Thoughts for another day

Dec. 26, 2013.

Today's verse: John 1:10. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him.  (KJV)

(Pls. read the above before you read further.  Thanks)

By now the last embers of the Christmas fires have died down and if Christians haven’t had a peg too much, they’ll be calculating the losses and gains they made this Christmas.  The losses would be the money they spent in various things: gifts for friends, food, clothing, cars, extravaganzas, etc.  And as they reflect on the day it was, many would also be thinking what a beautiful Christmas they had, particularly because so many people came for their party; the hilarious things that happened – that ‘uncle’ drunk to the ears and that lady who could barely manage to be on her feet after downing a few.  Oh, yeah, it was a wonderful time…worth every penny spent!

Then in a small hut, the man would be sitting while his family was joyfully asleep; and thinking how he was to repay the loan he took to buy clothes for his children.  Yet, the solemnity of the occasion was reverberating in his mind; the church service, the carols and hymns etched deeply in his heart and innately he felt a profound sense of gratitude, he felt rich for the glow of the Savior was on his countenance and the mere thought of God’s birth excited him bringing tears to his eyes.   He knew and he felt it was worth it to take a loan to make his children happy.

The man in the hut had truly recognized Christ.  He had taken full advantage of the solemn occasion and he had imbibed Christ in himself.  He knew that Christ had come into the world so that his sins would be cleansed and he accepted it fully.  His family though poor, was nonetheless rich in the Lord.  They were the poor in spirit to whom, Jesus said, the Kingdom of heaven belonged.  What a blessed situation.  On the other hand the former people were satisfied with the things of the earth.  Their happiness quotient depended on material things and their joy depended on how much of the liquor flowed in the veins of their guests.  Christmas was totally devoid of Christ for they didn’t even know the Son of Man.  They didn’t recognize Him and of them Jesus said, Mk. 8:36, ‘What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?’  The question you and I are impelled to ask is, ‘have I recognized my Savior and Lord this Christmas?’