Do You See What I See?

 

In 1809 the international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody then cared about babies, but the world was overlooking some significant births. William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England's finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that a physician named Darwin, and his wife named their child Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby's name? Abraham Lincoln. If there had been news broadcasts at that time, I'm certain everyone thought taxation was the big news of the day when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Savior. By Charles Swindoll

[Matthew 25:31-46] You say, had I been there in Bethlehem that night I would have seen. I would have understood. I would have known it was the Christ child. Would you? There is one way of knowing: Ask yourself what you have seen and heard this Christmas Season. * When you watched the 6:00 news did you see chaos and strife, or did you see sheep without a shepherd. * When you went out to do your shopping did you see only hordes of people in the stores, or did you notice the worried expressions on some of their faces - worried because they are facing this Christmas without employment or enough money, and they don't know how they are going to make ends meet. What did you hear this Christmas? * Did you hear only the blast of music and carols, or did you hear the silent sighs of the lonely and the bereaved who may be dreading Christmas because it accentuates their loneliness. * And in the midst of the sounds of honking horns and people arguing over parking places, did you hear faint sounds of laughter because you furnished food and toys for families and children. * So often what you see and what you hear is not dependent upon the event but upon you. If you did in fact hear the cry from the lonely, the laughter of poor children, if you saw the sheep without a shepherd, then, and only then, might you have noticed the events that took place in Bethlehem that night. Brett Blair, Sermon Illustrations.

Long ago, there ruled in Persia a wise and good king. He loved his people. He wanted to know how they lived. He wanted to know about their hardships. Often, he dressed in the clothes of a working man or a beggar and went to the homes of the poor. No one whom he visited thought that he was their ruler. One time he visited a very poor man who lived in a cellar. He ate the coarse food the poor man ate. He spoke cheerful, kind words to him. Then he left. Later he visited the poor man again and disclosed his identity by saying, "I am your king!" The king thought the man would surely ask for some gift or favor, but he didn't. Instead, he said, "You left your palace and your glory to visit me in this dark, dreary place. You ate the course food I ate. You brought gladness to my heart! To others you have given your rich gifts. To me you have given yourself!"

The King of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ, gave himself to you and me. The Bible calls Him, "the unspeakable gift!" (2 Corinthians 9:10-15)

Some gifts you can give this Christmas: Mend a quarrel, dismiss suspicion, tell someone, "I love you." Give something away--anonymously. Give as God gave to you in Christ, without obligation, announcement, reservation, or hypocrisy. Merry Christmas.