By Pastor Don Schatz

Surprise

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

I am guessing you have had an experience, at least once, that left you saying, “Well, you don’t see that every day.” Or perhaps, “Well, you don’t hear that every day.”

Not long ago, I heard myself remark on my morning walk, “You don’t see that every day.”  Speaking came after seeing a flame pink ship plying Puget Sound northward on a sunny summer day.  I have never seen a pink vessel.  Never.  I am assuming it is not the next-generation top prize offered by Mary Kay Cosmetics!  Instead of a pink Cadillac top sellers get a pink ship!

Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?
Numbers 22:28 New International Version

The story of Balaam’s talking donkey seems like another version of my experience with the pink ship: ‘You don’t hear that every day.’  It is always curious to me that Balaam takes it in stride.  The text pretty much reads like this was a one-time thing, a work of the Lord.  Now we know where television got the idea for Mr. Ed!  If you don’t know that television show, that is because you are not old like me!

Still, Scripture shares something even more remarkable.  Yes, it too was a one-time thing.  The Incarnation.  God become truly human, while remaining truly divine.  Oh yes, one more thing, God being born into the world just as we are.  Oh wait, one more thing.  God in Christ Jesus growing in wisdom and knowledge.  Oops, one more thing.  God willfully becoming our substitute, becoming sin, our sin, for us; God being crucified and buried for us.  God rising from the dead.  Okay, that last was actually 5 more things.  At every turn the Story of Christ Jesus, the Gospel of our Lord, is surprising.

Does it surprise you to hear how much God loves you?  I hope not.  He does love you.  He treasures you.  He daily welcomes you to his heart.  I hope that is something you hear and see, every day.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado