, facilities, and depth of talent was remarkable. It was an honor to serve there, and God used that congregation to bless countless people in our community.

But the greatest gift ever given came wrapped in swaddling cloths, born in a little town that many overlooked and dismissed. The prophet Micah saw it coming seven centuries earlier:

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days.

We read these words every Christmas. They appear in children’s Christmas programs and in Matthew’s account of the visit of the Magi. They remind us not only where Jesus would be born, but how God delights to work.

God works through his Word. At creation he said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. He promised Abram descendants beyond number, and he kept his promise. Through Isaiah he declared that a Son would be born, and seven centuries later the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace entered our world. When God speaks, things happen.

So out of this small, overlooked town came the One first promised in Eden—the ruler of Israel whose origins are from ancient days. In the form of a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths, the Son of God entered our world. He has come. O glorious day! He has come.

Jesus compares the kingdom of God to leaven hidden in dough. Quietly and steadily it works through the whole batch. He says faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. He takes a little child and says that whoever would be great in God’s kingdom must become humble like one of these.

This is how God works.

So don’t despise the little things: a child, a whispered prayer, a quiet act of mercy, a single conversation about Jesus, or the seemingly ordinary gathering around Word and Sacrament. God delights to work through what the world considers small.

This is how God works. He who made himself nothing has become everything for all time. And he came from Bethlehem—just as Micah promised.