hearts

Faith in the Word

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By Linda Rex

March 9, 2025, 1st Sunday in Preparation for Easter or Lent—Often our daily tasks arise out of a simple faith and trust that things are the way they are supposed to be, that people have done what they are supposed to do. Think about how often we do things in our everyday lives which involve faith in others or faith in things that others or ourselves have made. That daily dose of vitamins—who made it? Is it really safe for me to take? Does it really have the nutritional value it says it does?

Last time we talked about Jesus’ transfiguration, and the hidden glory we have as those who are made in God’s image and redeemed by our Lord Jesus. In spite of our best human efforts to live in the truth of who we are in Christ, we so often fail. We cannot trust in ourselves, for we are untrustworthy and undependable when it comes to our walk of faith.

On Ash Wednesday, which in 2025 is celebrated on March 5th, we begin the season of preparation for Easter. As we look forward to the events of Holy Week, we contemplate the reality of our need for Jesus’ redemptive work. In this season, we do not need to grovel or lament our wickedness, but rather, assume a clearheaded, frank assessment of how far we have fallen from all that God meant us to be as those who were created to be image-bearers of the Triune God. At the same time, we rest in Jesus’ redemptive work, which we look forward to celebrating during Holy Week. And we seek to open ourselves more fully to the Spirit’s work in us and our world.

Our New Testament passage for the first Sunday in this season is Romans 10:8–13. In the book of Romans, the apostle Paul examines the human condition and sums this up by saying that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all, no matter our religious or cultural background, need salvation and redemption. We all need transformed, healed, and made whole. This is why Jesus came, to live our human life, die our human death, and rise again. And this is why Jesus sent the Spirit from the Father. The Spirit gives us all the graces of Jesus, the perfect human, so that we may live in right relationship with God and one another.

When we look at the human experience since the beginning of time through God’s eyes, we see that he has been reaching out to us and speaking to us in everyway possible. He has sought to tell us about and to show us his love. The divine Father, Son, and Spirit have spoken of their love and grace to us in many ways, including the glory of a double rainbow, spectacular sunsets, and the majesty of star-studded nebulae. But it is hard as humans to hear the voice of our God, for he doesn’t seem to speak our language.

In Hebrews 1:1–3, the author points out that God finally spoke to all of us through his Son, the One who is the exact representation of his nature—his true self. Jesus Christ is God’s final word to all of us as human beings. The apostle John uses the term “the Word” to describe Jesus in his divinity, long before he ever took on our humanity (John 1:1). Jesus, the Word of God, the wisdom of God—how profound is the realization that God would step into our world in the person of Jesus Christ to join us in our darkness, in order to bring us up into his divine light! Does this resonate in our soul? Do we hear God’s divine Word to us within? The Spirit resonates with our spirit, as the life of Christ within us, and enables us to hear the Word of our heavenly Father’s love and respond with Jesus’ own “Abba, Father.”

It is possible to read the Bible, hear the gospel stories, and memorize a zillion scriptures and still struggle to put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We may say that we believe in God, some sort of God—but do we believe this God cares enough about you and me and this crazy old world that he would actually join us in our broken sinful flesh, becoming sin for us, so that we may become like him in his righteousness? Have we woken up to the spiritual reality of the indwelling Holy Spirit, who is the presence of the living Word, Jesus Christ, who lives in us?

When the Word of God, Jesus Christ, reveals himself to us by his Holy Spirit, we are never the same again. God’s Word to us about who we are, as the beloved children of our heavenly Father, and his Word to us about how we are to live, is written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Faith, then becomes real, substantial, and life-changing, as we respond to and trust in this living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ, who lives in us by the Spirit. As we hear and respond to the inner direction of the Spirit, that living Word who dwells within, we are transformed and healed. And as we allow that living Word to move, guide, and direct us, our world is changed for the better.

Heavenly Father, Jesus, Spirit, thank you for all you have done to bring us up into life with you in the Spirit. Forgive us for refusing to believe or trust in you, for closing our hearts to your Spirit. Please remove our deafness and enable us to hear your Word, and to respond to your love and grace with faithful obedience in Jesus’ name. Amen.

