The Least of These

Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:34-40 ESV). One of my favorite Christmas stories is about the old shoe cobbler who dreamed one Christmas Eve that Jesus would come to visit him the next day. The dream was so real that he was convinced it would come true. So the next morning he got up, went out and cut green boughs, decorating his little cobbler shop, getting everything ready for Jesus to come. He was so sure that Jesus was going to come that he just sat down and waited for Him. The hours passed and Jesus didn't come. But an old man came. He came inside for a moment to get warm out of the winter cold. As the cobbler talked with him he noticed the holes in the old man's shoes, so he reached up on the shelf, getting him a new pair of shoes. He made sure they fit, that his socks were dry, and sent him on his way. Still he waited. But he still didn’t see Jesus come. An old woman came. She was a woman who hadn't had a decent meal in two days. They sat and visited for a while as he prepared some food for her to eat. He gave her a nourishing meal and sent her on her way. He wondered how long it would take for Jesus to come. He knew the Lord was busy and gave it no further thought as he sat down again to wait for Jesus. But Jesus still didn't come. Then he heard a little boy crying out in front of his shop. He went out and talked with the boy. He discovered that the boy had been separated from his parents. He was lost and couldn’t find his way. So he put on his coat, took the boy by the hand and led him safely home. When he came back to his little shoe shop it was almost dark; the streets were emptied of people. And then in a moment of despair he lifted his voice to heaven, saying, "Oh Lord Jesus, why didn't you come?" And then in a moment of silence he seemed to hear a voice saying, "Oh shoe cobbler, lift up your heart. I kept my word. Three times I knocked at your friendly door. Three times my shadow fell across your floor. I was the man with the bruised feet. I was the woman you gave to eat. I was the boy on the homeless street." Jesus had come. The cobbler just didn't realize it. Think about the people who cross your path, especially at this time of the year. They really are Jesus. How would he have you greet Him this day? Even the least of them are represented in his heart and mind.

Redeemed

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” (Luke 1:30-33 ESV). A.J. Gordon was the great Baptist pastor of the Clarendon Church in Boston, Massachusetts. One day he met a young boy in front of the sanctuary carrying a rusty cage in which several birds fluttered nervously. Gordon inquired, "Son, where did you get those birds?" The boy replied, "I trapped them out in the field." "What are you going to do with them?" "I'm going to play with them, and then I guess I'll just feed them to an old cat we have at home." When Gordon offered to buy them, the lad exclaimed, "Mister, you don't want them, they're just little old wild birds and can't sing very well." Gordon replied, "I'll give you $2 for the cage and the birds." "Okay, it's a deal, but you're making a bad bargain." The exchange was made and the boy went away whistling, happy with his shiny coins. Gordon walked around to the back of the church property, opened the door of the small wire coop, and let the struggling creatures soar into the blue. The next Sunday he took the empty cage into the pulpit and used it to illustrate his sermon about Christ's coming to seek and to save the lost, paying for them with His own precious blood. "That boy told me the birds were not songsters," said Gordon, "but when I released them and they winged their way heavenward, it seemed to me they were singing, 'Redeemed, redeemed, redeemed!'" With all the busy schedules we keep this time of the year, we must remember the real message of Christmas is that of redemption. What was promised in the very beginning began that night in Bethlehem and ended in Jerusalem. From the birth of Jesus to His death, burial, and resurrection, the message of God is one of redemption. Enslaved and captured by sin and death Jesus purchases our freedom and opens the cage door to let us fly in our freedom. The message of these times is the song of those wild birds. It's the song sung in every carol this season: Redeemed! It's the meaning behind every gift given under the tree: Redeemed! It's the Word the shepherds heard: Redeemed! It's the assurance Mary received: Redeemed! It's the star the Magi followed: Redeemed! You and I have been trapped by sin, but Christ has purchased our pardon. We have been redeemed! With every wonderful experience of Christmas, remember the price that has been paid for the best experience yet to come, our redemption! No wonder the great martyrs of our faith could look into death with calm assurance. Death held no power over them. Jesus had come!

Have You Heard?

