December 2, 2016 – 22 Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming

“He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:6

As you know, the theme for my devotions right now is “__ Days Until My Head Explodes, Or Devotions to Prepare Us For Christ’s Coming”. I imagine this is how I will look on December 23 – I will be right on the edge. That muffled explosion you will hear on Christmas morning will either be my head exploding, or the rapture – and friends, I know for a fact it will not be the rapture.

I really don’t have a good reason for my Scrooge-mood except for things like rampant materialism, traffic, crowds and over indulgence. Too many children today believe more in Santa Claus than a G-d who loves them so much G-d became human by being born as a child. Where Christmas should be celebrated by giving thanks for a child whose birth brings us everlasting joy, instead we watch people and children worship a jolly guy who flies with reindeer and delivers toys.

Jesus says, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24) Isaiah 53:6 says: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” My family and I go to the farm show every year. We enjoy seeing the cows, the horses, and of course, we visited the sheep exhibit. I don’t know much about sheep, but I thought it odd they were dressed in something akin to a flight suit. They looked like they were ready to join a fighter pilot instead of getting in line for the “sheep to shawl” event. On the outside they looked like they were ready for battle, but on the inside, they were still just sheep.

I thought this was a good metaphor for those in our society whom we might consider “lost sheep”. Lost sheep are people who do not know the Lord, but are so much a part of this world and so content in their “lost-ness” they could care less about the “good news” of Jesus Christ. Like sheep with blinders, they continue in their “own way” and end up going further and further astray. It is to these that Jesus has come, and to these we are called to profess our faith in Jesus. As such, we need to battle against the secular side of life that seeks to diminish our Christian celebrations, stand firm, and share the true meaning of Christmas. That will be my quest – and maybe it will help me lose my “Scrooginess”.

Pastor Dave