“But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for ‘whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ”       Romans 10:8–13 NASB

“Faith-righteousness announces that every definition of distance in time, space, or hostility has been cancelled. Faith says, ‘The Word is near you. It is as close to you as your voice and the conviction of your heart.” We publicly announce this message. Now your salvation is realized! Your own words echo God’s voice. The unveiling of the masterful act of Jesus forms the words in your mouth, inspired by the conviction in your heart that God indeed raised him from the dead. Heart-faith confirms the fact of mankind’s righteousness and ignites the kind of conversation consistent with salvation. Scripture declares that whosoever believes in Christ will not be ashamed to announce it. Nothing distinguishes the Jew from the Greek when it comes to the generosity of God. He responds with equal benevolence to everyone who sees themselves identified in him. Salvation is to understand that every person’s true identity is revealed in Christ.”       Romans 10:8–13 Mirror Bible

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The Power of a Word

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By Linda Rex

September 15, 2024, Proper 19 | After Pentecost—When we are in a situation that requires tact and diplomacy, it is so easy to say the wrong thing. We so often create problems for ourselves by the things we say to other people, and to ourselves for that matter.

As I’ve grown older, I’ve had to deal with the consequences of many a misspoken word—whether from me or from someone else. As the Message Bible says, “It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell” (James 3:5–6). I’m sure you can identify with this, because this is a common human experience. Every one of us is guilty at some point of saying the wrong thing, or saying something that cut, hurt, or shamed someone. Many an adult reflects back to that word from a parent or a teacher which framed the rest of their life in a positive, or a negative, manner. And many a relationship lies broken and severed today, due to hurtful or destructive words which were spoken and soon regretted.

In our New Testament reading for this week, James 3:1–12, the apostle James addresses this issue of the misuse of the tongue. James wanted all of those who were seeking to elevate themselves to a place of teaching within the Body of Christ to reconsider their motives and the consequences that went with being in this position of responsibility. No doubt, James was quite familiar with what happens when people do not guard what they say, and wanted the peace and unity of the Body of Christ to be maintained rather than disrupted.

Looking at the indicatives or spiritual realities within this passage, we are reminded that we each are made and are being remade by the Spirit in the likeness of God, our Lord and Father. Because this is the truth of who we are, and who every person around us is, there is an innate dignity and worth in each person we encounter. Even the worst person to be around is still someone who bears a reflection of the divine Trinity, albeit hidden or obscured by the sin which so easily darkens our glory as image-bearers of our Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the psalms for this Sunday is Psalm 19. Notice what the psalmist says about God’s creation: “The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world” (Psalm 19:1–4 NASB). Isn’t it interesting that all that our Father created through Jesus in the Spirit tells of the glory of God. The creation is simply being what it is—a creation which speaks of the glory of God. It’s not speaking a bunch of other things. No, it is simply speaking that which it was created to speak—of the glory of God.

So often, we as human beings go way outside what God created us to be and to do. We are ever eating of that tree where we decide for ourselves how things are going to be, and what is right and what is wrong. With this going on in our hearts, it is no wonder that what comes out of our mouths ends up being not helpful, but destructive or hurtful. We desperately need God’s wisdom (Proverbs 1:20–33), but we often resist or ignore it, and willfully choose our own way. Is there any hope for us sad humans?

The good news is that God “has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all this and through whom he made the universe” (Heb. 1:2 NASB). God’s Word to us is Jesus Christ, and he has taken all our words and our unruly mouths up into himself, cleansing them and making them new. He speaks even now in and through us by his Spirit, as we yield to his lordship over our tongues. And his grace covers all our failures, offering us healing, restoration, and renewal as we turn to him in faith.

This is a journey we take with Jesus, inviting the Spirit moment by moment to take control of our tongues. The Spirit reminds us that those people we are talking to are also taken up in Jesus. When we speak to them we are speaking to Jesus—by God’s grace our words will reflect this reality. As Jesus is the source or wellspring of our words, we draw from the pure source, the Spirit, so that our words are healing, helpful, and holy, whenever we speak. It is Jesus, then, who is our words to God and others, as he is his Father’s Word to us. Thanks be to Jesus! And, best of all, he gets all the glory!

