Judges 2:10-3:31; Luke 22:14-34; Psalm 92:1-93:5; Proverbs 14:1-2
“After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the LORD nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD….”
“’For it has been determined that the Son of Man must die. But what sorrow awaits the one who betrays him.’ The disciples began to ask each other which of them would ever do such a thing. Then they began to argue among themselves about who would be the greatest among them.”
“You thrill me, Lord, with all you have done for me! I sing for joy because of what you have done.
O Lord, what great works you do! And how deep are your thoughts.
Only a simpleton would not know,
and only a fool would not understand this.”
“And a sword will pierce your own heart.” Mary heard Simeon’s prophesy, but how could she possibly have understood the sheer enormity of it? How can any of us fully appreciate the risks of child rearing and, ultimately, the pain of separation as our kids grow beyond our ability to protect them from themselves? Don’t get ahead of me. As far as I am concerned, my kids have been and are wonderful, unique blessings from a loving God. I could not be prouder of any of them. They are learning to spread and test their wings. But it really can be tough watching them actually learn to fly, especially when it becomes an unhealthy competition. Sometimes, it seems they are more interested in assuring the other doesn’t leave the ground than in soaring themselves. That kind of negativism among his children breaks this father’s heart and puts a real damper on whatever else is going on, including Christmas. We didn’t raise them that way. We don’t know how or why they insist on so aggressively undercutting each other. Only one thing is clear: nobody wins that fight, and it generates a tremendous amount of collateral damage neither of them sees, much less appreciates enough to change.
Yet, they come by it honestly enough. Ever since Adam, humans have been seeking the one “leg up” that will give them an advantage or authority over others. Adam was seduced by the promise of becoming “like God.” Jacob took hold of Esau’s heel. The Israelites abandoned God when other gods and lifestyles became more convenient. And under the guise of “godly discipline,” I myself have inappropriately trimmed my kids’ wings more than once. What an ugly thought for Christmastime! Unseemly as it may be, though, it is one which must be addressed at the risk of missing Christ altogether.
How quickly we forget the lessons of Jesus! The persecution Christ suffered at the hands of His Jewish brothers and sisters from birth to death should sound a loud clarion blast of warning to all those struggling with family discord and conflict this time of year. Stop it! We may or may not intend the damage done, but regardless, we are operating contrary to the will of our heavenly Father. When we bring discord rather than compassion to such a time as Christmas, we do far more harm than good. We interfere with the reconciliation the Lord intended the season to bring. We may even wreck catastrophic injury on the very ones we are supposed to love the most.
Let's reprioritize our worldly concerns and priorities today. Setting ourselves above others is never attractive, but today, it is downright hideous and completely insensitive. When we judge, we isolate… everyone involved. We all have been blessed by the Spirit more than we deserve. This is a time for refocusing on those blessings and sharing them to the fullest extent possible. If it isn’t possible, if we have nothing positive to say, we should at least have the common courtesy to keep our negative opinions to ourselves. There is always time for disagreement, but the chances to build up others in love and Christ can be fleeting and easily missed. Besides, it just breaks God’s heart when His children quarrel, particularly at Christmas.
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