Christmas Mourning, Christmas Hope

Christmas is drawing near.  When we think of Christmas, we may think of presents and trees and decorations and family and friends.  If you are a church-goer, perhaps what may come to mind is a newborn babe and a stable and shepherd-worshippers and angels declaring the glory of God come to man.  But there is another part of the Christmas story—a darker part, a harder part—that may speak to us this Christmas as we are threatened again by the pandemic and continued unrest and division in our country.

In Matthew’s gospel we learn about a horrific episode in the midst of the Nativity story that has traditionally been called the Massacre of the Innocents.

In this historic event 20 centuries ago, King Herod hears from the wise men that one who would be the King of the Jews has been born.  Herod was an evil and deranged man who would allow no competition for his throne.  When the wise men do not come back to him with the identity of this child, he becomes enraged, “and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men” (Matthew 2:16, 17).

Why is this stark story here, and what does it have to say to us this Christmas season?  I don’t pretend to have all the answers, but this is what I think:  this story is here to remind us about what kind of world Jesus came to.  We live in a beautiful world that is also a world of hurt and sorrow and brokenness and sin.  The saints of old used to call this world the “vale of tears”—and that it is.  Some of you know this already.  If you don’t, you haven’t lived long enough, or you have isolated yourself from the pain of those around you.

And I’m a part of this broken world.  My own sin hurts others and shows disdain for the One who made me.  This world is often messed up, and so am I;  the Bible calls it Fallen--fallen into sin and sorrow and death.

Into this world God sent His glorious, beloved Son.  Why?  Jesus did not come to make us nice.  He did not come to make us happy about ourselves.  He did not come so we would have success in all our endeavors.  He did not come just to comfort us.  Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God, came to this world to rescue and redeem us.  We need a Rescuer.  We desperately need a Rescuer.  I need a Rescuer.

Jesus was born into this world to take upon Himself the sin and sorrow and shame of all those who will look to Him.  He came to break the power of sin and death by being broken Himself upon the cross. “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).

Several years ago our church had the opportunity to pray for a young family as they watched their precious three-year old daughter slowly overtaken by a terrible illness.  Sometime after her death, at age four, her mother wrote these words:

“The Lord showed me how, those who have lost a child, can begin to understand the pain [God] felt over having lost His children to the darkness of this broken world, the heartache of being separated from them, and the great need He had for a Rescuer to come and restore us into the family of our Father. Jesus met that need, and His victory over death assures that my need to see [my little girl] again will be met one day as well.”

In the midst of what may be Christmas mourning for many this year, may we all find Christmas hope in our great Rescuer.

Theology or Me-ology: May Column in Destin Log

Here’s a little test for this month’s column:  which of these sermons would you be most interested in hearing:  Raising Courageous Kids, God is a Holy God, Finding Your Purpose, Seeing the Glory of God in Jesus Christ, Get the Marriage You’ve Always Wanted or In Control: Our God is a Sovereign God?

Now let me say that each of these are legitimate sermon topics and could be spoken about faithfully from the Scriptures.  However, the topics that most draw our attention may reveal something about our hearts and desires.  Notice, three of the sermons are about “me” (being a good parent, finding my purpose, having a good marriage), and three of the sermons are about God (He is Holy, He is Glorious, He is Sovereign).

Do you see?  Your preference may point to your priority.  Am I more interested in God, or am I more interested in me?  Am I God-centered in my life and thinking, or am I man-centered?  When we are not God-centered, we care less about God and His character and more about “How Can I Live My Best Life Now.”  We may not be interested in theology and doctrinal precision because we are not so interested in God.  We are interested in tips in how to live, because we are primarily interested in ourselves.  Some have called this the eclipsing of Theology with Me-ology.  The shift may seem subtle, but its effects are immense.

God has made us with hearts that can only be satisfied with the splendor of a glorious God and not a focus on self.  We get a taste of this great truth when we stand at the beach and watch a sunset.  There is something that happens when we see the beauty of the dimming sun reflecting on the water—when the clouds seem to flame orange and red.  We “ooh” and we “aah.”  We feel . . . deep joy and even delight, forgetting about ourselves and being overwhelmed with great splendor.

The most glorious sunset, the most stunning mountains, the grandest canyon pale in their beauty compared to the splendor of the God of heaven and earth.  We have been made to stand in breathtaking awe of divine glory.  Only He can satisfy your heart and mine.  

But how can we see this God?  We get glimpses of His glory in the world He has made, but the Bible tells us that God is seen most clearly as we look to His only Son, Jesus Christ.  He “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

Don’t get me wrong--tips for daily living are of some benefit.  But we were made for--and we long for--more.  Look to the Jesus of the Scriptures and . . . see.  See glory, see splendor, see an amazing Savior, and see if you do not find what your heart yearns for most.

And here is the—perhaps unexpected--everyday result:  what saturates your heart will be what flows from your life.  The more you are satisfied in the glory and love of Jesus, the more His grace will flow through you into your marriage, into your home, into your habits and goals and a thousand other ways.  Look to Jesus.

 

Faith over Fear

Faith over fear is a motto we are hearing a lot during our uncertain times.  It’s memorable, pithy and even has alliteration.  Better than that, it is true—mostly (and we will return to the “mostly”).  Those who love Jesus and rest in His Word know that our lives are to be lived in faith rather than in fear.

I did a quick search and found that some form of the command, “do not fear,” occurs over 130 times in Scripture.  God wonderfully tells us, “For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you’” (Isaiah 41:13).  And Jesus reminds his followers, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid” (John 14:27).

Christians are not to be fearful people, not because we are just naturally courageous.  Nor do we think we are immune from disaster or sickness.  We are not to be fearful because we trust that our lives are upheld and directed by a sovereign and loving Father.  There is nothing that can come upon us as God’s children that has not first passed through his loving hands (Romans 8:28).

As the Psalmist reminds us, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.  In God whose word I praise;  in God I trust” (Psalm 56:3, 4).  Faith over fear.  We desperately need this truth.

And yet . . . and yet what concerns me is that some are taking this precious and comforting truth and turning it into a criticism of others—even a condemnation.  Here’s what I mean.  One Christian sees a brother or sister in Christ wearing a protective mask, and they think and maybe even say, “Faith over fear.”  In other words, they must be wearing a mask because they are afraid (unlike me) of getting the coronavirus and not trusting God to care for them.  Right?  Well, maybe not.

Here’s the problem: such thinking does not take into account all of Scripture’s teaching on fear.  The book of Proverbs seems to teach us that there is a type of fear that is not sinful, “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it” (Proverbs 22:3).  That is to say, it is wise if you see potential danger to take precautions.  We teach our children with this kind of healthy fear.  We tell them not to play in a busy street, because it is dangerous.  We tell them to wear a seatbelt when they get in the car in case of an accident.  I don’t know any reasonable Christians who say, “Look at the unbelief and fear of that person wearing a seat-belt.  Look at the sinful fear of that child who won’t play in the street.”  In the face of danger, we trust the Lord, and we take wise precautions as He enables us.  We use means, and we trust God.

All this is to say, be charitable to one another.  Wearing a protective mask or taking other precautions during this pandemic is not necessarily a sign that someone is living in fear and not faith.  And of course, taking no precautions is not necessarily an indication of one’s greater trust in the Lord (they may be trusting in their robust health).  As one writer has recently put it, “Let’s be careful, then, that when we say ‘faith over fear’ we are making God’s promises feel big more than we are making our fellow Christians feel small.”