Thank you, Father, for speaking to us through your Son, Jesus. And thank you for giving us your Spirit so that we can participate in Jesus’ own conversation with you and others. Please grant us the grace to submit our speech to your Spirit in every moment, so that we always tell of your glory. Amen.

“Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell. For every species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human race. But no one can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way. Does a fountain send out from the same opening both fresh and bitter water? Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.”       James 3:1–12 NASB

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Beyond Just Hearing

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By Linda Rex

September 1, 2024, Proper 17 | After Pentecost—Have you ever sat listening to someone and realized when they stopped for a breath that you couldn’t remember a thing they just said? In that moment, what we wouldn’t give for a way to play it all back so we could listen to them again!

The apostle James talks about the importance of attentive listening when it comes to the Word of God. In James 1:17–27, our New Testament reading for this Sunday, the apostle tells us that those who hear the Word but don’t act upon what they hear are “hearers who delude themselves.” James wants his readers to understand that what comes out of our mouths is important and should reflect our Lord Jesus Christ. He also emphasizes that we should be swift to hear, but when it comes to anger and speaking, we need to slow down, take our time, and allow these things to be governed by the righteousness of Jesus Christ which is ours in the Spirit.

When we listen, James says we want to filter what we hear through the lens of Jesus Christ and his indwelling presence by the Holy Spirit. When our focus is on ourselves, we tend to see and hear things through a self-directed, self-focused lens. This distorts how we view ourselves and our world. As James says, we become confused, deluded by this inaccurate perception of what we are hearing and seeing. Then, how we speak and what we do becomes motivated by a heart which is focused on self, rather than on the truth which can only be found in Jesus Christ.

When our focus is on Jesus Christ, we begin to see ourselves and our world more accurately. This is because Jesus is the perfect image of his Father, and the only true reflection of God in human flesh. To know who God created you and me to be, we need only look at Jesus, for he is a clear reflection of what it means for a human being to live in right relationship with God and with others in the Spirit. To keep our eyes on the living Word of God, Jesus Christ, is to keep our centre fixed where it belongs. This way, our lens through which we filter all things has great clarity and is a true reflection of what God intended from the beginning.

In Jesus Christ, God has kept his word that he would write his law on our minds and hearts. Forged within his human person, Jesus bears the law written on human minds and hearts, in face-to-face union and communion with his Father in the Spirit. The apostle Paul reminds us to keep our minds on things above and to keep our hearts on things above, for our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:1–3).

Keeping our focus where it belongs requires having the right perspective about things. I was drawing a picture the other day and a friend suggested that it looked like water, and that I needed to add some fish. When I was done drawing the fish, she said she thought I hadn’t drawn the fish correctly. I was certain that I hadn’t drawn them incorrectly. In actuality, it was that she and I were looking at the picture from two different perspectives. I had drawn the fish as though I was looking down into the water. She was seeing it as from the side, as when you look into an aquarium. It made perfect sense that she would think I drew the fish incorrectly, because from her point of view—I did.

Do we see ourselves and this world from the Lord’s perspective, or do we see them solely from a human perspective? (See Mark 8:31–33.) Where our focus is truly matters, for it impacts how we respond in conversations, how we interact in our encounters with others, and how we handle our relationships. Having a purely human perspective on life, on relationships, and the decisions we are faced with day by day, means that we will hear and see through this lens, thus making us deaf and blind to the truth about ourselves, who we are in Christ and who God has declared us to be—his beloved adopted children. And what we believe about ourselves, the lens through which we view ourselves, impacts how we listen, how we speak, and how we treat those about us. With our focus on Jesus Christ and filled with Christ by the Spirit, we live in the truth of who we are, loving God wholeheartedly and loving our neighbor as ourself. 

Dear Father, thank you for being our good Creator and Redeemer from whom every good and perfect gift comes. Remind us again about who we are in your Son, Jesus, and fill us anew with your Holy Spirit, that we may not only hear your good Word, but live it out each day, loving you and loving one another as we always were meant to, in Jesus’ name, by your Spirit. Amen.

