An Uninvited Guest

"And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn." Luke 2:6-7 ESV

The Greek word for inn in this passage is kataluma, meaning a loosing down (from kata=down, luo=to loose). Hence, a place where you unloose your burden and relax. It is the same word in Luke 22:11 translated guest chamber or guest room in connection with the upper room. In the Eastern culture the guest, when invited, was an honored member of the household and continually served. It was customary to pay homage to a guest with a kiss of greeting, to wash his feet and annoint his head with oil. Such was the honored place of an invited guest.

But the Lord Jesus, Creator and Sustainer of all things, was not an invited guest into our dark world. "He was in the world and the world was made by Him and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not." (John 1:10-11) "He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." (Is. 53:3) Here was a Guest worthy of all honor and praise. This was a holy night, a Savior was born which was the very Christ of God. It was good news of great joy for all people. But He was not recognized. He was not honored. He was not praised.

Malachai, the last prophet of God before a 400 year silence, recorded the Words of the Lord. The priests of the Lord were dishonoring the Lord with defiled offerings: blind, lame and sick offerings. He said they wouldn't offer such offerings to their governor and expect favor and neither would He show them favor. "For I am a great King, says the Lord of Hosts." There is something so sad in that statement. How far the people were from God that He should have to tell them that He was a great King. Yet, with the Lord there is mercy for Malachai also recorded these words. "For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." Praise God for His mercy for it is the only reason I am not consumed. I thank God that He enabled me to recognize the Light. I thank God for a Savior and a Guest who came, even though uninvited and unwanted, and loved and healed and died. I thank God for a risen, living Savior. And I pray with my whole heart that I be strengthened to honor Him in such a way that He would be magnified, for He is a great King.

Herein is Love

"And some began to spit on Him..."

For the Jew, to spit in a person's face was the most shameful form of insult one could give. According to the Gospel of Mark, they did this to their Messiah, to the Holy One of God. That the high and lofty One was willing to endure such irreverence, such disrespect to His person is breathtaking. Herein is love.

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His life for us. 1 John 3:16

Reflections on Jesus by Napoleon

"Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne and myself have founded great empires, but on what did those creations of our genius rest? Upon force. But Jesus founded his on love. This very day millions would die for him. I have inspired multitudes with enthusiastic devotion: they would die for me. But to do it, I had to be present with the electric influence of my looks, my words, my voice. When I saw men and spoke to them, I lit up the flame of devotion in their hearts. But Jesus Christ by some mysterious influence, even through the lapse of eighteen centuries, so draws the hearts of men towards him that thousands at a word would rush through fire and flood for him, not counting their lives dear to themselves." Napoleon

Take My Yoke

Jesus said, "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Lately His yoke is not easy and His burden is not light. It's too hard, I say. I don't want this burden any longer, this besetting sin, this difficulty, I whine. I have no rest unto my soul. Why? The answer is in the verse. "Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me." I have no rest because I am not taking the yoke. In fact, I'm trying to weasel my way out of it. True learning takes place when the student takes ownership of his learning, when he willingly takes on the discipline of applying himself to his studies. Learning of Him cannot happen until I take the yoke, not when I simply endure it. When I take it willingly upon myself, I learn meekness. I learn to accept God's will for my life, not only without complaint but with the assurance that it is for my good. Then, and only then, will His yoke be easy and His burden light.