Slideshow image

“And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth.” Luke 2:39

In Luke 2:21–40 we see a couple engaged in ordinary obedience to the Lord. Born under God’s law, they obeyed God’s law. 

  • After having a little baby named Jesus, they circumcised Him, as the Lord commanded in the Law. (Luke 2:21 (see Gen 17:12, Lev 12:3))
  • After forty days they visited Jerusalem in order for the mother to complete the proper purification rituals, as the Lord commanded in the Law. (Luke 2:22, 24 (see Lev 12:1–8))
  • They also went to dedicate this Son to the Lord, as the Lord commanded in the Law. (Luke 2:23 (see Exod 13:2)

Though extraordinary to us (when was the last time you sacrificed a pigeon???) all these rituals were done in simple, ordinary, expected obedience to the Lord. These behaviors weren’t exceptional. Every Israelite was expected to obey God’s Law. However, this ordinary obedience did point to and reveal something truly wonderful about this Son. 

  • The male child marked with circumcision reminded the family that they were to live in covenant with the Lord.
  • The mother purified through sacrifice reminded the family that only in the Lord can be cleaned from sin and defiledment.
  • The child dedicated to the Lord reminded the family that they, as God’s people, are given to the Lord.

All these pictures pointed to a deeper reality. You are God’s!

“Ordinary” The Lord’s Supper

In Christ, our ordinary obedience also points to a deeper reality. When we eat the bread and take the cup of the Lord’s Supper, we are reminded that Jesus is our only sacrifice for sin. His body was really broken and blood really spilt in time and space. The little elements we partake in point to that deeper reality.

“Ordinary” Baptism

When we witness a believer enter the waters of baptism, we are reminded of the deeper reality that in Jesus we are clean and new. He has cleansed us of all our sins. We have died and have been made a new creation through repentance and faith in Jesus. Through the image of water we know there is a deeper reality.

“Ordinary” Devotion

When we pray, we are not merely speaking words into our minds but to the living God. When we read the Bible, we are not merely seeing a way to live but taking in the very words of God.

“Ordinary” Obedience

When children obey their parents, Paul tells them to obey their parents “in the Lord” (Eph 6:1)? Yes, a child’s obedience to earthly mothers and fathers has a deeper reality. It is obedience “in the Lord.” The Lord is the one the children really belong to; their obedience has spiritual significance.

“Ordinary” Everything

Or consider the commandment to “do all to the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:30). This means that everything done in life can and should be done to make much of (i.e. glorify) God. The way you watch TV, eat, exercise, the classes you take, the friends you make, the way you talk to your enemies, all of this can and should be done in a way that shines a light on how great God is.

The Deeper Reality to Your Doing 

What we do as Christians points to a deeper reality. We are possessions of God the Father, through the Son and by the Spirit. So, all of our doing has a deeper reality, it should point to who we are in God.

In Christ, our ordinary obedience points to the deeper reality that we are children of God. We are saved and being saved. So, don’t discount the purpose of ordinary obedience. No, it may not make you look unique within your church. No, you may not look special. But, your “ordinary” obedience to the Lord points to an extraordinary reality.

So, be ordinary today before God, an ordinary follower of Christ, and content yourself with that.