Daily Devotions

In Luke 9:35 we find this remarkable incident  “A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

Here we find God the Father declaring Jesus to be his “beloved Son”. This happens twice in the gospels, at Jesus baptism and the Transfiguration.

This didn’t mean a son in the sense of someone physically born, but a “Son” in the sense of someone beloved above all, who inherits all his father has.

In the Old Testament, we see Jesus prefigured in the beloved sons of Isaac, Joseph, and David.

In the New Testament, Jesus himself prefigures our own standing as beloved sons and daughters of God as a result of our salvation through him.

Later in John's gospel we read, “Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”

A six-year-old Scottish girl named Lulu wrote a letter to God: “To God, How did you get invented?” Lulu’s father, who is not a believer, sent her letter to various church leaders: the Scottish Episcopal Church (no reply), the Presbyterians (no reply), and the Scottish Catholics (who sent a theologically complex reply). He also sent it to the then Archbishop of Canterbury, who sent the following letter in reply:

Dear Lulu,

Your dad has sent on your letter and asked if I have any answers. It’s a difficult one! But I think God might reply a bit like this –

‘Dear Lulu – Nobody invented me – but lots of people discovered me and were quite surprised. They discovered me when they looked round at the world and thought it was really beautiful or really mysterious and wondered where it came from. They discovered me when they were very very quiet on their own and felt a sort of peace and love they hadn’t expected. Then they invented ideas about me – some of them sensible and some of them not very sensible. From time to time I sent them some hints – specially in the life of Jesus – to help them get closer to what I’m really like. But there was nothing and nobody around before me to invent me. Rather like somebody who writes a story in a book, I started making up the story of the world and eventually invented human beings like you who could ask me awkward questions!’

And then he’d send you lots of love. I know he doesn’t usually write letters, so I have to do the best I can on his behalf. Lots of love from me too.” +Archbishop Rowan

The greatest sign he sent is his Son.

Loving God, giver of all light and life,

you sent your Son Jesus Christ into the world

not to condemn, but to save.

Help us to lift up the light of Christ

so that the world might believe in him

and receive the gift of eternal life;

through Christ, the light of the world. Amen