December 9, 2024

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask; I will not put the Lord to the test.’

Then Isaiah said, ‘Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and will call Him Immanuel‘.”

(Isaiah 7.12-14)

REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD during the Second Week of Advent 2024:

Here is the thing about the “peace” promised by the world. It is no promise. Rather, the world’s peace is a compromise. It is a bargaining for a concession by two or more parties to simply co-exist. It doesn’t change anything really. It merely delays until the parties can no longer co-exist. They are not sharing a same goal. They are not working toward consensus. They are still jockeying for power, dominion, authority which will place them at the head which everyone else will follow behind. For this reason, Jesus declared that the true opportunity for peace comes only from the transformation of the heart, mind and soul of people. He told His disciples as they gathered within the Upper Room on the night He would be arrested leading to a trial and an execution, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I do not give [it] to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14.27) I have already suggested how the world gives peace. We are currently watching that very process being implemented in the Middle East. To a lesser degree in Europe and in southeast Asia. And to what end? Surely the end is not for the salvation of the world. This is what Jesus promises to those who will cease the opportunity to humble themselves before God who is peace: salvation.

Mighty ones of God, if the Christmas celebration is to be anything of change and transformation (and trust me on this: commercial Christmas is diametrically opposed to that proposition), it must be about salvation. Salvation is not an external event but an internal happening. It happens when that hard look is taken at the condition of the heart, mind and soul with a final recognition that “without help” no change of value will occur. And why do I say “if Christmas”? I shouldn’t have to say. The logic of the gospel should be plain enough that we would ring out in chorus “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and she will call Him Immanuel.” The angels declared the same to those Bethlehem shepherds tending their flocks through the night, “Behold, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a king who is Christ the Lord.” The declaration was introduced by the calming of fears. In the transition of leadership in the days of Isaiah from Uzziah to Ahaz, there was still great fear. Uzziah died in a manner which seemed to be the consequence of turning against God. He was consumed by leprosy, an visible disease, because of an internal “sin-fection.” Having continued the line of troubled leadership which put the people and the nation of Israel at risk, Uzziah’s death left a vacuum. Would there be a peaceful transition? [We will watch as the warring tribes of Syria now vie for a “peaceful transition” with the ousting of fifty-four years of violent leadership. We see it as an extension of the war effort stretching from Gaza to the Golan Heights with Israel in between. What is making for peace there in any of those places?] So, what was to make for peace but an inner transformation, a new life and perspective born within that is brought out into the world. There is such a vivid image presented in the “birth” of a Savior. What could be more inwardly transforming than the reality of a child being prepared in the womb to come into the world? Remember Joseph’s transformation when that great sense of unrest come over him when he realized that Mary was pregnant and he was not the father. Was it not the appearance of an angel to him in a dream? That dream was not an external event but an internal one. What of Elizabeth when Mary came to visit her in her sixth month of pregnancy. As she opened the door to welcome Mary in, the baby in her womb (born in her advanced years) leapt for joy as if declaring “the coming of the Lord.” Again, another internal. And even Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah, was struck inwardly by his own lack faith in the word of the Angel who appeared to him in the temple when he went to making offering for the salvation of Israel. He would not be able to speak, an outward sign, until the baby in Elizabeth was delivered into the world.

Mighty ones of God, the true message of Christmas is about the deliverance of salvation into the world. It should be our first priority to declare this truth. In the midst of all the “trappings” of Christmas, we should be declaring Jubilee. Isaiah gave that prophetic utterance as well which Jesus repeated in Nazareth. What did Jesus receive for that good news? He was taken to a nearby cliff to be stoned which would cause Him to fall to His death at the foot of it. They would not receive the gift of peace He was offering them because of the hardness of their hearts. What they wanted were gifts of food, healing and other such evidences to prove their worth and value in a world that did not see them as worthy or valuable, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” And if we do not think we are being trapped by the world’s “Christmas,” then we need to think again. More money that people do not have will be spent during this time of year as it has been for every year previous. The commercialization of Christmas has grown since “this season” was conceptualized in the 17th Century. In this country, the Christmas season became a truly American celebration following the Civil War. What am I suggesting? It has not always been the way it is. It has, however, gained momentum to be the “consumption” season it is today. It consumes resources, hope and lives. It promotes more darkness than light. These are the elements of chaos in the midst of “world peace.” It is not reflective of that peace which Jesus left and gave to His disciples. It is fraught with externals as token internals. The time has come for a change as it was meant to be. We must come to terms with what we are truly saying with Christmas as believers in God who has revealed the true meaning of the season in Jesus the Christ. True peace can only happen when there is deliverance from evil and the promotion of salvation in Christ alone. This is the true sign which we must become: Christ is born in us!

TODAY’S PRAYER IN RESPONSE TO GOD’S WORD:

Father, before we were conceived in the womb, You had already formed us in Your love and by Your Spirit brought us into being. Each one of us is blessed with the opportunity of doing right, being good and producing the fruit of the Spirit in order that others be fed the truth of that same love so that the two will become one. It is our soul’s sincere desire to embrace the oneness You have in mind so we would know we are Your people and You are our God. Lead us in that discovery of the truth and the manifestation of that love for us all. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.