Vol. 7, No. 44 – November 6, 2022
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” –Luke 2:9-12
We are just four weeks away from Advent Celebration 2022. Time to get our hearts ready for the momentous event of the Holy One arriving on the scene; perhaps God has a message for us this year that will make our hearts sing. Advent starts on November 27th. Seems strange we have passed quickly through so much of 2022.
There are so many that have not met the Savior: in the past, in the present, and in the future. The worldwide body of Christ has work to do today and for the tomorrows that are left.
In the past, people have pushed their meetings away. Like the innkeeper:
I speak to you as men of the world, not as idealists but as realists. Do you know what it is like to run an inn—to run a business, a family, to run anything in this world for that matter, even your own life? It is like being lost in a forest of a million trees, and each tree is a thing to be done. Is there fresh linen on all the beds? Did the children put on their coats before they went out? Has the letter been written, the book read? Is there money enough left in the bank? Today we have food in our bellies and clothes on our backs, but what can we do to make sure we will have them still tomorrow? A million things. –F. Buechner, The Magnificent Defeat, 1966.
Sure, that is a revisionist statement, but it intends to paint a picture of the busyness of our lives; one in which we often ignore the most important thing.
There are also many commoners that meet the Holy One. Really, all of us are commoners. It matters not what our elevated titles might be; titles are only for a season at best. None of the frills of success last. So, how important is it for the commoner to meet the King of kings? Important.
It is a tragedy of a great proportion of humanity who come close to meeting the Holy One, the King of kings and miss their opportunity (the Bible is filled with people who have come close and missed).
There is this group. Shepherds. Commoners. Well, less than. They were not high on the social scale in their day. If they were alongside us today, we might suggest a shower . . . a long one. Lots of soap. They were actually looked down upon by folks that did not see or want to see themselves as commoners.
Shepherds did not have much in the way of financial reserves. They were poor—as commoners. They did not have that remarkable presence that the uncommoner desired. To be wealthy. To have another bathroom to add to their current five. To have that new Rolls Royce. A new boat. Things the commoner did not have.
Except here. The commoner gets to meet Jesus. The uncommoner needs to check their event calendar.
When the commoners (shepherds) came to Bethlehem and met Jesus, they quickly spread the word (Luke 2:17). They did not take time for the baby shower. Or the party. They are a strange lot. Just commoners.
Life Application
This is actually more common than we might want to believe. This idea of people missing Jesus. Why?
Why do people miss Him?
Give it some thought. They miss Him, too often, because the “uncommon” people are too busy. They are inn-managers, so to speak. Their lives are so full. Their schedules are tight. They can only afford the time to go to church at Easter and Christmas. Otherwise, the demands of life are too much. Actually, they do not consider what they can ill-afford.
They know enough of the Bible to offer the “commoners” of the world an opportunity to meet the Holy One. But they do not offer the good news. Not their priority. And so, people, the “commoners,” so to speak, miss Him. And there will be “uncommoners” come before the Lord discovering they were never known by our Lord.
How are we doing with mingling with the common man, woman, or young person that needs to be introduced to Christ?
It seems that the “commoners” who know Christ are “out-ministering” the uncommon people of the world who should know better than to skip the sharing of the most important event in history; God’s gift to the world.
Think about it as you prepare your heart for Advent. Then act upon that conviction this year.
