CHRISTMAS 2019

Selections from 2012 blogs...

"Good news of great joy 

which shall be for ALL people."

Luke 2:10

I awoke in the middle of last night with this announcement running through my head as if it were a Christmas ditty.  "Good news for ALL," resounding again and again.  I thought, "What manner of salutation is this?"  I pondered this angelic greeting before I fell back to sleep counting sheep.  

I remember how cute my brother was in our church play as a shepherd when we were very little, not having escaped the bathrobe drama at church: "What can I give Him, poor as I am?  If I were a shepherd, I'd give Him a lamb. (Christina Rosetti)  However if we were going to pick the least likely candidate for heaven in the time of Jesus' birth, it might have been shepherds.  They weren't allowed in church: too smelly, unclean, and known as thieves and liars.  Their word wasn't accepted in a court of law.  In God's selection to whom to bring the good news by way of angels, isn't it ironic he picked shepherds, the least likely to be believed?  Yet in God's good plan, perhaps the emphasis was if shepherds could receive the news of a Saviour, who would be excluded?  The good news is for ALL people, just like "For God so love the world that He gave His only Son that WHOSOEVER believes in Him should not perish..." (John 3:16)  I'm one of the "whosoevers."

It would be the most diabolical cosmic joke if Jesus offered the most wonderful gift to outstretched hands only to jerk it back, "Ha!  Your name's not on the gift tag!  Too bad for you, sucker!"  For example, Sam Houston had a sinful past and was known as "the big drunk" when he lived with the Cherokee.  Years later he married a wonderful Christian woman but struggled with the Presbyterian teaching of election feeling that he was beyond forgiveness.  He lived with despair thinking he was destined for hell.  Finally, he believed the good news given to those shepherds when Jesus was born which was for ALL people.  

A Wexford Carol

 "Good people ALL, this Christmas time consider well and bear in mind 

What our good God has done in sending His beloved Son.

With Mary holy we should pray to God with love this Christmas Day;

In Bethlehem upon that morn

 There was a blessed Messiah born...

Near Bethlehem did shepherds keep 

Their flocks of lambs and feeding sheep;

To whom God's angels did appear,

Which put the shepherds in great fear.

'Prepare and go', the angels said, 

'To Bethlehem, be not afraid;

For there you'll find, this happy morn,

A princely babe, sweet Jesus born.'

With thankful heart and joyful mind,

The shepherds went the babe to find,

And as God's angel had foretold,

They did our Saviour Christ behold.

Within a manger he was laid,

And by his side the virgin maid,

Attending on the Lord of life,

Who came to earth to end all strife..."