Where Do You Fit In At Christmas?

This past Sunday I was called upon to preach for one of our pastors who had to go out of town with a family emergency. I readily said yes, though I had planned to attend another church. After all, who couldn't preach a sermon the Sunday before Christmas - or at least fill the time.

I chose the traditional scriptures for my text. Luke 2 and the Matthew account of the Magi. We are all familiar with the story - perhaps too familiar. We have heard it so many times, we just go through it again and it may not speak to us the way that it really ought to.

I talked about the townspeople - preoccupied with self and caught up in the hustle and bustle of activity due to the census - they took no note of what was going on that night. NOT EVEN when the multitude of angels began to sing praises to God and lit up the sky with their glorious light.

I spoke about the shepherds and how the Angel of the Lord had appeared to them and brought them the Good News. How they left EVERYTHING to run to Bethlehem to see if what they had been told was true. they told everyone that would listen of the Good News and the people of the town were awestruck with what they were seeing in and hearing from the shepherds, but they still did not flock to the stable to worship the newborn King.

I spoke about the Magi/Wise Men from the East. They had been busy studying both the skies and the prophets of old and had come to believe that the King of Kings was to be born - so they left all to follow a star that led them first to Jerusalem, where they stopped in the palace (a logical place) and discovered that no one knew anything.

I spoke of Herod. The jealous ruler of the kingdom that was so afraid of a little baby that he ultimately had all under a certain age killed - thinking he could stop God. He called in the Chief Priests, who - like the Wise Men - studied the prophets almost daily. they reported to Herod and the Magi that the prophets foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

As I prepared for that sermon, it struck me! Common courtesy and protocol should have been extended to the Magi. These learned men from the East should have been guided to Bethlehem by the learned men from Jerusalem. The scripture records that the learned men from Jerusalem did NOTHING to change their agenda - they went back while the Magi went own and worshipped the new born King and gave Him fine gifts.

It is my prayer that more of us will be like the Wise Men and the shepherds. Praising God as we go - even back to work. And giving Him our finest gifts - our very lives - as genuine worship.

Though that is my prayer, it is my fear that most who profess faith in Christ will actually be more like the townspeople, Herod, or the Chief Priests - too preoccupied with self, our own agendas, etc. to come unto Him, worship Him, and experience the joy and fulfillment that ONLY Christ can bring into our lives.