DAY 4 : NEW NEIGHBOR  John 1:14-18 (MSG)

“The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.

We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish.”

 I really love Eugene Peterson’s translation here; “The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood”.

Let’s take that literally today, just for fun.

What if Jesus actually moved into your neighborhood? The house 3 doors down goes on the market and one day you see a moving truck and there he is - Jesus! On your block!

The image is startling to me, a little weird and unrealistic. But it does say that Jesus came and “dwelt among us”. Let’s think about the proximity factor. He lives right here. I can look out my window and see him in the yard. That is very different than reading about someone in a book or even hearing about them from a friend or the news. He is more personal and somehow more real. It’s much harder to ignore him or avoid him if he lives across the street. Could that be part of the reason for this “incarnation”, this taking on flesh and blood?

REFLECTION :

Morning Pause: In your imagination in our goofy example here, is Jesus a child? A grown man? What is he like as a neighbor? Do you go knock on his door with a loaf of fresh-made bread as a welcome gift? How do you introduce yourself to him? How do you describe you and your family to the new neighbor?

Afternoon Pause: What are ways that you avoid or ignore Jesus now? I bet some of them you are not even aware that you are doing. What can you do about that? What do you want to do about that?

Evening Pause: Reflect on the reality that this new neighbor of yours, He wants to know you and be known by you! Write a prayer of gratitude.