Who Really Matters?

Zeph. 3:14-18 & Lk. 1:39-45

Two pregnant women greeted each other in the hill country of Judea. Almost no one noticed or cared. At that moment big events dominated. Augustus was Caesar in Rome. His very name means majestic. His empire extended to virtually every corner of the known world. His armies marched and the earth trembled. These were the things that people noticed – big things, noisy things, powerful things!

Who would have thought that the most important events were unfolding quietly in the Judean hills? Elizabeth would have a son and name him John. Mary would have a Son and name Him Jesus. Those two lives would reshape the thinking of the entire world. So great would be the impact of the baby Jesus that people and nations would start to date their calendars from the time of His birth.

Who or what controls our world today? Some people say it is the rich and powerful presidents and dictators, or successful stars of sport and entertainment. Others would say that new technology rules our lives – the microchip, space exploration and communications. Fame is what the world admires most.

But none of these things can bring us eternal joy, peace and satisfaction. They can never satisfy the craving in the human heart to understand the true meaning of life. That can only be filled by God, in the person of the little Child born at Christmas in a humble stable. In the first reading, the prophet Zephaniah catches this mood when he says, “He will exult with joy over you, He will renew you by His love.” Let Him, therefore, rule our minds and hearts. Fame, power and success are the product of God’s gifts. They are not an end in themselves. This Baby is the end to which our whole selves should tend. God could have come into our world in a dramatic and powerful way, but He chose to come as a tiny baby.

Our Father, with Christmas approaching, may we be determined that Your Baby Son will make a difference to our lives. May we long for His coming by constantly repeating the words. “Come, Lord Jesus!”