The Lutheran Hour
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"The Lord is Near"
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Text: Philippians 4:4-7
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“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.”
Christ, the Christmas Lord who lived life for you, is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah! Amen!
Things are more complicated today, right? But, I’m convinced that we like things complicated. Cars are getting more and more complicated. They have all kinds of computer-controlled parts. Every week I hear about someone fighting with their car’s anti-theft system-horns honking, lights flashing, and a frantic person pressing those buttons on a key chain trying to get things to calm down. Over and over I hear about malfunctioning Bluetooth connections and media systems. You may even have a car with a built-in navigation system that tells you how to get where you’re going. I wonder what that’s doing for marriages in our country. A husband and wife can now go somewhere and not stop for directions, but get directions as their traveling. What are they going to talk about in the car now?
Appliances. Appliances are getting complicated. It used to be that people didn’t understand how to program their DVD players. Ah, the good old days. Now you have to program your stove, your microwave, and refrigerator! More complications.
Restaurants are complicated. Fine dining at McDonald’s and other five-star restaurants with drive-thru windows is no longer just a matter of ordering burgers and fries. Now you have to weigh the options. There are value meals in small, medium, large, super-size, and extra super-size. You can opt for kid’s meals. You can figure out what it all might cost from the dollar menu. Or, if you’re a senior, you’ve got the extra complication of doing the math off the senior menu. I think we like things complicated.
Even Christmas has become complicated. There are decorations to put up, food to cook, cookies to bake, presents to buy, visits to make; and when the string of lights goes out, the meatballs don’t turn out, or the cookies are too mushy, or the crowds too thick, or traffic too frantic, what do we do? We get mad. We yell and grumble and get stressed and bicker; all the while we’re singing, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.”
We even complicate God, don’t we? He’s everywhere and knows everything but there are things that happen that seem like He’s not there and not knowing it all, right? And there’s pain and sorrow which God doesn’t like, but it still goes on. And, what about all the promises in the Bible, there’s so much in there, even more than we can fully understand! How can you get close to a complicated God like that? Why would you want to?
Well, I’ve got good news for you. We may like things complicated, but God doesn’t. And He isn’t. In fact, the Good News of the Bible, while it isn’t simplistic, it’s pretty simple and straightforward when you get right down to it. Just take a listen to Philippians, chapter four: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:4-5).
The Lord is at hand. Other translations say, “The Lord is near.” The word is all about closeness. It can be translated as “on the verge of.” That’s close, isn’t it? The verb form means “to approach or to draw near.” That’s God in your life. He’s close. One form of this word means a guarantor–as in a person who backs up a loan you take. In other words, He’s so close He can be tracked down easily and He can be counted on. If you can’t pay, He’ll be right there to help out. That’s God for you this Christmas season. He is near.
Of course, you knew that. In a few weeks you will celebrate the ultimate closeness of God in the birth of Jesus, His Son. In Luke, chapter two, the angels reinforced Paul’s words from Philippians. God was close. The angels said to the shepherds: “The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born tonight to you in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped snugly in strips of cloth” (Luke 2:11-12 NLT).
So the angel’s big announcement was not about a warrior with a complex battle plan. It wasn’t about a politician or a theologian or a philosopher. It was about a Baby. This season is not about complicated plans and gifts, overwhelming schedules and traffic jams, or the huge and stress-filled burden of grief, depression, and pain. It is about a Baby born for you.
Babies are not that complicated. We can make them complicated with deluxe strollers, bottle warmers, porta-cribs, and diaper genies. But, really, babies themselves are not all that complicated. They’re supposed to be about just one thing-love.
They were designed to be conceived in love. They were meant to be cared for in love. And it’s real love-not the chills up the spine, movie romance love that is real nice, but just a nuance of being in love. All a baby can do is burp, and spit up, and sleep, and need diaper changes, and need to be fed. That’s love-the total sacrifice it takes to care for a helpless human being.
So, instead of sending a proclamation about His love, God decided to live out what being a Savior is all about. He became a Baby-all about love. As Mary cradled Him, we realize that He is here to embrace us. As Mary fed Him, we remember that God brings us the bread of life.
