Make room!

Nazareth’s loss was Bethlehem’s gain, the palace’s loss was the manger’s gain, Herod’s loss was the shepherd’s gain, Mary’s first born, God’s only son, became human and made His home among us (John 1), He alone is the reason for this season. He came and lived and His own did not know Him. The sheep and the shepherds and the wise men from far celebrated His birth but the sleeping town of Bethlehem missed it!

Reminds me of a song from the yesteryears,

“Oh Bethlehem, what you have missed while you were sleeping
For God became a man
And stepped into your world today
Oh Bethlehem, you will go down in history
As a city with no room for its King”

While you were sleeping – Casting Crowns

We celebrate a “X-mas” without the Christ, what have we missed? Will we go down in history as a people with no room for our King? In the busyness of the celebration have we missed the Christ in the Christ-mas?

“Is there room in your heart
For God to write His story?
You can come as you are
But it may set you apart
When you make room in your heart
And trade your dreams for His glory”

Make room – Mark Hall & Matt Maher 2017

Let me include an open letter to Mr Santa Claus which I had written 3 years ago which I now want to restate.

Dear Mr Santa Claus,

The Christmas was never meant to be yours and you’ve enjoyed undeserved fame for too long. You are just a figment of a child’s imagination while Jesus traded the heavens for the place in our hearts, so please back off and let Jesus reign this day!

Regards.

Jesus’ birth, the first Christmas restored faith, brought hope in a hopeless and demonstrated an unconditional love to a people struggling for an identity under the Roman tyranny. Today as we celebrate His birth, He still promises to bring hope into our hopelessness and love into our love starved world; do we have room for Him?

Behold, He stands at the door and knocks, is there room?

Make room, have a blessed Christmas!