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This devotion pairs with this weekend’s Lutheran Hour sermon, which can be found at lhm.org.
Philippians 2:5-11 (NIV) – In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a Man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
If you’ve ever heard the story of St. Augustine’s conversion, you might be familiar with the fact that, as he sat outside in a garden with some books nearby, it’s said that he heard something like a child’s voice, perhaps from a nearby garden, that said, “Take and read.” Not knowing who was speaking, Augustine nevertheless picked up a book, which happened to be the Bible. And everything changed from there.
What you might not know is that prior to his conversion, later becoming Bishop of Hippo in the North of Africa, Augustine had been quite the worldly figure. He excelled at public speaking, eventually reaching the courts of nobility in Milan. He was a womanizer, and history records that he had at least one child, though he never married. His insatiable desire for worldly success and attention moved him to leave his childhood home behind, taking a boat from Carthage to leave his nagging mother. You know his mother, even if you don’t think you do. Her name was Monica, from which we get St. Monica. The city in Southern California, Santa Monica, is named after her.
She was perhaps the first so-called “helicopter parent.” In a sense, she believed her ultimate goal in life was to guide her son to become a Christian. So, a few boats later, she too left North Africa for Italy, following her son. When he finally did convert, it wasn’t long after, and she passed away, perhaps now able to rest knowing that her primary task had been fulfilled.
In brief, the story of St. Augustine’s becoming a follower of Jesus shows us that God often chooses the most unlikely figures to do incredible things, most especially, sharing the Gospel, which can change someone’s eternal destiny.
You and I are just as unlikely as St. Augustine to be chosen by God to do this. But that’s not far off from the very story that is the center of our faith. It, too, is an unlikely story, a story of God becoming flesh, taking on human form, in humility becoming a servant, and even sacrificing His own life. Who would have imagined such a thing? That God would become a human so that He could die. What’s more, this same Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, and is enthroned now at the right hand of God as Christ the King, who rules over all things.
How Christ became King is as much a surprise as the fact that He chooses people like you and me, people like St. Augustine and St. Monica. Whatever roles we have in life, we can be sure of this—God has caught us up in His grand plan of bringing the Good News of Jesus to the whole world. We might be unlikely servants who don’t think we have much to offer, but God promises to empower us.
WE PRAY that God would reach down through us to share the Good News with someone who needs it this week. God grants this to us because of Jesus. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Rev. Dr. Chad Lakies.
Reflection Questions:
- Do you have someone like Augustine’s mother, Monica, in your life?
- Why do you think God delights in choosing unlikely people to do His work?
- Who is someone you know personally that is very unlikely to come to God?
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