Hope from the Baby of Bethlehem
Ray and I admire the ministry our friend Mike founded when he was at an age when some people retire. For fifteen years, he has been a chaplain at a juvenile detention center. He plans to continue “as long as health and circumstances permit.” This year he and his co-worker have served 3500 locked-up juveniles. The youngest were ten years old. Twenty volunteers assist Mike and his co-worker by teaching Bible classes every night of the week and on Sundays.
A tiny (tee-ninsey) handful of these children grew up in homes with families who loved them and took care of them. The vast, vast majority did not. The stability you are providing your children every day is a precious gift for them and for the world.
After Jesus, Joseph, and Mary returned to Israel after their stay in Egypt, they lived in Nazareth. Nazareth became Jesus hometown. When He began His ministry, Jesus traveled from synagogue to synagogue.
One day He came to His hometown and entered its synagogue. Someone handed Jesus the book of Isaiah. He found a certain passage and read it to them. Luke quotes it in chapter 4.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me
to preach the gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me
to proclaim release to the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.
Luke 4:18-19
The precious Baby of Bethlehem brought the offer of hope for every captive.