Those who were there - 6 December 2024

There is an old legend about the angels who were looking for people to whom they could bring the message of the birth of Jesus, but it was not so easy to find such people. I have adapted the legend a little. The first group they visited was the money collectors, but these worthies were so busy counting their gains of the day that they did not even look up. The next was at a grand party, where a rich man and his many friends who came to town for the census were having a great time and making so much noise that the angels were not seen or heard and had to move on quietly.

Dropping in at the stable to check on the health of mother and baby, they took time to try and tell the innkeeper about the wonderful birth that happened in his stable. He, unfortunately, was so busy looking after his other guests that they had to turn away once more. A little dejected, the angels found a group of Roman soldiers and decided to tell them, although they were not even Jewish. They were drinking and making merry so much that the angels left them with the message undelivered.

The next two groups were not receptive to the message either. The scribes and pharisees were so busy with their own version of what religion should be, that they were deaf to the message about the birth of the Redeemer. The ordinary people were so tired after a long day at work that they would rather relax a bit than listen to this message.

In the end, the angels left town and moved out to the fields where the shepherds were quietly tending their sheep. Here, in the quietness of the night, the angels found a receptive audience.

What will I be doing when the “angels” once again want to deliver the message of Christmas to me? Give yourself a break this year and be less busy. Then, you will be able to hear the great message of the angels once again: “This very day in David’s town your Saviour was born – Christ the Lord.”

Prayer: Lord, my prayer for today is that you will never find me so busy with my own things – no matter how important they might seem to me – that I will not have the time to hear the message of salvation once again. Amen