You can’t underestimate the importance of this Christmas Baby. If you think about it, the Christmas Christ, the Easter Savior, is always a Baby this time of year. Every year, there He is, a Baby in a manger. Every year we’re drawn back to the very simple and clear personality of God. Bottom line: He is very simply all about love–God’s self-sacrificial love for the forgiveness of our sins, for the healing of our brokenness, for the encouragement of our sagging spirits, and for providing eternal hope when things down here are difficult and draining.
There is great significance in our annual celebration of the Baby Jesus. Do you realize that He’s the only baby we celebrate year after year after year? And He is not just someone else’s baby. As the angel emphasized to the shepherds when they said, “…Don’t be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-12 NIV). This Baby is your baby. This Baby is a Child for the childless, a hug for the lonely, a purpose for the aimless, and a smile for the sad. You can say, “This is my baby.” And it is. He is. This is good news of great joy. As the Apostle Paul said, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand” (Philippians 4:4-5).
So the shepherds went to find the Baby in the feeding trough. They looked. They cooed. They tapped on the nursery glass, if you will. If they had them, I imagine they would have passed around a few cigars. And seeing the Baby, they understood God. It was simple. He loved them. He was near. Because of this Savior, He was the guarantor–always accessible to pick up the pieces of their broken lives and to pay the debt they could never repay.
But that seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? Maybe it was true for those days, but how about now? You and I have too many troubles, right? The shepherds of that Christmas night endured sweltering days and freezing nights. They never got enough sleep. They suffered financial loss, feared the threat of wild animals, and were victimized by thieves. Their pay was unpredictable and people treated them like trash. But your life is way more complicated than that, right? So maybe you’re wondering if God really loves you.
What if I told you about a husband and a father who said, “You know, I’m doubting my family’s love for me. My wife isn’t sewing the holes in my socks anymore. There is dust on some flat surfaces at home. Dinner isn’t always on the table when my stomach is rumbling. I have to write out some bills and pay them myself. Then there are my kids. When I speak, they don’t gather around and sit quietly to hear my every word. They don’t surrender the remote control when I walk into the family room. I doubt if they really, really love me”?
What would you say to that husband and father? After you knocked him over the head with something and called him a buffoon, you’d probably explain that solving every aspect of your discomfort is not what love is all about. There’s something more. There’s a relationship, a life-giving walk together. Love is the action that happens as you make your way through the discomforts of life.
Well, I think we just got caught. Isn’t God’s love for you much more than simply solving every aspect of your discomfort? Isn’t there a relationship? Isn’t it about a life-giving walk together? Isn’t God’s love the action that happens as you make your way through the discomforts of life? Like a baby. Love wiggling around in the middle of all kinds of discomfort; God’s total sacrifice to care for His helpless people. God really does love you.
That’s why, after he proclaimed that the Lord is near, the Apostle Paul said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7). Through it all, you don’t have to be anxious. Through it all, you have the gift of prayer to the Lord who is near. Through it all, you have a Savior who will guard your heart and mind with His peace that passes our understanding.
But, maybe you’re still saying, “Pastor, that’s still too hard to believe.” You have reasons for your doubt, I know. Your experiences make you doubt. Life isn’t easy. It doesn’t always go the way you and I hoped it would go.
Imagine this; a 40-year-old man. He was the oldest son. His dad had a business. The oldest son helped his father in his work. This was the plan for his life. It wasn’t easy, but he accepted it. He worked hard for decades. You may know how it went during those long years. The growing boy had to be humble and obedient. There were long hours. There was no vacation time. Customers complained a lot more than they complimented. Some got downright mean. The next dollar was always hard to come by, and when an extra bit of money did come along, something always seemed to break down and need a repair. There goes the extra stuff. He reached the age of 40 still laboring at his father’s business.
