Ricky Bobby: "I like the Christmas Jesus best when I'm saying grace. When you say grace you can say it to grown-up Jesus, or teenage Jesus, or bearded Jesus, or whoever you want. Dear Tiny Jesus, with your golden fleece diapers..."
Cal Naughton: "I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-Shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I'm here to party"
Forgive me for starting a Christmas post with a quote from Talladega Nights, but the dinner table scene quoted above does bring up one valid point: Jesus wears many hats. He has many faces, if you will.
You have Jesus the Christ, Jesus the Son of the Living God, Jesus the King of Kings, Jesus the Intercessor, Jesus the Word, Jesus the Good Shepherd, and many other roles that Jesus fills. But during the Christmas season, more so than at any other time of the year, I'm reminded of Jesus as God's Gift to the world. God had a plan, and that plan was Jesus. Humanity had a problem, and the solution was Jesus.
I don't know about you, but I find myself surrounded by people who seem to get no joy from Christmas. I see posts on Facebook, and hear conversations from coworkers, that express frustration over Christmas. People feel harried, hurried, and hectic trying to "get everything done". When I think about Jesus as God's greatest gift, you know how I feel? Grateful. When I think about God's plan that comes through that gift, I feel hopeful. During the Christmas season, as I soak in the carols and choruses that sing of the birth of the world's savior, I'm continuously reminded of this gift that makes me grateful and hopeful.
I wish that my coworkers and Facebook friends who seem so stressed out by Christmas could share in the gratefulness and hopefulness that I feel. If you're a Christian and feel worn out by the season, I'd encourage you to meditate on the generosity of God in giving us this great gift, and the hope that you have because of it.
Merry Christmas!!
I take it that this post was inspired by Tanya? I loved watching that clip again.
ReplyDeleteI also love: the laughing Jesus, the partying Jesus, the kid-loving Jesus, the prostitute-loving Jesus, and the feasting Jesus.
Luke 7
33 For John the Baptist didn’t spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say, ‘He’s possessed by a demon.’ 34 The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say, ‘He’s a glutton and a drunkard, and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners!’ 35 But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.”
I was already halfway finished with this post before she posted that link!
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