They missed Christmas. Oh, they were there. They saw the baby. They heard the cries of joy from the shepherds. They might have heard the testimonies of Anna and Simeon. They heard the story of angelic visits from Joseph and Mary. But they missed Christmas.
Take, for instance, the innkeeper. When a teenage couple in obvious need arrived at his doorstep he uncharacteristically refused hospitality and turned them out to a stable. He did not appear to be hostile to Joseph and Mary — he was just too busy to go out of his way to help them or to give them a second thought (have you ever noticed that even after Jesus was born, there is no indication that anyone was sent to help the young family?). He missed the first Christmas because he was uncommonly busy. Sound familiar? It is too easy to let the urgency of the moment crowd out THE importance of eternity. The momentary usurps the eternal. And that’s absurd!
A. W. Tozer said it well. “The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all. If we would find God amid all the religious externals, we must first determine to find Him, and then proceed in the way of simplicity. Now, as always, God discovers Himself to ‘babes’ and hides Himself in thick darkness from the wise and prudent. We must simplify our approach to Him.” [Pursuit of God, pp. 17-18.]
Then there is Herod. His attitude was “I must keep as much as I can for as long as I can.” He missed Christ because his quest was to attain and maintain his power. He was motivated by the controlling fear of losing his power. Herod missed Christmas and Christ because he misunderstood leadership. Herod was “too powerful” not to be served; Christ was powerful enough to be the servant of all.
In contrast to Herod was Mary. As one writer notes, “The virgin Mary, whose parenthood was unplanned, had a different response. She heard the angel out, pondered the repercussions, and replied, ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.’ Often a work of God comes with two edges, great joy and great pain, and in that matter-of-fact response Mary embraced both. She was the first person to accept Jesus on his own terms, regardless of the personal cost.”
Celebrating Christmas is not just about the stable; it’s about the throne, the throne of my heart and who will rule it (2 Cor. 12:9; Eph. 3:17; Col. 3:15-16).
When we fail to let Christ rule our hearts, we will miss Christmas.
[To be continued tomorrow.]
Words of Grace 