What Child Is This?

Not to knock the pope or anything, because I don't mean to, I actually like Ratzinger the Bishop of Rome.  But catching a few glimpses of his midnight mass I wondered aloud if this is what St. Peter had in mind when he started the Christian community in Rome.  More importantly I wondered if this is what Jesus had in mind when He said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church.  All the worldly riches, the gold, the outfits, the elaborate and extravagant decorations, is this what God had in mind?

American consumers who are Christians and not Roman Catholic are just as much to blame.  There we all are banging down the doors of malls and Best Buy's to get the "best buy" we can and bring a smile to the faces of those we love.  Don't get me wrong, I love gifts, but is this all what God had in mind?  The gaudiness?  The piousness?  Does today's Church even really understand what took place that first Christmas, on a cool spring night approximately 2,000 years ago in a place called House of Bread (Bethlehem)?  

Jesus could have easily come into the world in the richest area possible.  He could have been borne at the governors place of dwelling, Herod's castle, Rome itself, or perhaps a great kingdom of Persia, but He wasn't.  The King of the universe and beyond instead chose to come the way of a servant, born next to animals in a dirty barn stable, son of a carpenter and a young woman who were betrothed to be married.  So you see, it is quite easy to answer the question, "Is this what God had in mind?"  Because the answer is, "No."  Religious piousness, carelessness for those "below" us, more mindful of money and riches then the miracles of Christ, are not what The Creator had in mind.  

Who came to greet Jesus at His birth?  Shepherds.  What kind of a joke is that?  I mean seriously, this baby is not only supposed to be a king, but the King of the universe and shepherds were the first outside of his mother Mary and earthly father Joseph to greet Him?  Shepherds were no palace dwellers in those days, not even today.  So it is a complete mockery of the term "pastor" or "shepherd" for Christians to be parading around in abundance while reflecting their own worth.  

What child is this?  This child is a servant, a servant who came to serve one and all.  This child is one who suffers, to suffer with one and all.  This child is God with us, Immanuel.  This child is the Savior, Jesus, who saves humanity from itself.  This child is a King, but unlike any other king the world has seen, because this King remains on the front lines fighting battles for His people, this King suffers completely with His people, for that is what He was born to do.  This King died, and this King lives for His people.

This King is not looking for a kingdom of this world, but a Kingdom of the worlds beyond and the new in the future.  This child, Jesus the Christ, is not about the gaudy.  The Christ is about the ugly, and making the ugly beautiful.  The Christ is about taking the sick, and making them healthy.  The Christ is about taking the stain of sin and eradicating it forever, by people being baptized into His name and His life.  

It would behoove those of us who are Christian to cherish this great news, because that is what it is.  So a hurting and dying world around us can see the Love of God reflected and they might believe and have life eternal themselves.  If we live contrary to how our King lives, the dying world doesn't get to see His love manifested in His people.  

What child is this?  Immanuel, God with us.  Let us be with others this Christmas and everyday as though it were Christmas.