What would you feel like if that were you? Be honest. A little mid-life crisis coming on, right? When the experience of life beats you up and wears you down, you may feel some resentment and bitterness. After some years under your belt, it’s a little easier to scowl when a car cuts into traffic right in front of you. After experiencing disappointments and opposition, you may feel as if you have more of a right to your habits and your opinions. You may become more disillusioned and disappointed with people-those liberals, those conservatives, those Hollywood types, the rich, the poor, the old sticks-in-the-mud, the younger generation that is spoiled rotten. After all the years of life, after getting beaten up by hard knocks, after suffering loss and working hard, it is easy to love people less, isn’t it?
But what about the Baby, the Baby conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary? He grew up in Nazareth, probably working for His father Joseph. But then, for Jesus, things got much worse from there. To the One Who was prefect, loving, considerate, and caring; He was actually hated, threatened, tempted, called names, beaten, and finally killed. But the miracle, the absolute miracle, is that Jesus, unlike us, never loved us less. He kept loving us more. He went to the cross for you and me. And on the cross He said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Our love wanes. God’s love grows. He never gets sick of you. He just loves you more and more. He wants to spend eternity with you. He gave His Son Jesus to reserve you a spot. The world pours out chaos and confusion. The season often doles out disappointment and depression. But God provides peace that passes all understanding. He guards your heart and mind.
It’s not that complicated. It’s truth as simple as a baby. In Christ, God adores you. He gave it all for you. He still gives it all in His precious and miraculous Word and sacraments for you. And if you don’t understand it, just look at the Baby this Christmas. Feel the soft skin on His face. Hear His little cry. See His need, gather Him up in your arms, and meet God. Your God. Your Savior. The Lord Who is near.
If you saw the movie “Three Men and a Baby,” you remember Tom Selleck caring for the little baby that was dropped off on his doorstep. In one scene, Selleck’s character wanted to read the baby a story, but all he could find was an issue of Sports Illustrated. So, he opened the magazine to a boxing article and read softly and gently: “The champ caught Smith with a savage left hook. It sent the challenger crashing into the ropes. Smith, his left eye swollen and a cut above his right eye now more and more bloody, countered with a barrage of vicious body blows. The champ began the fifth round like a man possessed, going straight for his opponent’s body with ferocious energy.”
That’s the way it is with a baby, right? The world may rage-your life may rage, but love does something to all that raging. It allows you to rejoice, for the Lord is near. Don’t you need that this Christmas? Don’t you need that every day? I know I do.
So, Paul shouts the truth of the Bible to all who will hear and believe. Today, the Lord is near you. Today, the Reason for the season, Jesus Christ the newborn King, is close for your salvation. And He has work to do on your behalf and work to do in your life.
You know, where I grew up, and I’ll let you guess where that is, people say that there are two seasons. Ready? There’s winter and the construction season. Once the winter is gone, construction begins. The roads get repaired, potholes get filled, crumbling pavement gets replaced with fresh asphalt. Two seasons.
Did you know that the same is true for you wherever you live? There’s winter-times of darkness when you feel the chill of a broken heart that immobilizes you; times when your life cracks and crumbles. Left alone in our sin that would be the only season of our life; but, by God’s grace, you have been given a second season-a season of construction, reconstruction. God even used a hammer, wood, and nails to make this construction happen. Nailed to the cross, Jesus brought you construction solutions for your crumbling winter heart.
Simple, straightforward, powerful, and precious. Do you feel alone? Jesus says, “I am with you.” Do you feel abandoned? Jesus says, “I have come to seek and save the lost.” Do you feel the weight of hurt on your shoulders and in your heart? Jesus says, “Come to me you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” This season is not just a season of hustle, and bustle, and hassle. No, it’s construction season for you in His grace. Rejoice! The Lord Jesus, your Savior, is near and that makes all the difference in the lives of those who put their faith in Him.
Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for December 13, 2015
Topic: How Do I Handle the Holiday Blues?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, one of our listeners says during the holiday season, they start to feel depressed. How does one handle the holiday blues?
SELTZ: Mark, I’m glad our listener had the courage to ask the question because too many people who experience depression, unfortunately, keep it to themselves.
ANNOUNCER: And that isolation creates a lonely feeling–as if you’re the only one who struggles with these sorts of things. What would you say to our listener?
