The Zipline Sam Says...
It’s so easy to take “it” for granted. I mean, after all, it’s not like I haven’t read “it” a thousand times… literally. Not only that, but ever since I was very young I have been able to recite most of “it” word for word. Still can. But the danger of becoming so familiar with something, anything actually, is that it can become so routine that one becomes immune to the significance, message or meaning of whatever “it” is with which we have such great familiarity. Such it is with me, and I suspect with many of you as well. The particular “it” to which I am referring is the telling of the circumstances of Jesus’s birth found in the first two chapters of both Matthew and Luke. How many times have you heard these words, “It came to pass….?” How many? How many times have you heard about Joseph and Mary and the shepherds and Herod and the Magi? To a lesser extent, how many times have you heard about Elizabeth and Zechariah and the angel? How many? But in the midst of the business of the holiday season, as we are trying to squeeze in a little “Jesus time,” as we finish finals, catch up with friends, spend a little time with family and buy something, anything, for those on our list, just so we can be done with it, how many of us actually pause to consider this simple question… WHY? Why Jesus? Although clearly the most significant of the inquiries regarding Christmas is also actually the simplest to answer isn’t it? Sin demanded a savior. It’s pretty much just that simple. Profound,
life changing to be sure, but simple nonetheless. That said though, how about this? Why Mary? Why Joseph? Why the shepherds? Why Elizabeth? Why Zechariah? Why them? Why not someone else? To answer that question let me relay a story that Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon Mobil and the Secretary of State designate, told to a group of Eagle Scouts in Houston recently. It seems that a bunch of tenderfoot (rookie) scouts were on their very first campout with their scoutmaster. As they set up camp, the scoutmaster told them to get their cans of beans and weenies and cook them over the fire he had built. So, never having camped out before, the innocent tenderfoot scouts simply tossed their unopened cans of food into the fire, thinking that was how you cooked them. Well, as you can imagine, soon enough the unopened cans began exploding all over the place. I mean beans and weenies were flying everywhere and all over the shocked boys, covering them head to toe. Hearing the cans popping and exploding, the scoutmaster rushed over only to find his scouts with food splattered all over them…faces, hair, clothes, the whole bit. The scoutmaster spent the rest of the evening and well into the night patiently cleaning up the boys and their belongings. As he was finishing cleaning up the last boy, the youngster looked up at the scoutmaster and innocently said, “Sir, how much do they pay you to do this?” The scout master looked down at the young boy, tussled his hair and replied, “Son, they couldn’t pay me enough to do this.” Somewhat puzzled the
Christmas Edition young boy responded, “Then why, sir, do you do it?” The scoutmaster paused, thought for a minute and responded. “Son,” he said, “I was put here to do this.” Did you catch that? “I WAS PUT HERE TO DO THIS!” So, in the midst of this busy, hectic, familiar season, I will tell you that the answer, simple but profound answer to why Mary, why Joseph, why the shepherds, why Elizabeth, why Zechariah, why the Magi, even why Herod is simply this. They were put there to do what they did, to play the role that they played in the most significant event in history. It was their purpose at that time. So, for each of you, at this time, as we celebrate Christmas I want you to consider this simple question, “Why are you here?” What were you put here to do? What is your purpose? Understand, God has a purpose for you every single day of your life. He is a purposeful God, so you shouldn’t just answer with, “I’m too busy, I’ll figure it out later.” No, God wants to reveal his purpose for your life to be sure, but equally important His purpose for you for this day, to you in the worst way. He does not want you to meander through life being tossed from here to there based on the particular circumstances of your life at a particular time or on a particular day. No, he wants you to seek him, to seek his intentional purpose for your life this day and every day. In doing so, you will lead a richer, fuller, more purposeful life. After all, isn’t that what “it” is all about. Merry Christmas to each of you. Watch out for exploding beans and weenies. God Bless - SAM