John 7:40-52

But some said, “Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he?” (John 7:41a, NRSV)

According to scripture, the Messiah “is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived.” So there is great confusion when Jesus, who some believed to be the Messiah, was just a man from no-account Nazareth in Galilee. Apparently, Nazareth could not possibly produce a Messiah! This, also apparently, came from the rule followers that I mentioned back on December 4^th. The “rules” say the Messiah will come from Bethlehem and this guy, (being Jesus) is only from Nazareth. Not possible.

Waiting time is hard, isn’t it? And sometimes that for which we wait does not always come from the expected source. Could it be that God surprises us with gifts which come from surprising places? From unexpected people? From gifts of nature or music or books or the family cat?

Yes, I think so.

I pray you are gifted from a surprising source this Advent season. When you love God, you can expect the best of gifts from any source.

Holy One, the One who comes in surprising ways, teach us to recognize you and your creativity in our lives no matter The Source. Amen.

– The Reverend Fay Ann Blaylock, First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and Zion United Church of Christ