Following the lead of angels who announced the birth of Jesus with well-known words about “peace to men on whom God’s favor rests,” there will be many Christmas messages built around the theme. The preachers proclaim, “Peace with God.” Singers laud “Peace on Earth.” I am grateful, deeply so, that Christ brought us reconciliation with our Father. But, His birth also caused consternation! When the Magi showed up at the royal palace asking about a new-born King, Matthew tells us that "King Herod was deeply disturbed when he heard this, as was everyone in Jerusalem." (Matthew 2:3, NLT)
The most natural thing in the world for us humans is to settle into ruts of routine that keep us snug our comfortable cubbies of complacency. The troubles of the world are shut out, needs ignored, responsibility shunted aside. And this, we call ‘peace.’ Like Herod of old, preserving our position can become our paramount priority. This is not the ‘peace’ that Jesus left Heaven to bring to you and me! He did not come to help us be indulged, self-satisfied, or smug. He came to make peace with God, to call us back to our Father and into His mission of the restoration of all Creation.
Yesterday I knocked on the door of a motel room where a young woman, a single mother of two toddlers, has been housed by the local welfare office. She called the church to tell us that she had no gifts for her little ones. Thankful for the generosity of our congregation that provides resources for such situations, I took some things to her including a small Christmas tree, hoping to make the holiday a bit brighter for her. Her face was full of gratitude when I handed the gifts and money to her. Her little girl giggled and offered her little hand to me for a high-five of thanks. But, it wasn’t a Hallmark moment. It was disturbing! As much as I was glad to provide a moment of joy for that little family, she became the symbol of all things broken in this world for me. Driving away, I wept, knowing that her real need is much greater than a few bucks for the holidays. She needs to be loved and helped to find a way out of the cycle of poverty, physical and spiritual, that has become her life. I am greatly disturbed by the brokenness of the world around me!
When shocked out of complacency by some epiphany of human suffering, the knee-jerk reaction of many is simply to throw money at the need and then to go home and to try to forget about it. “I can’t think about it. It’s just so sad. But, what can I do? I’m just one person.” God disturb us!
Keep the living hell of little girls who are sex slaves to men enslaved by their lusts before us.
Keep the hopelessness of those trapped in our inner cities, in endless cycles of bad choices in our minds. Keep the fear of those dying without hope, without knowing God’s promise of eternal life in our consciousness. LORD, DISTURB US in our palaces!
No real change comes to the lives of those most in need unless we get involved, surrender ourselves, share our homes and lives, and let the messes that the unloved and unlovely bring with them into our hearts. We cannot allow ourselves to think that we can turn sinners into saints by singing them a sweet song of salvation. We must be like Jesus. The Bible tells us that "He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion." (Philippians 2:6-8, The Message) That is disturbing!
Disciple, you will not experience the deep peace of God until you are fully aligned with the purposes of God. No amount of festive celebration can replace the high call of love which we hear when we receive the love of the Savior. He reconciles us to our Father and "he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:19, NIV) The words of Jim Elliott, a young intelligent man with a promising future, who died a martyr in the jungles of Ecuador in 1956, are my message to you this Christmas.
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Read all of the words in this carol. Full of promise, their fulfillment will be disturbing. Merry Christmas!
__________________
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With angelic hosts proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."
Christ, by highest heav'n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail, the incarnate Deity!
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."
Hail the heav'n born Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris'n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Come, Desire of nations, come!
Fix in us Thy humble home.
Rise, the woman's conqu'ring seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head;
Adam's likeness now efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King."
Hark The Herald Angels Sing
Wesley, Charles / Mendelssohn, Felix
© Public Domain
No comments:
Post a Comment