Turn Your Hearts Toward Home

So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (Romans 8:12-17 ESV).

 

I know that Christmas is not easy for many people. There are empty chairs that recall memories bringing sadness and renewed grief into our lives. There are broken relationships that have not been reconciled. And there are unfulfilled hopes and dreams that crowd out any joy. However, this can be a time of year when our hearts turn toward our only genuine home.

 

For our sake, Christ left his home at Christmas. He left the glory of heaven to come to our sin-filled world. The Holy One came to the unholy; the Creator came to his broken, corrupted creation.

 

Sin alienated us from God. Jesus took the initiative to seek us out and bring us back. He came to bear our sin. He came to be cut off from the Father’s love because of his love for us. He came to earth to bring us to heaven. He paid our debt to provide the way home to the Father.

 

Through Jesus we are adopted as God’s beloved children. It is through Christ that we can call the almighty, holy God “Abba, Father.” Our equivalent word for Abba is “Daddy.” I still remember the joy of times when my children ran to my arms, crying “Daddy!” when I came home. Abba is the trusting child’s cry of joy and love.

 

What a privilege we have in Jesus that we can call God “Abba, Father.” May we grow as his children in an ever-deepening relationship of gratitude and love.

  

Making a List and Checking it Twice

 

And he [Jesus] said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21 ESV).

 

Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t check our list as often as we think Santa does? The truth is we still get caught up in the retail madness of Christmas. It is hard to avoid when stores announce the countdown of shopping days till Christmas, when ads keep putting gift ideas in our heads, or when the kids give us a sad look and tell us what they really want for Christmas. It’s hard not to think that our worth is measured by an abundance of presents under the tree.

 

We know better. But if we are kids or teens, we also know that our friends will ask, “What did you get for Christmas?” while eagerly cataloging their haul. And while we as adults may be more subtle, we are not immune from the comparison game. We might not ask our friends, “What did you get?” but we can’t help noting someone’s remark about a vacation or new bling. Especially in December we need to be on guard “against all kinds of greed.”

 

A friend who grew up in a large family said that he and his siblings noticed something while remembering past Christmases: “We noticed that the stuff we did together was what stood out, not the stuff we got.” In his story about a man who built bigger barns, Jesus reminds us there is more to life than stuff. Having things will never satisfy, but waiting for our faithful God will!

 

A Manger for a Crib

 

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. (Luke 2:1-7 ESV).

 

“Away in a Manger” is a beloved song that seems like a lullaby. In fact, many children learn this song at a very young age. It tells the story of the birth of Christ in a clear and simple way, and it shares how the situation of Jesus’ birth was very humble.

 

In Philippians 2 we read how Jesus “humbled himself.” Not only does Jesus humble himself by taking on our human flesh, but his very birth takes place in humble circumstances.

 

Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem, his family’s hometown, to register for a census that was required by the Roman government. And when they arrived, there were no guest rooms available, so Joseph and Mary could not find a place to stay. They had to take shelter in a stable, and that’s where Mary gave birth to Jesus. So she wrapped him in cloths and placed him in the animals’ feed trough, a manger.

 

The humility of Jesus’ birth is deeply significant. We would not expect the King of all nations to be born in such meager circumstances. Yet Jesus was born in a stable. This shows us that no matter how poor, dirty, weak, or insignificant we might think we are, Jesus came to save us all. Jesus, the King of kings, humbled himself and took on our flesh. And his humility and love for us were on full display from the moment he was born to the moment he gave up his life to save us from our sin. This is the essence of the incredible grace God has shown toward us. What a gift!