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Christmas Presence
Jon Burgess“Then they took the man who had been blind to the Pharisees, because it was on the Sabbath that Jesus had made the mud and healed him. The Pharisees asked the man all about it. So he told them, “He put the mud over my eyes, and when I washed it away, I could see!”
John 9:13-15
This is a story of mud pies, blind eyes, and very angry religious guys. This is the story of what happens every time the Messiah moves into the room- He makes a royal mess of things! Advent is interruption. Joseph, Mary, the Shepherds, the wise men, all of their lives were interrupted, messed up, and changed forever when Jesus showed up on the scene. The miracle had interrupted the Sabbath plans of the Pharisees. They had to label this miracle as a sin because it didn't happen on their timetable and in their way and on the right day. If we are desperate enough we will see Savior spit as a gift, not an offense. We won't care how He does it or when He does it we will rejoice that He's moving in our lives!
We want the miraculous but we don't want the mess. We want the Messiah but we don't want Him rearranging the furniture. Last year a few days before Christmas we decided to rearrange the couches in our family room to make room for the Christmas presents. In the New Year we moved them back to their normal positions. A few days ago we decided to do the same. We hadn't moved the couches for a year and we were appalled to see the accumulation that had fallen through the cracks of the couch. Half ate fries, Legos, action figures, money, and lots of dust and dirt. As we began to clean all of this up I realized afresh that this was the message of Christmas. This was what Christ was asking the blind man to do, Mary & Joseph, and each one of us. We were making room for Christmas presents. If we want to see the Messiah move we must make room for Christ's presence. He doesn't run away when He sees the mess, in fact He came to address it through His sacrifice on the Cross. He was born to die so we could be whole and holy through Him. This means that the mud and the mess will always be a part of the move of God. Are we willing to be like the blind man and admit our blindness so we can be healed? Or will we simply move the couches back to their original position so that we don't have to admit what has been falling through the cracks in our faith over this past year?
I'm so thankful Christmas comes before the New Year. If I'm celebrating Christmas correctly I'm going to notice all the places where I need a fresh invasion of Your presence in different areas of my life. In my relationships, my walk with You, my thought life, my time management, my finances I come clean with my blindness so You can help me see! I don't want to push the couches back in place. I want You to invade my space so the miraculous can take place. Only You can clean a man's soul with dirt and spit while revealing the hypocrisy of creation trying to control the Creator. I have a feeling 2018 is going to be very messy. If that's what it takes to see You move then I'm moving the couches to make room for Your presence!
