The Work of Christmas Part I

The college football season is almost over. One more game to crown the National Champion and then the college athletes are off for a couple of months before Spring Practioce, or, for a select few, a couple months to prepare for the combine and the NFL draft.

A handful of college athletes who have been living in a tiny, smelly dorm with three other students and eating Ramen noodles four times a week are about the become multi-millionaires in a matter of minutes.

I always enjoy the interviews after the player's  name is called. The commentators want the kids to talk about the fact that they will soon have more money than they know what to do with, and the kids, don't want to talk about that. 

Almost every time, the interview goes soemthing like this:

Commentator: So Trevor, how does it feel to be drafted number one overall? That's goiong to be quite a paycheck, right?

Trevor: It's an honor. I'm just ready to get to work.

Ready to get to work.

It makes me think about those of us who call ourselves Christians. 

Are we "just ready to get to work?"

Suppose for a moment that Trevor realized at a young age that he was called to be a football quarterback. He devoted his life to becoming like Tom Brady. He read books about Tom Brady, studied film of Tom Brady, talked to people who know Tom Brady, retweeted Tom Brady, went to games and watched Tom Brady play, and even talked to Tom Brady one time. 

But never tried to be like Tom Brady. Never practiced quarterbacking. Never worked out. Never even played football.

Would Trevor be drafted number one overall?

Of course not. 

When Jesus started his public ministry, he needed a team. He needed a few good men (and women) to carry out his mission. 

So he called them.

"Hey, come believe in me?"

"Hey, come worship me?"

"Hey, come learn about me?"

Nothing wrong with any of those things, but that's not what he said.

What he said was, "Hey, come follow me."

Come and do what I do. Come and model your life aftern mine. Let me show you what to do, and then have you do it.

Let's get to work.

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone.
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,  and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
        to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
        to let the oppressed go free,
 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” - Luke 4.14-21

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." - MAtthew 5.14-16

The Work of Christmas

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among others,
To make music in the heart.
- Howard Thurman