Sunday, the man who delivered the communion devotional spoke of Christ's gift to us on the cross. At one point he asked us to imagine opening that gift with its pretty wrapping and beautiful bow. I couldn't do it, I couldn't see the gift with fancy paper and an elaborate bow.
All I could see was a humble cardboard box, tied with simple twine. The box was scarred from the sting of the whip, spattered with blood dripping from the crown of thorns. The twine was frayed and stained from a life or service to others. This great gift of salvation and new life did not come in a beautiful package. It came in a man without the trappings of beauty or majesty. Nothing in the appearance of the package was designed to attract me. Instead the package was designed to reveal the nature of God who loved all people so much that he abandoned his throne in heaven to live a sacrifical cross-focused life on this earth.
That gift in the humble cardboard box calls me to follow Jesus' example. It calls me to live in confidence that my future is secure, to trust God that one day I will live with him in glory. It calls me to share Jesus' good news, love, and compassion with my fellow human beings. It calls me to live a humble "cardboard box" life
How do you see Christ's precious gift?