“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures. This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”      James 1:17–27 NASB

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Seeds and Flowers, and Maturing in Christ

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By Linda Rex

Outside the house next to our patio door sit two flower pots. Last summer we moved some tiger lilies out of a flowerbed and into these pots because the local mole had decided he had a hankering for flower bulbs and managed to eliminate most of them we had planted earlier in the year.

Even though we planted the tiger lily bulbs in the flowerpots, we assumed they were too far gone to even come up. But this spring they began to grow and after quite some time they put on buds. We were delighted when the bright orange blossoms opened fully—they are quite stunning when in full bloom.

In comparison with a tiger lily, the bloom of an avocado tree is quite tiny and unimpressive. If one were to look at an avocado flower, one would have to get up really close in order to even see it. It has six tiny white or green petals surrounding an intricate white and yellow center. And yet, when the flower has done its work properly, it produces a seed the size of a walnut enclosed within a thick layer which we consume as fruit. The entire avocado can be bigger than the size of a human fist—a far cry from the tiny flower it came from.

The size and beauty of a flower may be large and glorious, but this is not what determines what type of fruit it produces. Nor does it determine whether or not it produces fruit which matures in such a way as to produce seeds. Some flowers produce fruit which is seedless—a natural process which botanists and producers have taken advantage of in order to provide us with such produce as seedless grapes and seedless watermelons.

Plants come in all shapes and sizes, and so do the “fruit”—this word includes nuts, vegetables, and fruit. Fruit from a plant may mature beyond the state any of us would be willing to consume, but for many plants, this is what is necessary for the seed to fully ripen so when it is put in the ground it will produce a new plant. We often consume what is produced before it is fully mature—corn on the cob is a good example of this. In order to plant corn, the corn kernel has to ripen completely and then dry—only then is it mature enough to be used as seed for planting. But dried corn kernels are quite hard to chew and they’re not very tasty either.

A lot of what I’ve shared here is common knowledge for a farmer, botanist, or master gardener. They understand the process by which a plant reproduces and how to work with seeds, plants, and flowers to produce the best crop possible. It is interesting that Jesus, our Master Gardener, often used the process of planting, growing, and harvesting crops in order to talk about himself and the kingdom of God.

In one parable, Jesus used seed to represent the Word of God. He was explaining the different ways in which the Word of God was planted and the results of each scenario:

“Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God. Those beside the road are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their heart, so that they will not believe and be saved. Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these have no firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away. The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” Luke 8:11-15 NASB

It seems that the problem with producing quality fruit lies not with the seed, but with the soil it lands on. The Word of God always produces a result—it is fruitful—there’s no doubt about that. But the ground which receives the seed can be harsh and unreceptive, or provide little room for the roots to grow, or be so filled with weeds that a new plant can’t grow and thrive.

If we were to consider this parable for a bit, we might see that the point of putting the seed in the ground is not just to have pretty flowers. Flowerbeds are lovely and I personally enjoy a garden filled with colorful blooms. But this was not the point of this parable—the focus is on the seed and what the seed was to produce—more seed. This means each seed needs to produce a plant which will grow to the place it flowers, it produces fruit, and the fruit matures to the point that it produces seed.

Seeds come in all shapes and sizes, and travel all over by a variety of means. Seeds are not meant to stay on the plant, but to be spread to new places. We experience the reality of this when we find oak trees growing in our pansy bed or an apple tree coming up in the vegetable garden.

When we hear the Word of God—the good news of God’s love for us expressed to us in his Son Jesus Christ, it is meant to take root in our hearts by faith. The Word of God, the indwelling Christ by the Spirit, works transform our hearts and lives. We open ourselves up to the work of the Spirit in our walk of faith and begin to mature as followers of Jesus Christ. Our lives begin to reflect the Word of God at work within us. Like beautiful blossoms on a plant, we glow with the glory God created us to bear—the image of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

This flowering is not the end of the story though. We are meant to go even farther and mature into seed-bearing plants. Our lives and words are to be a testimony to Christ. In other words, the life-giving Word is carried to new places and planted in new ground—new hearts—because we have become mature seed-bearing plants. Jesus said as we go, we are to make disciples. Making disciples, sharing the Word of God with others, is to be a natural by-product of our spiritual growing up in Christ.

