O Come Let Us Adore Him

Luke 2:28-32

“For my eyes have seen Your salvation…”

Last year I decided to buy nativity sets for my daughters and their families. My husband and I bought our first one twenty years ago. It was small and inexpensive but it has served its purpose over the years to be a visual reminder to us as a family what Christmas is all about. I shipped our oldest daughter her nativity to Colorado so thrilled to pass on this new tradition. My other daughters would have to wait till this year since the one I did purchase was the last one available. So off I went a couple of weeks ago to where I heard that there were nativities on the shelf. When I arrived at my destination I was browsing through the store and looking at all the Christmas bling of ornaments, decorations etc. Finally I found the nativities. There were tiny table top nativities, and two choices of larger sets. And yes, the selections were on display so you could actually see the real thing other than looking at the picture on the box. Much to my surprise there was something about each of these choices that was so telling of our times. All the nativity sets like everything else in the store were glittered and glammed. I stood there just pondering what the world has done to attract sales by making a holy and historical event more decorative and marketable.

If we travel back to the night that Christ was born lets consider some of the facts. Mary and Joseph had been traveling for long weary days and cold nights on a donkey when they arrived in Bethlehem. I doubt that their clothes were clean and their garments were fine flowing fabric. They were tired weary and worn from the journey. The only available spot for Mary’s labor and delivery was shared with stinky animals in a shed. This was Christ’s arrival. The Savior of the world came to us, without the glitz and garb of man. So sublime, yet so glorious!

I guess the retailers of the 21st century had to give the old nativity a new make over. But when Simeon held Jesus in his arms he saw the true beauty of this child’s arrival.“For my eyes have seen Your salvation, a light of revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” O come, you and me, let us adore Him Christ the Lord.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!