As a Child, Like a Child.

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” -Luke 2:11

I have been reflecting on how exhausting 2020 has been on so many levels. That is especially true if the only lens through which we view the world, or all we focus on, are things like COVID, politics, or race. These things are a part of all our lives to one degree or another. But the hope and beauty of Jesus coming as a newborn baby is the promise of newfound life and new beginnings. Glad tidings of great joy for all people. Young or old. Rich or poor. Black or white. Male or female. 

The good news of Christmas, the Good News of the Gospel, is that Christ has come for all, and all can come to him by faith in hope and find rest for their weary souls. This is the very promise of Christ himself. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

To whom are we coming? What yoke are we bearing? Who are we learning from? Is it Christ? We will know whether it is genuinely Christ or not by whether our souls are at ease regardless of our circumstances. We will know whether the burden we bear is that of Christ’s if it is light. We will know whether Christ is the One we are being taught by if we are experiencing hope, wholeness, and fullness of life.

If you are weary, Christ gives new life. If you have lost hope, Jesus restores hope. If you are exhausted, Christ provides peace. If you are straining and striving, Jesus brings salvation. If you are tired of the constant drama, heated political and racial rhetoric, tired of COVID fears, anxieties, and impact on life, Jesus calls us to rest in him and know his peace.

If you have ever held a newborn child, you know the feeling. You know the sense of hope. No matter how difficult or painful, all else seems to disappear and lose its power over our hearts and minds. The newness of life, the triumph of life, the optimism of life, the joy of life, the beauty of life, the marvel of life, the peace of life, the hope of life. A clean slate of new beginnings.

This Christmas let’s remember that Christ has come for us as a child. Let us come to him like a child! May Christ be born in us anew as we worship him anew.