This Christmas, try to bless and help people in need around you. Make this season bright for someone who has very little.
I tell you, Martin Luther had some great insights about Christmas.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I love most everything written by Martin Luther. And he wrote profusely about the Advent season. In fact, this is what he said about Christmas Eve. He wrote about the birth of Jesus in the manger, saying, “There are some of us who think to ourselves, ‘If I had only 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!’” [Okay, I’m going to interrupt Luther here because, yeah, I would say the same right? We all would.] We all would probably add that we’d sweep the stable floor to make it tidy and clean for a newborn. Or we would run up the street to beg a few blankets off someone. We’d find snacks, or hot water, [a cigar for Joseph please, I’m only kidding] but you get the point. So the question is, why would our present-day response be so different from anyone else who would have meandered by the stable that night? Well, let’s go back to Martin Luther because he said, “We say [we would have washed the baby’s linen and clean the floor] 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.”
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 them having nowhere to go, I would have said to the innkeeper, “Now see here, you must have a room somewhere! I want to speak to your manager. Do you know how I can ruin this establishment on Yelp?” Or maybe I’d like to believe that I could have turned to Joseph and said, “Oh please come with me to my house.” Or had I encountered the couple with their baby in the stable, I’d like to hope that I would have brought candles to brighten up the place, cleaned the stalls of manure, sprayed Lysol on the manger – anything to spruce up things to welcome the newborn. But Martin Luther was right. We know now who that baby was, and so, sure we would roll up our sleeves to make a difference. But back then? I don’t think we would’ve shown much kindness.
But here’s the thing, here’s the irony: why don’t we do it now? Jesus says that whatever kindness we extend to any neighbor in need, we do it as unto him. We can serve the Lord Jesus by helping that homeless couple with nowhere to stay. We can provide resources to the pregnant teenager who needs shelter. We can make a difference for a baby born in poverty and in need. We can use our time, our prayers, finances, creative thinking, and our homes. And the Lord will count it all as service to himself. For he said, “If you’ve done it to the least of my brethren, you have done it unto me.” You know I hope this sets the tone for ways we can serve our Savior and demonstrate our devotion to him this Christmas season. And for more blessings, I’d love to send you a copy of the book “The Four Emotions of Christmas” written by my good friend Bob Lepine. He has such special insights about the entire season that will really strengthen your heart and bless your spirit. For your gift, go to joniradio.org and we will send your free copy right away. Again, that’s joniradio.org. And this Christmas, thank you for whatever you are able to do to help people in need around you. Make this season bright for someone who has very little. And it’ll be your service to Jesus Christ this Christmas. God bless you from joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends