Alone On Christmas

TITLE: Alone on Christmas
DATE: December 24, 2018
TEXT: Luke 2:10  But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
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They lived at a time when nobody understood germs, bacteria or sanitation.

That is why, when the Black Death came to Goldberg, Silesia, before Christmas of 1353, the people were petrified. They knew that in many places, the plague had killed one out of every four people. Some cities had been filled with the dead. Historians, writing about those times said, “All lived in awful fear someone might breathe upon them or touch them.”

No one went out. No one knew who was dead or alive…. or if anyone was alive.

Fear of contamination in Goldberg continued until Christmas Eve. On that night, a man ventured out of his house. He thought he was the only survivor in the entire city. Every house he passed was filled with memories of those he had loved or with whom he had done business.

Knowing it was Christmas Eve, he put aside his loneliness and fear of illness and raised his voice to sing a Christmas hymn.

 A great and mighty wonder,
a full and holy cure!
the Virgin bears the Infant
with virgin-honor pure:

Refrain:
Repeat the hymn again:
'To God on high be glory,
and peace on earth to men.'

As his song of praise rang into the night’s stillness, another voice, from behind a door, echoed his own. Then a woman joined him in the street. Their songs brought forth strange echoes, and 25 survivors, all that were left of the town, came and sang of the love of God shown to them in Jesus, the Savior.

4 Since all he comes to ransom,
by all be he adored,
the Infant born in Bethl'em,
the Savior and the Lord:

Refrain:
Repeat the hymn again:
'To God on high be glory,
and peace on earth to men

Although the Black Death is no longer the threat it once was, the world is still filled with spiritual disease.

Prejudice, hatred, injustice, dishonesty, greed, lust, idolatry infect human hearts with the damning disease of sin. Like the residents of Goldberg, we are helpless to find a cure or a preventative. Even though we are surrounded by thousands of people, many still lock themselves away in loneliness.

No, we could not come up with a cure on our own; but just because we were helpless, that doesn’t mean that the gracious Lord was in the same helpless predicament.

Indeed, the Christ’s presence on the human stage some 2,000 years ago brings us the message which says, “God cares.”

The Christmas angel announced the birth of Immanuel who was “Good news of great joy for ALL people.” His proclamation shared a Savior Who would tear down the barriers of evil which divide us.

 Jesus is the Savior Whose love transforms sinners into saints, the damned into the delivered. By His sacrificial love He aids those who are ailing and gives hope to those who are hurting.

THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, in this quiet moment accept my thanks that I am never alone. Surrounded by Your love, may I share Your grace with others. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

music which introduces and concludes our devotions was written by Guy Baumann, one of my long-ago confirmands. He is singing with three brothers. This song comes from the album: The Baumann Brothers which may be ordered here: http://thebaumannbrothers.com/index.html