A thought by Max Lucado from his book, Because of Bethlehem (with Bonus Content): Love Is Born, Hope Is Here (p. 132). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
Have you ever thought about that? Only three books in the NT really say anything about it and they don’t even tell us when.
Max says, “He didn’t even circle the date on the calendar. Ancient Christmases bounced from date to date before landing on December 25. Some early leaders favored dates in March. For centuries the Eastern Orthodox church celebrated Christmas on January 6, and some still do. Only in the fourth century did the church choose December 25 as the date to celebrate Jesus’ coming. We’ve made bigger deals out of lesser comings. How could this be? No exact date of birth. No hoopla at his birth. Is this a mistake?
“Or is this the message?”
He goes on, “Maybe your life resembles a Bethlehem stable. Crude in some spots, smelly in others. Not much glamour. Not always neat. People in your circle remind you of stable animals: grazing like sheep, stubborn like donkeys, and that cow in the corner looks a lot like the fellow next door.
“You, like Joseph, knocked on the innkeeper’s door. But you were too late. Or too old, sick, dull, damaged, poor, or peculiar. You know the sound of a slamming door. So here you are in the grotto, always on the outskirts of activity, it seems.
“You do your best to make the best of it, but try as you might, the roof still leaks, and the winter wind still sneaks through the holes you just can’t seem to fix. You’ve shivered through your share of cold nights.
“And you wonder if God has a place for a person like you. Find your answer in the Bethlehem stable.”
Later Max says, “One request from you, and God will do again what he did then: scatter the night with everlasting light. He’ll be born in you.
“Listen as God whispers, ‘No mess turns me back; no smell turns me off. I live to live in a life like yours. Every heart can be a manger. Every day can be a Christmas. Let “‘Silent Night’” be sung on summer nights. Let Advent brighten the autumn chill. The Christmas miracle is a yearlong celebration.’”
God came through Jesus because he loves us. That is the message he wants us to get and he wants to live in and through us. Will you let him?
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