SELTZ: First I would say, “You’re not alone.” I think of Psalm 94 where the writer said, “When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul” (Psalms 94:18-19 NIV). Anxiety and depression have been around a long time. Even Jesus said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38 NIV).
ANNOUNCER: We think also of the Apostle Paul who struggled with what he called his thorn in the flesh. He pleaded with God to give him relief.
SELTZ: Right. Feeling the blues, being depressed, is part of our fallen human struggle. That’s one thing we do all have in common.
ANNOUNCER: Why do you suppose a sense of depression always seems to happen around the holiday period?
SELTZ: This is an emotional time of year. It is a season when expectations are high. Many people feel a strong sense of grief during the Christmas season because they miss loved ones who died. They mourn relationships that are broken. The expectation for this season is that it should be a time for togetherness and family.
ANNOUNCER: Right. And, when the people you love aren’t here anymore, that can bring you really down.
SELTZ: It sure can. It’s a time of year, holy days, you just feel like things should go well. Your family should be united. Gifts should be appreciated. And, of course, you should feel happy and content.
ANNOUNCER: So, when things then go wrong and people aren’t happy, you can be in for a lot of disappointment.
SELTZ: And that’s when you begin to feel a real sense of the holiday blues.
ANNOUNCER: Alright, that’s the problem. What’s the answer?
SELTZ: First, I think it’s important for all of our listeners to know that you should take depression seriously. If you’re feeling depressed, you should talk with your doctor or see a counselor. You want to make sure that you’re not experiencing clinical depression or a chemical imbalance. These things can be treated. God gives those gifts of medication and counseling. It’s not a reason to be ashamed or embarrassed. Sometimes physical changes or difficulties throw our emotions into a depressed state. Don’t languish there. It’s important to talk to someone who is qualified who can help.
ANNOUNCER: Okay, but if it’s not clinical depression, if it’s what we’re calling the holiday blues, what do you do then?
SELTZ: That’s where I think the Scripture is so powerful for us. I like to think of the Good Shepherd described in Psalm 23 where it says, “He restores my soul.” The holiday blues can be a result of a depleted soul. The first step in soul replenishment is to receive God’s Word of grace and truth. Spend time with God; it is so important especially during this intense holiday season. Attending worship services on weekends, special Advent services during the middle of the week, they can be such a tremendous blessing to be immersed in the good news of the Gospel. Taking quiet time to read the Bible and to pray is also soul-replenishing. Fellowship with friends who follow Jesus, too, is really important.
ANNOUNCER: And also how important it is to build relationships with people who can pray for you, people who can listen to you, and perhaps offer you God’s wisdom.
SELTZ: Isn’t it funny? We’re so busy that we often neglect the basics. Too often, this time of year it becomes an endless to-do list. Overwhelming tasks plunge us into disappointment. I would say it’s probably better to cut back on the ambitious task list and carve out some time for being with God and being with people who can replenish your soul.
ANNOUNCER: It’s also helpful if you shift your focus towards others, right?
SELTZ: I think so. Jesus is saying, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, but to lose their soul.” But, He doesn’t call us to more activity even here. He came to serve and to give us His life as a ransom for many and He’s calling us to focus on that. That’s the kind of life we’ve been given to live and even share with others in service; and it can be very healing in its own right for us.
ANNOUNCER: For example, there may be elderly people who are lonely in nursing homes, maybe even in our own neighborhoods. There are hungry people who need to be fed. There are families who can’t afford gifts for their kids. Many churches offer opportunities to serve people like that who are lonely or struggling.
SELTZ: And, it is true, when you give to others, you receive so much more. It’s another helpful antidote for the holiday blues. Putting the love of Christ to work in our lives really does provide comfort and joy even in the midst of the ups and downs of our lives.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Action in Ministry for December 13, 2015
Guest: Rev. Wayne PalmerANNOUNCER: You are listening to The Lutheran Hour and this is Action in Ministry. Pastor Seltz, life gets complicated and we really don’t get a break just because it’s Christmas.