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2 ESV). What have you heard and seen this Christmas? Herod heard a threat to his position and power. It’s easy for us to say that had we been there at Bethlehem that night we would have seen. We would have understood. We would have known it was the Christ child. Would we? I have begun to examine my own life a bit. Mary and I have been incredibly blessed in our years together. I wonder though, do I really see and hear the things around me. If not, then perhaps I would have missed that first Christmas as well. I think it would wise for us to ask ourselves some questions about some of the sights and sounds of this Christmas. When we watch the news do we see chaos and strife, shocked at the incredible cruelty of the evil in our world, or do we see beyond that to the sheep without a shepherd. When we venture to the malls and department stores to do our shopping, do we see only crowded walkways and aisles, or do we notice the worried expressions on some of the faces of those multitudes of people. Perhaps they are facing this Christmas without employment or enough money and they don't know how they are going to make ends meet. Perhaps there are some who are gazing in the toy stores or children’s stores and wondering what life might have been like had they had a child, or if their child had survived some tragic illness. Perhaps they are looking back at us, and wistfully thinking how their lives might have been better if they had not suffered the rejection and failures in their lives. Do we hear only the music and carols, or do we also notice the silent sighs of the lonely and the bereaved who may be dreading Christmas because it accentuates their loneliness. I’m afraid I am guilty of seeing and hearing things that affect me. What I often see and hear is not dependent upon the event but upon me. Perhaps you are that way also. If you did in fact hear the cry from the lonely, the laughter of poor children, if you saw the sheep without a shepherd, then, and only then, might you have noticed the events that took place in Bethlehem that night. If you lacked that spiritual seeing and hearing then you probably would have been with the 99% who were present but who saw or heard nothing out of the ordinary. I pray we are more sensitive than ever this year to hear and see beyond our desires and needs. Look into the eyes of those around you and see the longing for peace on earth; hear the sadness underlying their voices as they dream of good will toward men.

A Message of Purpose and Grace

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Matthew 1:18-25 ESV). I hope you are beginning to enjoy the Christmas season. There is always a flurry of activity at the start of the month. We have so much to do to “get ready” for Christmas. We have gifts to buy, decorations to set out, plans for family gatherings, and so much more. Sometimes all the activity intrudes into the joy of the celebration. Perhaps it’s because we get lost in the busy schedules and cannot see the message of Christmas very clearly. I’m convinced that a good part of the message of Christmas is that God intrudes upon the weak and the vulnerable, which is what we so often miss. God does not come to that part of us that swaggers through life, confident in our self sufficiency. God often leaves the best part of his treasure in the broken places of our life. God comes to us in those rare moments when we are able to transcend our own selfishness long enough to really care about another human being. On the wall of the museum of the concentration camp at Dachau is a large and moving photograph of a mother and her little girl standing in line of a gas chamber. The child, who is walking in front of her mother, does not know where she is going. The mother, who walks behind, does know, but is helpless to stop the tragedy. In her helplessness she performs the only act of love left to her. She places her hands over he child's eyes so she will at least not see the horror to come. When people come into the museum they do not whisk by this photo hurriedly. They pause. They almost feel the pain. And deep inside I think that they are all saying: "O God, don't let that be all that there is." God's hears those prayers and it is in just such situations of hopelessness and helplessness that his almighty power is born. It is there that God leaves his treasure. Mary must have felt that presence of God when she discovered she was pregnant. All of her dreams and hopes of being with the good man, Joseph, would certainly be lost in her mind. She would be an outcast. She would suffer from poverty and have the sole responsibility of raising this child. How could that be a gift from God? It is at that moment that God breaks into the doubt and fear with the message of purpose and grace. That’s the message of Christmas for all of us. God is shouting from Bethlehem how he loves and provides for us. Can you hear Him? I can.

Traditions of Christmas - Pt 3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:1-13 ESV). God has made it clear that He wants to live in our hearts and our homes. He is not interested in a weekend getaway, or a Sunday bungalow. God desires to reign as Lord of our homes now and always. He knows no difference between Wednesdays and Sundays. He wants His children to worship Him not only at the Communion table, but at the dinner table as well. We may go days without once thinking of God, but He never goes one moment without thinking of us. He wants a love relationship with us and it is the most important relationship we can have. We need to seek Him and get to know Him. In Jeremiah, God promises us, “You will find Me if you seek Me with all your heart.” The greatest gift we can give Christ is our constant love and devotion. Just as He commanded us to love Him with all our hearts, He instructed us to love others as ourselves. So at Christmas time we honor God when we focus on our relationships more than on our duties. All that we have and all that we are is because of Him. We show our love by communicating with Him and depending on Him, by using our cars as sanctuaries of prayer, or our office breaks as time studying His Word. Like George Bailey and Ebenezer Scrooge, try to imagine this world without you and your loved ones. Imagine that Christ never came and that God never chose to give you new life. Imagine no Christmas, no gifts, no special times with family. Life itself would have no meaning. Yet we find our meaning and our hope in the wondrous message the angels brought on that glorious night long ago, “Behold I bring you good news of great joy!” The news is that our God loves us! So let us thank Him for granting us new life and eternal security with Him in heaven. Thank God for Jesus Christ, and thank God for the wonderful traditions of Christmas.

