Pastor Joe had all the children gathered at the front of the church for the special children’s sermon.
He read from Matthew chapter 2 about the events following the visit of the Magi to the baby Jesus:
“Now when they had gone, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, ‘Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is going to search for the Child to destroy Him.’”
In just a few sentences, he told the boys and girls how God took care of Joseph and Mary and baby Jesus by protecting them from those who wished to harm them.
Seven-year-old Bobby raised his hand (always a scary moment for Pastor Joe during the children’s sermon).
Pastor Joe: Yes, Bobby?
Bobby: What happened to the flea?
(I’ll wait …)
Ok, here’s the hint for those who haven’t gotten it yet: “Get up! Take the Child and His mother and flee to Egypt …”
Sorry about that.
There is a point to the story—Bobby got distracted and missed the point of the story.
Does that happen to us at Christmas?
Planning menus, attending parties and concerts, shopping, decorating, stressing over details—and those are the “fun” things!
There are also those among us who are grieving the loss of loved ones, struggling with broken or strained relationships, concerned that they can’t afford the Christmas gifts and feasts.
Distracted.
Weighed down.
In 1849, Unitarian minister Edmund Sears wrote a poem reflecting on his ministry experiences. The poem became the text for the familiar Christmas carol, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear.”
The stanza that sparked my attention today:
“All ye beneath life’s crushing load
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing”
The “crushing load” can originate from too much of anything. Heavy is heavy, regardless of origin or content. And when all you can think about is the load, distraction is inevitable.
I was brought to mind of a new song (performed here by the artist, Sam Fischer, and his wife, Erin) that is resonating with a lot of people.
Maybe you can relate.
“O rest beside the weary road …”
May I encourage you right now—just for a few moments— to lay down your Christmas burden and rest in the hope of the Christmas message.
An unexpected word caught my attention in my Bible reading this morning. The verse was Luke 5:26 –
“Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’”
“Remarkable” is the word I underlined in my reading today.
ReMARKable.
I marked it so I could REmember it and REfer to it again.
I want to mark the moments when I am amazed by Jesus—not just with pen in hand, but in my conscious thoughts.
When you take that moment to rest beside the weary road and contemplate the Christmas message, mark in your heart the moment of hope so you can come back and revisit it again and again.
Be amazing today, my friend.