The environment in which the Word of God exists within us is critical in this process. Do we allow ourselves to be deceived by a word other than that which given to us in Jesus Christ? Do we allow ourselves to be tempted by other things which supplant the Word of God? Do we allow ourselves to be so absorbed in the cares and pleasures of this life that we suffocate the Word of God? All of these are ways in which we disrupt or hinder the process of spiritual growth God meant for us to participate in.

The healthier alternative is to receive the Word with an “honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance.” The Word of God sinks deep roots in the soil of our heart as we practice spiritual disciplines which open us up to the work of the Spirit within us. The Word of God can transform our lives and hearts as we obey the Spirit’s inner prompting to put away our idols and distractions and focus wholly on Christ. We make space for God to work by making sure we are not preoccupied with the cares and pleasures of this life.

And we are not satisfied with just the external trappings of spiritual growth. It’s easy to look as though we are a stunning example of spiritual maturity. But the proof is when what God has done and is doing in us is duplicated in the lives of those around us. When the Word of God begins spreading into the hearts and lives of those around us, then we know we are being fruitful, and that God’s Word is living and active, taking root in many new hearts and lives.

Thank you, Lord, for planting your Word in our hearts. By faith, may we allow your Word to grow and develop, transforming our hearts and lives in such a way that your Word may be planted anew in others hearts and lives as well. May we be productive plants for your glory, through Jesus our Lord and by your Holy Spirit. Amen.

“As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.” Luke 8:14 NRSV

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Peace on Earth

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doveornament

by Linda Rex

Have you ever had one of those days when no matter where you turned, something horrible was happening or had happened, and someone’s life was shattered and broken? Do you ever have your heart so broken by what’s happening around you you think you will never be able to put it back together again?

There is so much awfulness going on around us today. It seems like there is no end to the horrendous things people do to one another. No matter how hard we try to make this a healthy and happy experience, we still lose dear ones and children. And it can seem like that’s all there is to this world. The possibility of hope in the midst of all this can seem very small.

This time of year during Advent we celebrate the coming into a dark and forbidding world of a ray of light, a beam of hope—the coming of God into our humanity to share our struggles and sufferings and to bring us new life. How fitting it is that our common desire for a messiah, a rescuer, was met with the gift of a little infant who bore the very Presence and Being of God himself.

The problem is we prefer God to rescue us on our own terms. During Jesus’ life here on earth, he was expected to be the Conquering King messiah, when he was really meant to be the lay-down-his-life Suffering Servant messiah. Our expectations of how God should rescue us often drive the way we see him and the way we experience our world, and they need readjusted.

Truth is, while this God/man Jesus Christ was on earth, he healed a lot of people, but he didn’t heal everyone who was sick. He may have thrown some vendors out of the temple, but he didn’t get rid of them over and over while he was here. He may have raised Lazarus and the young man in Nain from the dead, but he did not raise all the other people around him who died while he was here on earth.

It’s hard to picture this about our Savior, but he did not stop the slavery he saw about him. Nor did he intervene in every situation to stop the Romans from crucifying people. No doubt he saw and experienced much suffering and grief while he was here. But he didn’t stop it all and fix it all right there and then. His Father had something much different in mind.

Our way of dealing with things so often focuses on the right-here-and-now. It seems we need to be given an eternal perspective—one which focuses, not on morality or a pain-free life, but on relationship. Relationships can be difficult, messy and painful, and we so often prefer not to deal with the truth of the issues which are going on in our own hearts, much less those going on in the hearts of those around us.

The engagement of human hearts with the Divine Heart of love is something which takes us down paths we don’t want to go. We want peace, joy, love, happiness, hope. But we don’t want a relationship with the One who gives us those things, nor do we want to live in agreement with the truth of the reality for which we were created. I’m just being real here: We prefer to live in our own little bubble of reality, rather than in the truth of who we really are, the humans God created us to be—people who love God and love one another with outgoing, self-sacrificing love and humility.

God—Father, Son, and Spirit—has such a deep respect for our personhood, which reflects the divine Personhood, he does not impose his will on us, but rather invites us to participate in the true reality of life in the Trinity. There is a way of being we were created for which reflects the divine Way of Being, and we can live in this way, or in a way of our own devising.