Traditions of Christmas - Pt 2

After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way. (Matthew 2:9-12 ESV). We now turn our attention to the origin of Christmas. According to a Roman almanac, the birth of Christ was celebrated in the 300’s around January 6th, the date then believed to be Christ’s birthday. Additionally, a Roman pagan holiday occurred around December 25th, celebrating the sun and the midwinter when the days grew longer. This celebration incorporated festive drinking and dancing. Somehow the date of Christmas merged with this holiday, which later became known as the Feast of Fools during the reign of Henry VIII. However, in 1642 after the Puritans beheaded Charles 1, Christmas was banned for eight years both in England and in the American colonies. In the 19th century, the Christmas traditions began to reappear on the scene when the American Sunday School Society began conducting Bible programs for children. They actually promoted Sunday School attendance with a tree and candy, and they used a manger scene as a visual aid to teach the children. The tradition of the Christmas tree comes to us from Germany. Performers who strolled the streets in the 1300’s used the tree as an advertisement to promote the play Adam and Eve. They performed this play on Christmas Eve. They hung an apple to the tree to signify the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. Later people began to put trees in their homes at Christmas time. During the Victorian era, people used bigger trees with lower branches that reached to the floor. The story is told that one Christmas Eve while he was walking through the forest, Martin Luther spotted a fir tree, took it home and put candles on it to represent the stars. Later the Victorians carried on this tradition, placing candles on their trees and setting a bucket of water and a long stick with a rag attached, nearby. St. Frances of Assisi was reportedly the first to use the manger scene at Christmas time. He is said to have built the first life-size scene in 1223 AD to celebrate Mass, and all the peasants in the surrounding villages came to worship it. Lights (the Yule logs) and greenery were used to ward off the evil spirits during the pre-Christian times (the Viking era.) Even in the Dark Ages, when only the rich had candles, the poor would put out oil-lit wick lamps to help guide wayfarers to food and warmth. Like the wise men, these traditions all centered on worship. How will you worship Him this Christmas?

Traditions of Christmas - Pt 1

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:8-14 ESV). Have you ever wondered about the origin of the candy cane? Tradition holds that long ago a candy maker decided to make a special gift for his daughter. So he shaped his candy into the form of a “J” for Jesus, and painted red coloring on it to represent the blood of Jesus, and white for the virgin birth. Santa Claus is probably the most well known Christmas holiday tradition. As far back as the Viking days, we find tales of the Norse god Odin, who along with his elves fought the winters of the frozen forests. We see him appearing later in England as Father Christmas, in France as Pere Noel, in Holland as Sinter Claussa and in Germany as Christkidle, or Christ Child (better known to us as Kris Kringle). Perhaps the most famous story of Santa Claus comes from the Netherlands. There a young bishop named Nicholas loved to give gifts to children and to the poor. On Christmas Eve the children would set their shoes by the fireplace and Nicolas would put candy in their shoes if they had been good that year. In Europe he put switches in the shoes of the bad children. He also was said to have dropped coins down the chimney of the home of three maidens. The coins were caught in the stockings that the maidens had hung by the fireplace to dry. Later, during the Victorian era, the writer Clement Moore wrote a poem for his daughter on Christmas Eve. The poem, entitled ‘Twas the night before Christmas, was read to her Sunday School class and later published in the newspaper. The poem still enjoys widespread fame today. So in the years ahead, as we decorate our homes for Christmas, we ought to be mindful of the deeper meaning those decorations symbolize: the tree represents the Tree of Life, the candy cane represents Christ, the star represents the Star of Bethlehem and the lights represent the light of God’s Word that dispels the darkness of evil. We will remember that the manger scene began with a humble monk, and even St. Nicolas himself was originally a young bishop who loved Jesus. We must not be satisfied, however, simply to understand the symbolism of the traditions and decorations we use in our homes to celebrate Christmas. We must examine our hearts as well. Jesus wants our loving obedience, and He desires to reign as Lord of our hearts and our homes.