Well, we’re heavy into
the Christmas season, aren’t we? We can tell by the music playing in all
of the stores in which we’re fighting the crowds in order to purchase gifts for
our friends and loved ones. Let me just offer you my personal opinion on
this season of the year.
The world mistakenly
recognizes December 25th as being the day of Christ’s birth, but nowhere in the
Scriptures are we told this. As a matter of fact, some of the
events surrounding His birth would not have taken place at this time of the
year. As to a particular date, the Bible does tell us specifically when
He was crucified and when He arose from the grave. That is the important
date to be memorialized and we do so each and every Sunday when we gather as a
family in worship.
However, having said
that, I personally have no problem with having a “season” in which people are
more kind and thoughtful of others. When gifts and tokens of love or
esteem are given out. And, if Jesus Christ is mentioned much more than
usual and if He gets any glory for people’s behavior, so much the better.
I just wish that this “season” lasted all year round.
Because of this season,
with all of its bustle and hectic activities and also with all the sentiments
of “peace and goodwill towards men,” I thought that I’d combine my thoughts
regarding this season with a lesson centered upon Christ whose name is
connected with this time of the year. And, as I’ve said, I just wish the
world was “centered” on Him the whole year. I’ve told the little story
I’m about to use several years ago, but I think that it’s so appropriate to
this season and our lesson today that I’m going to revisit it today.
First, let me ask you a
question. Have you ever been mistaken for someone else? No doubt
you have as I’m sure that most of us have a time or two in our lives. Now
let me follow that question up with another one: Was it embarrassing to you
when that happened? Like, who you were mistaken for? In all
innocense I once told a Brother that he resembled a well-known person and he
replied, “Oh no, he’s an ugly guy.” Oops!
Ok, one more question:
How are you recognized by the world? As in, “Are you easily recognized as
a Christian (IE: Christ-like) or might you be just as easily recognized as not
being one? Romans 8:29 says that if we are Christians we are “conformed to the image of His Son...”
In other words, we should look like Him, meaning that our lives should reflect
His life.
See, a reflection means
an “image” or a “likeness” of something or someone. If we then go
one more step in this direction, we find that “likeness” means a
“similarity.” That’s the gist of our lesson today. That Christians
should portray to the world around them a “similarity” of Christ. Said
another way, they should “reflect” the values of God’s family as seen in the
life of Jesus, our “firstborn
brother.” (Rom. 8:29)
Now, let me tell you the
little story that I mentioned earlier and I think you’ll agree with me that it
illustrates a powerful message and one that should cause us to really consider
the “image” that we project to the world. And always remember this: that
“the world” is constantly looking at those who profess Christianity to see if
we “live and move and have our
being” (Acts 17:28) as true examples of Christ.
The story: (as I recall
it and somehow it seems appropriate to associate it with this hectic time of
year). A few years ago a group of salesmen had spent a week
attending a regional sales convention in a major city and were hurrying through
the airport to catch their plane because they had assured their wives they’d be
home by dinner time Friday night. In their mighty rush, with their
tickets and bags in their hands, one of the salesmen accidently bumped into a
table having a display of apples on it, knocking it over. Apples flew and
rolled everywhere.
Without stopping or
looking aback, they all managed to reach their gate just in time to board the
plane before the door closed. All except one. He paused, took a
deep breath, thought about what had just happened and felt compassion for the
youg girl whose table of apples they had knocked over. He told his
buddies to go on without him and asked one of them to call his wife and tell
her that he was taking a later flight.
He then returned to the
terminal where the table had overturned and was at once glad that he had done
so. The apples were all over the terminal floor and the 16 year old girl
was on the floor trying to gather her apples. People were swirling around
her, everyone rushing by with no one stopping to help. She was softly
crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration as she helplessly groped
for the apples. It was then he realized that she was totally blind.
The salesman knelt on
the floor with her, gathered up the apples and put them on the table and helped
her organize the display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them
had become battered and bruised so he put them aside in another basket.
When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, “Here,
please take this $40 for the damage we did and he asked her if she was
okay. She nodded through her tears and he continued on with, “I hope we
didn’t spoil your day too badly.”
As he turned and started
to walk away, the blind girl called out to him, “Mister...” He
paused, turned to look back into those blind eyes and she asked him, “Are you
Jesus?” Her question stopped him in mid-stride. He then slowly
walked back to the departure gate to catch the next flight, but the question
she’d asked burned in his soul. “Are you Jesus?”
Wouldn’t you consider
that to be the most wonderful case of mistaken identity that a Christian could
experience? Let’s return to one of my previous questions and re-ask it:
“How are you recognized by the world?” By the way we live and conduct
ourselves would someone see Jesus in us? Would our Christian character be
a true “image” or “likeness” of Him? Would our character be “similar” to
His? Something to consider, isn’t it?
For my closing thought
for this editorial today and in considering the “season” we’re currently
enjoying, allow me to borrow some words written by the Apostle Paul to express
a “seasonal” sentiment to everyone.
“And let the peace of God rule
in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in your body; and be ye thankful.” Colossians
3:15
Ron Covey
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