The Privileged Life: Did You Miss Christmas?
“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 2:10-11 NKJV)
Four years ago, we missed Christmas.
And oh, what a beautiful day! The first real “white Christmas” I’d ever known here in the South! A generous snowstorm showed up and dumped inches of snow around our house. I watched sledders on the neighbors’ hill behind us and envied their glee.
Inside our home, we battled Covid. My husband never saw the snow because he was bedbound several days. Our son and I barely puttered around the house. Our daughter had to turn around on her journey here and drive back to her home. No celebration, no Christmas Eve service for us…just a jigsaw puzzle when we had the energy.
By the grace of God, we recovered from a serious bout with the virus and celebrated Christmas dinner with our extended family several weeks later in January. The food wasn’t quite as tasty (I lost my sense of smell for months), but we enjoyed our family cheer.
Have you ever missed Christmas? Did you know that several important people missed Jesus at His arrival?
When Christ came 2,000 years ago, it was big news in Bethlehem. Shepherds raced there to find Him and stirred up the locals with tales of heavenly armies.
Like the angels, even the heavenly bodies reacted boldly. A brilliant star appeared on the horizon, shining as a beacon of hope and silently pointing to a new King—something worth a long journey for a group of foreign scholars called magi.
When they found Jesus, by then a toddler playing in dusty pathways, these wise gentlemen rejoiced exceedingly and fell down before Him in worship. They knew they were in the presence of Someone far, far wiser.
So, who missed out?
Read Matthew 2. When the magi first arrived in Israel, they approached King Herod in Jerusalem to ask where the true King of the Jews was born.
This was jolting news to Herod—a threat to his tight grip on power. He called all the chief priests and scribes together to find out where the Messiah was to be born. Their response? Bethlehem…based on Micah 5:2.
Herod sent the magi onward to Bethlehem, asking them to search carefully for the young Child and return with information. His crafty excuse was to worship Jesus, but his real intent was to kill Him.
After the wise men saw Jesus, God warned them in a dream to leave the country another way. Herod’s fury erupted in his martial order to slaughter all male infants in the Bethlehem environs. Joseph, however, escaped to Egypt with Mary and Jesus, returning to Israel only after Herod died.
There’s no indication in the brief Scripture story that any of Jerusalem’s leaders of the faith made the short trek (less than three hours’ walk) to Bethlehem to inquire about the Messiah. Either the priests and scribes were too afraid of Herod to search for themselves, or they dismissed the story. Obviously, Herod didn’t go either.
These men, who thought they were so smart, missed Christmas. They missed Jesus, the One sent to save them.
Friend, maybe this Christmas was a loss for you, too. Maybe illness or hospitalization, for you or loved ones, kept you from celebrating together. Maybe work, unexpected travel, an emergency, or family conflicts got in the way. Maybe your country’s persecution of your Christian faith prevented your worship group from meeting. Or maybe depression inhibited you from setting foot outside your door.
If you missed Jesus, you have another chance. He is waiting for you to call on Him, to worship Him in His glory. You can still meet Him right now in prayer, to ask Him for the comfort of His presence and to offer Him a quiet carol of praise.
Christmas is not a day or season. It is the eternal truth that God stooped to become a tiny child, one of us…to bear our burden of sin and cleanse us to live with Him in heaven.
Take time now, or as soon as you can, to lift your eyes to His loving face. Ask Him to carry your burdens and give you the joy you crave at Christmastime.
You haven’t really missed Him, because He has never left your side. May He change your life so dramatically that each and every day becomes a Christmas celebration in your heart.
Lord God of hosts, I bow today before Your Son, Jesus Christ, to worship Him in spirit and in truth. Make me like one of the shepherds or magi, eager to find Him and offer Him the treasures of my heart. Forgive me for the times I have neglected to reach out to Him, my failures to shout the good news of His love to the world. Give me daily remembrance of Your sacrifices for me, and let me dwell in Your presence now and through all eternity. Help me make Christmas a celebration all year. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Nancy C. Williams is a Christian wife/mom with a writing career spanning more than 40 years in business and journalism. Williams is the author of the novel To Love a Falcon and the devotional book A Crocus in the Desert: Devotions, Stories, and Prayers for Women Experiencing Infertility. Her blogs are featured on Crossmap.com and AriseDaily. To follow Nancy’s posts and news, go to her home page at NancyCWilliams.com and subscribe at the bottom.
© Copyright 2024 Nancy C. Williams (text and photography). Unless otherwise noted, Scripture verses are taken from the New King James Version®, Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved. #missingChristmas #magi #Christmasyearround #covidChristmas
