Unit 1: The Beginning of a Call
Called To Prepare The Way | Bible Background • MATTHEW 2:7–15 | Printed Text • MATTHEW 2:7–15 | Devotional Reading • EXODUS 1:8–22
AIM FOR CHANGE
By the end of this lesson, we will RECOGNIZE the reality of sin and the necessity of repentance, IDENTIFY with John the Baptist in his call to prepare the way for Christ, and REPENT of their sins and bear witness to this repentance through their deeds.
IN FOCUS
Rather than exchanging gifts, Kathy’s family went on a Christmas tour of the Holy Lands, beginning in Egypt. They did all the touristy things—seeing the great pyramids, sailing up the Nile River, and even getting on camels for pictures. Their tour guide focused on the time the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt, but Kathy was thinking of Mary, Joseph, and young Jesus seeking sanctuary here while King Herod was carrying out his plan to murder any potential rival king. Kathy followed the tour guide through a market teeming with brown and black people, some matching her own skin tone. She thought that the white people often portrayed in Bible art would surely stand out in a crowd like this. A more historically accurate portrayal of the holy family would blend right in, here in Mother Africa.
Kathy’s son, Stephen, had begun saying that Jesus was only for white people. “Not only was Jesus first imposed on us by slave owners,” Stephen would say, “He also doesn’t seem to care about black issues like police brutality, colorism, or badly funded schools.” Here in Egypt, though, Kathy could see that idea was wrong. Jesus was no “white Savior”; He was everyone’s Savior. That night she shared her photos and thoughts with Stephen. Kathy’s trip to Egypt and Israel made her feel even closer to Jesus.
What happens when we view historic happenings through only one cultural lens? How do we make sure we are not blind to the unique perspectives of other cultures’ lenses?