Tears stung my eyes as I read the words. Why? Why this division? Why this strife? It feels like just when one group is happy, another is upset. One person’s victory means another’s defeat. One group’s gain seems another’s loss. By advocating one truth, it seems to pit one against another truth of equal importance.
Thankfully, there is good news.
There is THE Good News.
I have had this song echoing in my heart all week. It’s #6 on our Seeds Family Worship, (you can listen here) and sometimes I’ll just sit, all alone in the car, after the kids have gotten out and run into the house, and I’ll just worship God to this song, letting the tears slip down my cheeks, lifting up my hands like a crazy lady, just so grateful that the gift of God, that Jesus Christ, that the gospel is …
joy that will be for all people.
Jesus isn’t the savior for only Americans. Or only Syrians. Or only Democrats or Republicans. Or only Jews. Or black, or white, or rich, or poor. His Good News knows no borders or bounds. It is Good News that is joy for all people.
There is no one excluded. Ever. To all who receive, it is joy. It is peace. It is hope.
And then, in the song, near the end, the choir sings out in Glory to God in the highest, Glory to God in the highest, and my heart gets caught up because Oh yes! We will sing those words and give Him praise and thanks because He is good and has done great things. And for all who sorrow, for all who mourn and weep, for all who ache and yearn and hunger for Him. We will sing He is good, He is holy, He is mighty, He is awesome. Glory to God in the highest …
And on earth peace to men, on whom His favor rests.
On whom does His favor rest? Who has the favor of God?
This isn’t a trick question. It isn’t black or white or rich or poor. Those who are in Christ Jesus have the favor of God.
The only way we can have the favor of God is if we are reconciled to Him. We were enemies of God, but Jesus Christ is our peace:
Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.
Because of Jesus Christ, God’s favor rests on us. He has killed the hostility, between us and God, and between us and others. Because Jesus Christ preached peace, He is the joy that shall be for all people. So we can move out courageously and generously. We don’t have to be “right.” We don’t have to prove our point. We can misjudged or misunderstood or even mistreated. We can love and give and hold our tongues or turn the other cheek or overlook offenses or just let stuff GO. Why?
Because the gospel’s grace is big enough. The gospel’s grace means you don’t have to demand your own way. We don’t need to be disappointed if we don’t get the perfect gift, or family, or experience.
We’ve already been given the greatest gift. It is a joy that will be for all people: It is Christ the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
{Merry Christmas, friends. Thanks for reading.}