by
Barbara McKinney
Could there have been a worse time? Not around here, I’m sure. I mean there’s all the shopping, and the mailing, and the cooking, and the relatives coming, and the lights to put up, and the lines for sitting on Santa’s lap with the wish list and a possible IPOD shortage. And afterwards there are the credit card worries, and exchanges and returns, and weight gain, and what to do with the annual fruitcake from Aunt Knows-Nothing-about-Gift-Giving. We’re still using last year’s as a doorstop.
In Your time it was the census and the bumping around on a donkey for the whole trip. Then, the No Vacancy at the inn; that’s the worst. Of course these days we’ve got internet reservations. But still, that doesn’t always work, either. And it isn’t as though we could claim to be the Son of God traveling with His folks. Although, that didn’t get You much reservation clout, anyway, did it.
It seems the night would have turned cold in that barn - and the smell, and the critters. These days, if the weather changes, we can end up sleeping in an airport listening to “Ho! Ho! Ho!” over the public address system; perhaps a little like trying to sleep on hay in a feeding trough. Tough birthday!
But, Christmases are like that. So my question is, “Couldn’t we celebrate Your being born at a more religious time of year?” I mean it - not Groundhog Day or anything silly like that - but a day set aside just for Your birthday. We could call it Jesus’ Birthday, or something like that.
Was part of the reason for allowing all that hardship and disrespect on Your birthday to let us know that we are acceptable to You, no matter if we, too, are dishonored by the world? Is that why You chose the stable - such a demeaning entrance - oh King of kings, Lord of lords? And to think, Your heavenly angels sang only to the lowly shepherds to announce Your birth. It makes me believe You would let Your angels even sing to me.
Jesus replied, ... “and the good news is preached to the poor... (Matthew 11:4-6 NIV)"
We, in suburbia, have the privilege of living in well heated homes, enjoying secure citizenship. We have not been fugitives like You and Your family became.
"Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape
to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to
search for the child to kill him (Matthew 2:13 NIV)."
We also don’t currently experience the terror and grief our Christian brothers and sisters do in other lands.
When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi,
he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys
in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and
under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the
Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah
was fulfilled:
"A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more (Matthew 2:16-18
NIV)."
We come right now to kneel before You to honor and thank You, dear Lord, for our children’s safety in this ‘One nation, under God.’ And since You are no longer allowed in the public square or at the schools, we will follow You to the stable and worship You. We will be honored to join You there.
And beyond that, we lie prostrate before You to worship at Your feet as we hear scripture declare:
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16 NASV).”
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as
silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to
you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb
without blemish or defect (1 Peter 1:18-19 NIV).
And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood. Let us, then, go to him outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore (Hebrews 13:12-13 NIV).
We will be honored to join You there, also.
In the meantime, happy birthday to You, sweet Jesus.