The minister dreamed that the doorbell rang and that a messenger asked him to visit a friend's poor, dying mother. He reached her home, and as his friend sat and wept, he said, "I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended with Malachi. There was no Christmas story, no angelic chorus, no shepherds or Wise Men, no Sermon on the Mount, no parables, no miracles, no "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." There was no gospel, no light of the world, no "God so loved the world", no Lord's Prayer, and no promise of hope and salvation, and all he could do was bow his head and weep with his friend and his mother in bitter despair.

Two days later he stood beside her coffin and conducted her funeral service, but there was no message of comfort, no words of a glorious resurrection, and no thought of a mansion awaiting her in heaven. There was only "dust to dust, and ashes to ashes," and one long, eternal farewell. Finally he realized that Christ had not come, and burst into tears, weeping bitterly in his sorrowful dream. There would be no Easter, and no hope of the kingdom of heaven and an age to come.

Then suddenly he awoke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing these words in his church nearby:

O come, all ye faithful,
joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him,
born the King of angels,
O come let us adore him,
Christ the Lord.

Sometimes you have to go without something before you appreciate it. What if we were to have to go without Christmas, go without Christ? What if Christ had not come for us? What would our lives be like? Would Christ be missed? Would our lives go on as they are without a missing a beat, and be filled up with other interests and distractions from Christ?

How much do we take the coming of Christ for granted? What would it be like for someone for whom has not come? Someone who has never heard of the Gospel, for whom the meaning of Christmas is not the coming of Christ? What would we want to do for someone who could not celebrate Christmas because they were ignorant of it? Would we not want to share all that Christ means to us with them: his peace, his love, and his joy? Would we not want them to enjoy what we have taken for granted each year? Would we not want to invite them to join us in celebrating his coming and continual presence in our midst by His Spirit?

Let us be glad and rejoice today, because Christ has come. And let us remember the proclamation of the angel: "I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10,11)

Christmas is meant to be for all the people in the world. We are called to communicate the message of the angels to all people so that they can enter into and enjoy the good news of great joy. May our hearts go out to all those in the world who have no understanding of Christmas day.

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

(Adapted from L.B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert, December 25)