They had told stories about him for years. They saw his pictures, they remembered his grandparents’ names. And they all looked forward to meeting him, finally, in person. Holidays were good for that because everyone showed up together and was a little more prepared to meet a stranger. The tables were set, the lights were on, and a spotlight star pointed to a ranch-style home somewhere in Ohio.
Was he nervous? Walking onto that stage, that was built for his arrival. Was he ready? To see their first reactions to his ordinary face. Was he prepared? To meet the nameless crowd's curated expectations. The long-awaited son paused his knock in the silent night air. He took a deep breath, before interrupting their ancient Christmas plans.
Unnoticed. His sound. As he heard nothing but their laughter. Their clanking. Their chewing. Guzzling wine and spicy cookies, their mouths flapped and salivated. Unnoticed. As he descended down the entry hallway, slipping on the muddy tile, but no one really saw. Unnoticed. Brushing elbows with the sparkles and the suits and the smells of hairspray and cologne. He wasn’t dressed for this occasion. But no one even knew.
He arrived. And they didn’t see him. He walked right up to them. And they never knew. They were unknowingly disappointed with that son of Mary. They were looking for the meaning of their Christmas: getting what they wanted. But their hopes and dreams looked nothing like this guy.
He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. (John 1:10-11)
His own family. His own people. Generations of fathers and prophets and writings. They didn’t see Him when He arrived. The mountains, the sunshine, the creatures of the earth. All things were created through Him, yet they missed Him, too. Born in the dark, in the shadows, in the quiet hidden barn.
His arrival was humiliating. But His arrival was necessary. This lost unfocused world didn’t know what they were looking for. His cherished wayward people didn’t know who they were rejecting. Jesus was born of unmarried Mary, and the righteous leaders scoffed. Jesus held the hands of filthy sinners, and the spiritually-clean souls gagged. Jesus dripped with dirt and blood, while his blind beloveds screamed for more. He was in the world. But they couldn’t see their Lord.
But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13)
Seeing is not really “seeing”. Rather it takes eyes and understandings born of faith. Believing His words, believing the fathers and prophets, believing in His name. Faith “sees" Jesus, and He looks nothing like our hopes and dreams.
The disciples struggled to see Jesus.
The teachers of the Faith struggled to see Jesus.
But Faith does not look. Faith listens.
Don't worry about looking for Jesus at Christmas. You won’t see Him at all. You won’t see your life improve by His presence. You won’t see angels adoring Him or nice happy Christians. No, you will be disappointed, again, by what Jesus looks like. He has come, and it appears that nothing is any better.
Don’t worry about looking for Him. Rather listen to Him.
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.
For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
Feed on Christ’s Word, and “see” God in this world.
Podcast
Listen to more on Family Style Theology Podcast “The Word Lives With Us” Advent Devotion. The world did not recognize Jesus when He came. In our Advent Devotion on JOHN 1:10-13, Cindy and the kids explore faith, and how we can only “see” with our ears: believing the Word of God!
Cindykochwrites.com
Silent Night: https://cindykochwrites.com/2021/12/24/silent-night/