Weather Report From Heaven: Sunny and bright, with an abundance of light and lots of singing and rejoicing.
Scripture- “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 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.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” Luke 2:8-14
Insight: I know Christmas is over, and for many that means rest from the chaos of the cultural phenomenon that is American Consumerism. Christmas can be “loud” and we can miss the peace of it all if we are not focused on the real reason for the season which is the birth of Christ into the world. The one who divides all time by His coming has entered the world and His very name Jesus means “He rescues us from our sins.” I want to never forget one important fact of Jesus’s birth that is still as relevant today as it was over 2,000 years ago. It was done in the absolute quiet and obscurity of a little Judean Village with no fanfare at all. In fact, the only ones who God told were some lowly little Shepherds who were tending their flocks outside of Bethlehem and were shocked to hear of what was occurring a little ways away and why they had been invited to partake in the greatest event in human history. It says a lot about the humility of God that only a few Shepherds, whom the world looked down upon as “less than”, were invited to have a front row seat to see the Baby Jesus. It was a peaceful, beautiful night and all was quiet except for a few who knew what was happening. God wasn’t too concerned with status then, and He is not today.
But here’s the real applicable part for us even today. The noise is always wrong. What do I mean? The cultural noise is never part of what God is really doing. At the time of Jesus’s birth, Rome was the cultural center of the world and the Roman Empire dominated most of the known world at the time. It was seen as hip to be part of the “in crowd” in Rome. Similar in many ways to today’s Hollywood set. But did God bring Jesus into the World in the glitter and glamor and decadence of Rome? How about into the cultural hub of the Judean world in Jerusalem? Certainly that would seem appropriate? No, He chose to bring the Messiah into the world outside a sleepy little town of Bethlehem, into a manger of all places, and announced the King’s arrival not to the glitterazzi but to some lowly Shepherds. I bet no one in Rome even knew the world had been forever changed that night. That all time was now divided by B.C. and A.D. The noise and parties would have continued as usual. Caesar Augustus was Emperor and he probably felt like his name would live forever. He was probably in a Toga, eating grapes and drinking wine, and indulging in his sensual pleasures. Today, no one ever mentions Caesar Augustus, but everyone knows about Jesus, whether they accept His deity or not. All time is measured by His name. That is real power! The “noise” was wrong then, and it’s wrong now. God doesn’t get caught up or distracted by hype, or things the world looks to elevate as consequential. He is building an Eternal Kingdom that Jesus will reign on and over forever. You won’t hear much about this in our culture or the mainstream media. They will be making a bunch of “noise” about stuff that won’t even matter in the end. But for those of us who are aware of the peace that Jesus brings, and are working in whatever way to serve our King with a focus on eternal blessings with our time, talent and treasure, we are not impressed with all the “noise.” There is no peace there, and it is never the path of truth. God tells us in Psalm 46:10 to “be still and know that I am God.” There is real blessing in knowing where to find the peace that exists in the world, and it is never where all the cultural “noise” is telling you to look.
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