Do we understand that Christmastide, also called the twelve days of Christmas, is indeed about sacrifice and kingdom-work, rather than entertainment, self-indulgence and consumerism?
Carl Trueman, in his book “The Wages of Spin”, explains why people are caught up in entertainment in such a way that it becomes an idol. He writes: Distraction is the production of entertainment for the purpose of taking one’s mind off the deeper realities of life.
Many create their own “messiahs” to distract them from the true questions that Christmas challenges us with. And the ultimate question is about how I live my life and how I worship and serve because my Saviour is coming to the world to save, to give hope, to bring peace and to love us, whoever we are and whatever it costs.
Yet a self-sacrificing Messiah who wants to serve us and our world through our obedience and service is not what self-seeking, entertainment worshiping, self indulging consumers are tempted to seek!
The messiahs whom we want, are the ones who will save us from deep thought. We prefer saviours that help us avoid life changing choices, because, we say, this is a festive season, these are happy holidays.
Christmas is not in the first place about entertainment. The fact that it coincides with our holidays and fun-times, which we certainly also need during these challenging times, is the result of how history developed the way we spend December. But Christmastide is, according to Mat 1:21, about the Child-king that came to rescue from sin and death.
The Magi or Wise Men came from the East to Israel to pay homage to the newborn King. They offered royal gifts to the Child. They spent their time and their money on the Child. What an exceptional act of worship and praise.
The Infant-king deserves our adoration, but he deserves it in a way that is backed by real investment in his Kingdom and in authentic worship time.
Let’s all be different than the pagans and their secular christmasses!
Let’s stop being self centred and pleasure-seeking during Christmastide - and bow down before the only King that matters, reflecting deeply on our faith in Jesus and how to follow and honour him.
Let’s contemplate how he calls us to serve the message of his birth and of his coming into our lives, our churches and our nation.
Let’s bring homage to the Child-king - who is no child anymore, but the almighty Christ, the eternal King that reigns in heaven, on earth and in our lives today.
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