We can decide for ourselves how we are going to use our bodies, our belongings, our world, or we can surrender to the reality we are not God and begin to use them all in the way God created them to be used in the first place. God has given us incredible freedom, and does not ever impose his will unless it is imperative to accomplishing his ultimate purposes in the world—to bring many children into glory.

So often we want God to straighten up things in the world, but the minute we begin to experience the possibility of him intervening, we get all upset, because he isn’t doing things the way we want him to do them. We struggle with the real dichotomy within our own human hearts—our desire to love and be loved, and our natural human rebellion against allowing God to be the supreme lover of our soul.

This puts us in a very difficult position. We are experiencing the consequences of our human rebellion against the Lord of the universe, but we are angry with God because we are experiencing these consequences. It is not our fault when we get mugged by someone or our loved one gets murdered—we did not do anything to deserve this suffering. It is not our fault someone dear to us developed cancer and died—they were a good person, so why did they have to die—we didn’t deserve this.

And this is all true. So many of us are experiencing the consequences of things others have done and which are not our fault. Others of us seem to get away with everything and never suffer any consequences. It all seems so unfair. And it really is, in one sense.

But from the viewpoint of the Divine grace of God, neither was the suffering and death of the little infant who lay in a manger that Bethlehem night. Here was God’s supreme gift to humanity—his very Person in human flesh. And we did to him what was in our hearts—we rejected him, abused him, and crucified him.

At no point did Jesus refuse to embrace the truth of the evil in our human hearts. Yes, he shed great tears and earnestly sought a different way, but in the end, he surrendered himself to the truth of the darkness in human hearts. And by doing so, he opened a way for Light to enter the world. In his life in this dark world, his suffering and crucifixion, he bore all that we go through, and then he died and rose again—to offer us hope in a new life, a new world to come where we could truly begin to experience life in the Trinity as God intended.

The Light of God entered the world, but then in Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension, we find that the Light of God has entered human hearts. The Spirit has been sent of offer us our new existence in relationship with the Triune God of love. Our experience of the new life Christ has forged for us is found in the midst of this relationship of love—in true community with God and others.

If we were to look around us and even within our own hearts, we might find instead of darkness, the glimmer of the hope created for us in Jesus Christ by the Spirit. Opening our hearts to the Light of God, we might find that this Light is shining all around us, in other human hearts, in difficult and painful situations, in the offering of joy and happy relationships in the midst of a dark world. The Light has come into the world—will we open our hearts and lives and embrace the wonder of this precious gift? Or will we continue down our own stubborn path of resistance to the truth of how things really are?

Either way, we have been given a hope, a joy, a peace we did not deserve. God has declared his heart toward us is love and grace. He has ordained peace on earth, in and through his Son Jesus Christ and by the gift of his Spirit. And one day, we will begin to experience the truth of this in a way we cannot even begin to imagine now.

Today and in this moment, we can participate in this gift by receiving it, opening it up, and enjoying the blessings of all God has given us in this gift of his Son. May you each have a very blessed Christmas, enjoying all the blessings of life in Jesus by the Spirit as Abba’s good and perfect gift. Merry Christmas!

Dear Abba, thanks for giving us the best of all gifts, your Son in the form of a baby in a manger. How can it be you love us so much you would give us your very heart?! Forgive us—so often we are unappreciative of your many gifts, especially this One Who was meant to bring us near to you in real, intimate relationship for all eternity. May we set aside all our expectations of you, and receive in true humility all we need for life and godliness—your most precious divine gifts—your Son and your Spirit. In your Name we pray, amen.

“The true Light, who shines upon the heart of everyone, was coming into the world. He entered our world, a world He made; yet the world did not recognize Him. Even though He came to His own people, they refused to listen and receive Him. But for all who did receive and trust in Him, He gave them the right to be reborn as children of God; He bestowed this birthright not by human power or initiative, but by God’s will. The Voice took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us. We have seen Him, enveloped in undeniable splendor—the one true Son of the Father—evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth.” John 1:9-14 (The Voice Bible)

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