SCRIPTURE: Mark 13:10-11 (TM) – larger reading: Mark 13:1-13
The Message has to be
preached all across the world. "When they bring you, betrayed, into court,
don't worry about what you'll say. When the time comes, say what's on your
heart - the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you.”
STORY:
Bryan
Fink shares the following story: Lee, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune and a
self-professed atheist was sitting at his desk on Christmas Eve. A slow news
day he found himself reminiscing about the Delgado family that he had featured
while writing a series of articles about Chicago’s neediest people a few days
earlier.
The
Delgado’s were comprised of a grandmother named Perfecta and her two
granddaughters, Jenny age 13 and her sister Lydia 11 years old.
He
remembered how unprepared he was when he walked into their two room apartment
on the west side of Chicago for the interview; bare halls and bare walls, no
furniture, no rugs, nothing but a kitchen table and a handful of rice in the
cupboards. He learned during the interview that Jenny and Lydia only had one
short-sleeved dress apiece, plus a thin gray sweater that they shared. On cold
days when the girls walked the half-mile to school, one of the girls would
start with the sweater and then give it to the other at the halfway mark. It
was all they had. Perfecta wanted more for her granddaughters and would gladly
have worked, but her severe arthritis and age made work too difficult and
painful.
Since
it was a slow news day Lee decided to check out a car and drive to Chicago’s
west side to check up on the Delgado’s. When Jenny opened the door he couldn’t
believe what he saw! His article on the Delgado’s had touched the hearts of
many subscribers who responded with furniture and appliances, rugs, dozens of
coats, scarves and gloves. The girls wouldn’t have to share a sweater any
longer. There were cartons and cartons and boxes of food everywhere. They had
so much food that the cupboards and closets couldn’t contain it. Someone had
even donated a Christmas tree, and under it were mounds of presents and
thousands of dollars in cash!
Lee
was astonished! But what astonished him the most was what he found Perfecta and
her granddaughters doing. They were preparing to give most of it away.
"Why would you give so much of this away?" Lee asked. Perfecta
responded, "Our neighbors are still in need. We cannot have plenty while
they have nothing. This is what Jesus would want us to do." Lee was
dumbfounded.
After
regaining his composure he asked Perfecta another question. He wanted to know
what she and the girls thought about the generosity that was shown to them.
Again, Lee was not prepared for the answer. She said, "This is wonderful,
this is very good." "We did nothing to deserve this; it’s all a gift
from God. But," she added, "It is not his greatest gift, Lee. No, we
celebrate that tomorrow. Jesus."
Lee
was speechless as he drove back to the office. In the quiet of his car he noted
a couple of observations. He had plenty and along with it plenty of anxiety,
while the Delgado’s despite their poverty had peace. Lee had everything and yet
wanted more, but the Delgado’s had nothing and yet knew generosity. Lee had
everything and yet his life was as bare as the Delgado’s apartment prior to the
article running. And yet the Delgado’s who had nothing were filled with hope,
contentment and had a spiritual certainty. Even though Lee had so much more
than the Delgado’s, he longed for what they had in their poverty.
OBSERVATION:
Sometimes we just need to be
reminded that there is more to the Good News of Christmas than gifts, tinsel,
parties and carols. Sometimes we get caught up with all the celebration that we
ignore the power of the message of Jesus. It is not what we get, but what we
give that truly matters. Sometimes bigger is not better and more doesn’t
measure a persons wealth. Sometimes it is in the doing that we find the baby of
Bethlehem not in the receiving.
Heard of a slight change of
the ever popular “Jesus is the reason…” saying. It was this: “You are the
reason for the season.” God sent his son to us… for our salvation… to take away
our sins… to bring us into a living relationship with God. Jesus came so that
we could be different… so that our focus would change… our purpose reshaped.
God sent Jesus not to get us into heaven, but to get heaven into us – the joy,
the love, the grace, the mercy – so that we can unselfishly give of ourselves
to others… not out of our abundance, but out of our poverty. God sent Jesus so
that we would have a different set of priorities… a different focus… a change
of heart… a new commitment.
The Delgado family understood
it. Wouldn’t it be great if we all did!
PRAYER:
Boy God it is really obvious
that we a change of attitude and a new focus for this Christmas stuff. We are
really out of balance with our priorities and in our understanding. Help us to
be captured by the true Christmas message. Please make it sooner than later. We
are kind of losing it at this end.
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