Friday, December 28, 2012
Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death--that is, the devil--and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
WHY?
At this time of year much of our country is done with Christmas and focusing on the past and coming year, with its past and possible achievements and disasters. But the birth of Jesus has much to say about both the past and the future.
In 2012 our country was shaken by the murders of children in school, patrons at a theater, and many other murders which, if reported nationally, did not grab the country's attention quite so much. Why would a good God permit such troubles to come upon us? Why doesn't He do something about them? Does He really love us?
Almost 400 years ago, Pastor Paul Gerhard could well have been asking similar questions. Refusing to agree to an edict denying the right to preach on certain doctrines, he was deposed at a time when he was not well. He had recently lost three of his five children, now another son died, and his wife became seriously ill. Did God really care?
When Gerhardt looked at the coming of Jesus in Bethlehem, he knew the answer. Surely One who willingly took on this sin-blighted flesh and blood in order to deliver every one of Satan's victims must love us, and has already done something to insure for us a blessed future.
If our blessed Lord and Maker
Hated men, Would He then
Be of flesh partaker?
If He in our woe delighted,
Would He bear All the care
Of our race benighted?
(The Lutheran Hymnal, 77:5)
