Peace on Earth, Goodwill toward Men

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:76-79 ESV). These words of our reading this morning were spoken as a part of the prophecy of Jesus’ birth. But are they relevant words? Are they true words? Do we have peace on earth, goodwill toward men? That’s not what the headlines suggest! How can we celebrate peace when this is going on around us? We sometimes forget that while the story of Jesus’ birth is sweet and precious, it is also stark and real. The headlines in Jesus’ day might have been the same as today. I would imagine they’d have been like these:  Taxes Displace Family Awaiting First Child  Poor Family Takes Shelter in Barn  No room in the Inn for Newest Bethlehem Citizen  Superstitious Shepherds See Great Light—Report Strange Sounds on Hillside  King Hatches Paranoid Plot to Murder Unlikely Rival  Family Flees Neighborhood to Protect Child  Many Babies Senselessly Murdered by Rampaging Army  Mother Marvels at the Future of Her Child While Experts Warn of Difficult Future  Long Journey Ends in Gift Exchange This is the way God chose to come to earth, not as a conquering king, but as one of us. Not in a royal procession isolated from human struggle, but in a feed trough in the middle of it. God anchored himself to the common, everyday things of our world so we could survive it. When you read or see the headlines this week, remember this: Jesus came to insure our peace by taking part in our turbulent world. The headlines of today are the headlines he lived long ago. More than a sentimental journey, Christmas is a reminder that God loved us so much that he would wear human skin and face human challenge so we could find peace in him even when we can’t find it here. “Peace on earth, goodwill to men!” This is God’s blessing to his troubled children. So don’t just look for God’s grace in the twinkling lights and the sweet smiles of happy children at Christmas. Hear the bad news of the headlines and be reminded: Jesus has lived beneath those same headlines so that we wouldn’t always be bound to them.