A Little Baby, A Huge Gift
Imagine spending your first moments together as family sitting in the dirt, the stench of work animals seeping into your clothes, no bed for your child to sleep in, but you are still smiling and glowing with love. Then, all of the sudden, strangers approach your humble abode to meet your son, bowing while singing songs of praise and adoration. These strangers have brought their animals, who are also paying their homage and praise to your son. Choirs of angels sing in the sky, while a star shines brightly white directly above where your family is staying. And again, more strangers appear, this time they are dressed as kings. Their clothing is clean and their are jewels on their heads, yet they are bowing to your son and present him gifts. These gifts are not any ordinary or common gifts to receive at the birth of a lowly child, instead, they are fit for a king. These three kings, or wise men, have brought your son gold, frankincense and myrrh. Your son lays in a manager that you and your husband made into a bed, his eyes watching the kings lay down their gifts at the foot of the manger. Soon enough, all the strangers who came to adore your son go, and your family leaves on the donkey you rode into the city. All the events that happened are kept inside your heart and you will always remember them.
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A couple lines into that reflection, I'm sure it dawned on you that I was speaking of the birth of Christ. The first strangers were the shepherds, then the kings appeared to continue adoring the baby in the manger. It is important to reflect on how the life of Christ began, because His life started out small and became something huge.
Even before Christ was born, He was closed off from entering into the homes of the people and their hearts. There was no room in the inn for one more family, a family that is actually the most important family in all of history. So often do we encompass the mentality of these inn keepers by closing the doors to our hearts, and our lives, to letting Christ dwell there. We need to remember that Christ doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. So if you are feeling unworthy, unlovable, unworkable by Christ, you are wrong. You are never too far from God's embrace, His mercy and His love. Christ wants to come into your heart and your life in such a profound way that you will never be the same.
After Christ was born and laying in a manager, many strangers traveled to see Him. The lowliest people were called first - the shepherds. They were surrounded by animals all day, smelling almost identical to them. Yet, the angles still came to proclaim the good news to them that a Savior was born for the salvation of all people. They didn't have much to offer Christ, but they had one thing to offer just as we do - our lives. They weren't expecting Christ to come into their lives so suddenly, but that didn't stop them from coming to adore and praise Him. They opened their hearts to letting Him in, moving them to their knees and singing songs of praise. We are called to do the same.
The last people to arrive were the Three Kings, or the Three Wise men. Their presence shows that Christ calls people across the whole spectrum and from all walks of life. He didn't come just for the salvation of the lowly or just for the salvation of the upper class. Christ came for the salvation of all souls, then and now. Just as the shepherds brought the gifts of themselves, the Wise men also brought gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were all gifts fit for a king, which is appropriate for Christ because He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. These gifts were put at the foot of the manger in adoration and praise, an action that we should look to as a model. All our gifts and talents should be put at the foot of the manager just as all the shepherds and Wise men did. Even if they are not apparent to us at the time, Christ can work through them.
The Wise men were profoundly changed after encountering Christ and letting Him into their lives, just like the shepherds, just like we can today. Not much is known about the shepherds or the Wise men after they encountered Christ, but that doesn't mean Christ forgot them. We don't need to perform great acts or have our name in lights or always except to be seen. Christ sees us as we are, where we are and loves us all the same. We don't make our story, Christ does. So if years from now no one remembers or knows your story, it doesn't matter. Christ knows your story, your heart, your intentions. And that's the biggest gift of them all.
Oh Come Adore On Bended Knee
After Christ was born and laying in a manager, many strangers traveled to see Him. The lowliest people were called first - the shepherds. They were surrounded by animals all day, smelling almost identical to them. Yet, the angles still came to proclaim the good news to them that a Savior was born for the salvation of all people. They didn't have much to offer Christ, but they had one thing to offer just as we do - our lives. They weren't expecting Christ to come into their lives so suddenly, but that didn't stop them from coming to adore and praise Him. They opened their hearts to letting Him in, moving them to their knees and singing songs of praise. We are called to do the same.
The last people to arrive were the Three Kings, or the Three Wise men. Their presence shows that Christ calls people across the whole spectrum and from all walks of life. He didn't come just for the salvation of the lowly or just for the salvation of the upper class. Christ came for the salvation of all souls, then and now. Just as the shepherds brought the gifts of themselves, the Wise men also brought gifts. Gold, frankincense and myrrh were all gifts fit for a king, which is appropriate for Christ because He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. These gifts were put at the foot of the manger in adoration and praise, an action that we should look to as a model. All our gifts and talents should be put at the foot of the manager just as all the shepherds and Wise men did. Even if they are not apparent to us at the time, Christ can work through them.
The Wise men were profoundly changed after encountering Christ and letting Him into their lives, just like the shepherds, just like we can today. Not much is known about the shepherds or the Wise men after they encountered Christ, but that doesn't mean Christ forgot them. We don't need to perform great acts or have our name in lights or always except to be seen. Christ sees us as we are, where we are and loves us all the same. We don't make our story, Christ does. So if years from now no one remembers or knows your story, it doesn't matter. Christ knows your story, your heart, your intentions. And that's the biggest gift of them all.
Oh Come Adore On Bended Knee
Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee
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