Today’s
readings are Judges 2:7-15 and Galatians 1:1-10
Galatians 1:3 Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
If
I could give two precious gifts to the world this Christmas, they would be
grace and peace.
Grace
would be given, so that folks could forgive one another and allow their past
mistakes to remain in the past. Husbands and wives, parents and children,
brothers and sisters could set aside their differences and begin again.
Fractured feelings, persistent pride, and baneful bitterness could be gone
forever, replaced by love, kindness, and compassion. What a gift to give our
broken world!
Peace
would be given so that different groups could learn to dialogue with one
another; nations could recommit themselves to the betterment of humanity;
religions could turn their theological barbs and spears into plowshares for effectively
working against poverty, oppression, and injustice. Races across the globe
could respect the wonderful variety of God’s image in all people and work
together to eliminate bigotry and prejudice, humiliation and rivalry.
The
bad news is that I don’t have the ability or power to give those gifts to the
world; but the good news is this: Christ has already given those two great
blessings through His sacrifice on Calvary and obedience to God. The gifts of
grace and peace are already ours; we only have to find and apply them in each
of our lives to begin the worldwide celebration of God’s love to the world.
Questions for personal reflection
Where have I experienced
God’s grace and peace in my life? To whom can I share these great gifts during
Advent?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are both the
greatest gift and the greatest gift-bringer in the history of the world. You
came among us to grant all people everywhere the opportunity of being restored
to God’s favor and love, as well as His grace and peace. Help us to share these
blessings with the other people in our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.
John
Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If
you would like to comment on today’s message or ask a question, please send
John an email to traqair@aol.com.
Today’s
image is one of John’s latest Christmas drawings called “Tree Window.” It’s a
stained glass design of a Christmas tree. If you would like to view a larger
version, please click on the following link: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7389/11164226093_863c950b18_b.jpg
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