One of the most remarkable details in the birth of Jesus is that he came into the world in a stable because no one would take Mary and Joseph in for the night. There was no room for Jesus on that first Christmas.
Is there room for him today? Among all the fuss of increasingly secularised Christmas with Santa, reindeers, frosty, and excessive food, can Jesus receive any attention?
That unbelievers lock him out is one thing, but when even Christians tend to have little room for Jesus and point him to the stables that is deeply tragic. Instead of drawing them closer to God it does the very opposite.
With many believers the problem is not that they have no place whatsoever for Jesus but that the place that he is given is secondary at best.
A marginal corner, at the periphery of their lives. He is given the stables. That is the only room he finds. Because the house is already full with other things. Full of Christmas threes, abundance of food and gifts that often borders sinfulness, and frantic planing and constant driving around to make Christmas as best as it can be. All the while, the gift God Himself has sent from heaven is left out in the cold.
I am not codemning the warm fellowship of friends and family and good food we enjoy with them during the holidays. I am not even against the joy children have when opening gifts on Christmas Eve. But what I am denouncing as tragical is when these things replace, or relegate, Jesus from the central role he has in Christmas. Especially when that is done by people who bear his name.
So why is this happening? Why so many other things take priority over Jesus on Christmas? Why is it that Christians often have room for Him only out in the stables, a second hand place of their lives? Why is it that we want the birthday party but not the birthday baby?
While the phenomenon is complex, I believe the main culprit is spiritual immaturity. When we are not committed to seeking first the kingdom of God but rather trying to build our own little kingdom here on earth, our priorities will be, not surprisingly, totally out of order. While we may want to have a little bit of God in our lives, we fail to honor the most important commandment that calls for loving God with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our minds.
If our love throughout the year is for the things of this world, our focus will not change at Christmas. We will do what we are always doing. So, if you want Christ to have the main spot at Christmas, make sure he has the main place all the time. Not only in December, but also in July and November. Every day, week, and month, Jesus is to be your focus.
He came to be our Savior and the Lord of your lives. We are most blessed when this is true of us. Ephesians 1:7-8 says that “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.” Jesus is better than everything else, and that certainly includes the many things that people frantically chase at Christmas time.
May this brief post prompt you to realign your priorities in a way that you not only have room for Jesus but that you have the best spot for Him. Merry Christmas!
Photo Credit: Greyson Joralemon