Sunday, January 2, 2005
Ninth Christmas Day
Luke 1:32-33 The Lord God will give 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.
CHRISTMAS, MORE THAN A HOLIDAY
We find it strange and foolish when we read that the ancients thought each nation had its own gods, and that the power of each god was limited to a certain territory. What kind of God is that, we think, who is powerless to help me when I leave my home or town or county or state? Yet as modern Christians we celebrate the joy and peace of Jesus entering into time and winning man's salvation for a day or two and think that we are living under the peace of the Christ-child. While that may have been considered a way of salvation by the ancients with their weak, man-made gods, it is hardly fitting for Christians to attribute such a skimpy salvation to the almighty and gracious creator, preserver and redeemer of heaven and earth. And it is certainly not in keeping with the great reign of peace the angel attributed to the Son of Mary when he said, "The Lord God will give 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."
If as a nation we were at war for 364 days a year and called a truce for one day would we say we were living in peace? Even if we arranged a truce for an entire week so that we might celebrate and rejoice with family and friends, and then took up our fighting for the next 51 weeks, would anyone declare us to be at peace? If anyone said such a thing all would think he was raving mad. Yet how often isn't Christmas viewed and lived as such a peace?
Thank God for making Christmas more than a holiday or a season of attempting to be happy. Thank God for the perfect and eternal peace of the Christ-child; for a forgiveness that isn't affected by how I feel or limited by what I am; for a completed salvation that doesn't break down as I do. As citizens of a world that is daily deceived, terrorized and killed by sin we desperately need the daily peace that the Christ-child has given us. May that eternal Christmas Peace be your hope and stay today and every day. 