Praise the Lord for this Friday. Praise the
Lord for you all. Because of Jesus our Lord we are all connected and blessed.
It is raining here today. We had a few very
mild days recently. I saw people walking with shorts on. Rain or shine, cold
or warm, it is the most wonderful time of the year. I get excited when I pause
and ponder about the beauty and blessings of the season. During Advent, with
all the merriment, delight, and joy, as preparation is made for Christmas Eve
and Christmas Day, we discover the darkness of the world is dark indeed. There
is still unrest in the world. The darkness of hostility and violence is
overwhelming in various parts of the world.
The darkness of the world is dark indeed. Yet,
the good news of Christmas is that all that darkness, whatever its cause — fear,
murder, strife, unrest, violence — may be dispelled by the Living Light of
Bethlehem's Baby. The darkness of the world may be overcome. The darkness you
and I experience may be overcome.
We may be experiencing the dark night of the
soul from anxiety, loneliness, uncertainty, and a host of others dark
situations. If we are in the dark there is good news for us from the Lord.
There is a sign in everybody's night. It is the Christ-child, the Light of all
humanity. God gave that sign at night to remind each of us that in the darkest
hour of our lives, the Most High God gives a sign that brings life and
light. It is not by accident that this sign given at night
was in a manger. Jesus did not come to the bustling marketplace. Neither did
He come to the Temple, nor to a synagogue, the throne room, or a military base.
When Jesus was born, He was placed in a manger, a feeding trough for animals.
The manger, in that cattle stall, indicated the lowly state of the birth of this
Child and the humble conditions surrounding His birth. In this place of
simplicity, God surprised the world with His unexpected appearance. God chose
humble shepherds, a lowly maiden, and an ordinary stable for His entrance among
us.
This is the nature of God. The Bible reveals a
God who has always identified with the outcast, the lowly, the poor, the sick,
the ordinary, and the needy. We are to remember that God is concerned with the
hurting people of this world and we are among that lot because in some way or
another, all of us hurt. This is why God, who came into the world by way of the
manger, introduced a new kind of power. The power of the manger bothers many of
us. That "Sweet little Jesus boy," as the the spiritual goes,
would one day show that any foolishness of God was wiser than the wisdom of
humans; that the weakness of love was stronger than the force of hate; that
spiritual desire would outlast material possession; that His narrow way would
lead to the wideness of genuine living; and that His peace would sustain in the
valley, the darkest valley — even the valley of the shadow of death. "Sweet
little Jesus boy." They didn't know who He was. And many of us don't,
either.
It is interesting to note that the Holy Spirit
revealed Himself on that first Christmas to shepherds while they were tending
their sheep. Arnold Toynbee, in his massive work, A Study of History,
observed that new spiritual revelations in every ancient culture almost always
came to shepherds first. Many of the Old Testament characters such as Abraham,
Moses, David, and Amos had been shepherds.
Could it be shepherds were more alert to God
because they were in quiet places where they could hear Him? Maybe we don't
hear God because we seldom place ourselves in quiet places where we can be alert
and attuned to His Spirit who is speaking to us. In an unpretentious, modest,
and gentle way, God came to a manger — simply and humbly.
The shepherds received much joy. Their hearts
were filled with joy when the angel of God made the announcement of Messiah's
birth. Did you hear what the angel said? I am bringing you good news of great
joy for all the people. . . (Luke
2:10). Our joy is built upon the fact that, in Christ,
God is Immanuel — He really is. He really is with us.
In Christ,
Brown
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