The 3rd Day of Christmas
The Lord look upon you kindly, and give you peace!
Numbers 6:26
How ironic that a season that heralds the bringer of peace is so full of stress and anxiety. Shopping for presents, putting up decorations, preparing and eating food, entertaining visitors, and travel are all packed together. A short breath, and then it’s time for gift returns, cleaning up, saying goodbyes, putting decorations away, more travel, and figuring out out to lose the weight we gained. All that on top of trying to get back to our ‘normal’ routine.
Through all our stress, we look at the peaceful nativity scene with Mary and Joseph relaxing around Jesus. Jesus is smiling. A sheep and an ox are peacefully laying down in the background. Three wise men bring nicely wrapped gifts. We can’t help but wonder what we are doing wrong?
Let’s piece together the real picture. First, they have to travel by foot and by donkey for 90 miles when Mary is 8+ months pregnant, just to complete some government papyruswork. Every hotel they stop at is full. They end up in a stable where Mary gives birth with a bunch of animals staring at her. While trying to sleep, animals are wandering around looking for food, the baby is crying, and random people keep showing up bringing gifts they don’t need. Sounds like a typical Christmas.
And that’s the point. Jesus didn’t come to bring peace to our outside world. He said so himself in Luke 12. The world isn’t any less hectic. The stresses and anxieties are still there. Bad things still happen, and things rarely work out as planned.
What Jesus brings is an inner peace. Though the tumult, he is there. We still have to go through the stress and anxieties of life, but he’s there to go through it with us, step-by-step. We have a guide to direct us, a shoulder to cry on, a friend to celebrate with, and a lover that wants the best for us.
For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:5