SELTZ: Mark, you are right. In fact, many times Christmas can make it even more complicated. You figure in the broken family relationships we deal with at this time of year and even just trying to figure out our schedules, our gifts, and money; the list goes on and on.
ANNOUNCER: And with all of that we might easily forget what Christmas is all about. Joining us now is our colleague, Pastor Wayne Palmer. He’s written an excellent resource titled, What Is Christmas? It sounds like such a simple question but it’s important that we have the right answer. Wayne, thanks for joining us.
PALMER: Thank you. I’m glad to be here.
SELTZ: Wow, Wayne, as I began to read this booklet, the first line sounds just right. “Finally a chance to sit down and nibble on a Christmas cookie.” But that is so short-lived as this checklist of everything that must be perfect piles up. The question is why is Christmas so stressful?
PALMER: When I wrote the book, I was thinking of the lady that is the heart, the star of the show and she’s trying to make everything perfect, but she faces all the stuff we face; the decorating, the cakes, the cookies, the cards. Then the idea of how do you pull together a huge extended family and try to get a good, perfect Christmas out of it.
ANNOUNCER: I think back to these nostalgic memories of childhood, the Christmas gifts, the presents, the tree, the family gatherings, the cookies, the lights; and then as adults you come to realize just how much work it was….
SELTZ: That took a lot of work to get that all together.
PALMER: It’s more than just the preparations, they are hard enough by themselves, but when you add the time constraints, you add the financial stress that many families go through, you add sickness or grief or death approaching, which is part of the story in this booklet, it’s a tough holiday.
SELTZ: But I love how, in this booklet, you relate everything to that first Christmas. The question is was life for Mary and Joseph, was it much different than ours?
PALMER: No, it really wasn’t. Even though you get that idea looking at a manger scene, that it’s so peaceful and so wonderful and calm, and the angels, and all that; now it wasn’t like that at all. For Mary and Joseph, there was that trip they had to take for the taxing and census…
SELTZ: Taxing.
PALMER: …clear down from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They find there’s no room for them anywhere. And so they have to go to a stable, an animal shelter, and lay their Baby, not in a nice crib but in a feeding trough. It doesn’t seem like the ideal Christmas.
ANNOUNCER: How did they hold it all together that first Christmas?
PALMER: I think that’s the key. They didn’t hold it together. And, it isn’t up to us to hold it together either and make Christmas perfect. God had to step in. You remember Joseph was ready to divorce Mary and God had to step in in a dream with an angel and tell him, “Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife. I want you to.” And then when they get down to Bethlehem, they don’t find a house. I can only imagine what Joseph’s thinking when he’s got to lay the Baby in a manger. But, I guess, by the time the shepherd’s came and said angels had come, that he realized maybe this is God’s plan; and that’s how they would find Him; being in a manger not in a house.
SELTZ: So God has to hold it all together. Sometimes that’s the message. Well, that is the message I think we should all take to heart. Sometimes we place so many expectations on the holiday, we forget about the Baby in a manger. Our complicated lives are the reason, though, that He came; to bring peace, reconciliation, joy. Wayne, what I love in this booklet, you actually help us to evaluate and adjust our thinking.
PALMER: Yeah, and to remember the Baby didn’t stay a Baby. He didn’t stay in that manger. He grew up and He experienced everything that we experience; the heartache, the joy, the opposition, the hatred. He also went to the cross to pay for our sins and to satisfy God’s wrath; and that’s why he was born in the first place and that’s the real peace that He brings by reconciling us to God.
ANNOUNCER: Wayne, it’s been great to have you with us as we consider that question, what is Christmas? I think this booklet will help us reframe our thinking.
SELTZ: Yes.
ANNOUNCER: Thanks again for sharing it with us.
PALMER: It’s been my pleasure. Thank you.
SELTZ: That’s our Action in Ministry segment today; to bless, to empower, to strengthen your life in Christ for others.
ANNOUNCER: The name of this booklet is, “What Is Christmas?” For your free copy call 1-855-john316. That’s 1-855-564-6316. To view or download this material for free, go to lutheranhour.org and look for the tab that says Action In Ministry. Our email address is: info@lhm.org.
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