Had you lived in Bethlehem that night, what would you have done?
Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends". Actually, welcome to Christmas week… it’s finally here, right? And it’s all about celebrating the birth of our Savior. But had you and I been residents of Bethlehem the night that Joseph and Mary came to town, I wonder if you would be celebrating. Of that Christmas night so long ago, Martin Luther once wrote, “There are some of us who think to ourselves, 'If only I had been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have washed his linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!' Oh, yes, we say that. And we say it because we know now how great Christ is. But had we been there at that time, I don't think we would have done any better than the people of Bethlehem."
Because Martin Luther has a good point. And I'm afraid he’s got my number. I’d like to think that had I seen a young couple wandering into town, the wife ready to deliver and with nowhere to go, it would have roused my compassion. I like to think I would have said to the innkeeper, “Now see here, you must have a room somewhere!” or if that didn’t help, to turn to Joseph and say, “Please come with me to my house.” Or, had I encountered Mary and Joseph with their baby in the stable, I’d like to think I would have brought candles to brighten up the place, swept the floor, sprayed Lysol on the manger-anything to spruce up things to welcome the newborn.
But now that we realize who that Baby is, sure, we would roll up our sleeves to make a difference. But here's the irony: why don't we do it now? Jesus says in Matthew 25 that whatever kindness we extend to any neighbor in need, we do it to Him. We can help that homeless couple with nowhere to stay. We can lend the pregnant woman a hand. We can comfort that frightened teenager who’s got a baby in her tummy with nowhere to turn. We can make a difference for a baby in need. We can use our time, prayers, finances, creative thinking, and our homes. And the Lord, He’s going to count it all as direct service to Him.
This is the season, perhaps more than at any other time of the year; Christmastime is when we really can brighten the heart of someone in need. Maybe a college student at your church who didn’t go home for the winter break and now he’s only staring at pepperoni pizza for Christmas dinner – surely there’s room around your table for him. Or maybe the elderly grandmother whose son usually takes care of her needs – how about wrapping up part of your turkey dinner for her and doing a kind of meals-on-wheels delivery? Yes, you’re baking holiday cookies, and I just bet some of the guys and girls at the residential facility for people with cerebral palsy a few miles away… I just bet they’d love a big plateful of those cookies with a couple of Christmas carols thrown in as you deliver them.
And, hey, I'm no different. I’d like to pass on a Christmas blessing to you, especially if you are feeling a need this week. Join me at joniandfriendsradio.org so we can spend a couple of minutes together – I want to share a special Christmas message with you; perhaps one that you can pass on to other friends. Again that’s joniandfriendsradio.org. And finally, this week, in the rush to accomplish everything on your list, do not hurry past the Lord Jesus… the Lord who is standing by you in the form of that college student or grandmother or the people with cerebral palsy at that residential center. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to see Him and then ask Him to open your heart to give His compassion to that one in need. Just as you would have done, had you been in Bethlehem that night. May God give you the spirit -- His Spirit -- of Christmas.
Used by permission of
JONI AND FRIENDS
P.O. Box 3333
Agoura Hills, CA 91376
© Joni and Friends