The Gospel
According to (Christmas) Carol
Joy
to the World
(Be
sure to read the introduction to this series.)
First thing, check out this Ford commercial.
Get
it? Delivering on the "and" part of the
equation is a challenge. Consider the problem posed by our Pledge of Allegiance
to the American flag.
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one
Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for
all."
Liberty
and
Justice? Well, we want bad people to receive justice, not be given the liberty
to do more bad acts, right? Again, "and" seems to be the problem.
Let's
get a little closer to Christmas with this verse about Joseph's "and"
problem with pregnant-out-of-wedlock Mary.
And Joseph [was engaged to be] her
husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace
her, planned to send her away secretly. (Matthew 1:19)
You
see, Joseph was a righteous man. Mary's condition called for him to publicly
renounce their engagement. But, BUT, he loved her and did not
want her to suffer personal embarrassment or public disgrace. So his solution
was to let her move in with relatives in another city. Yes, he would lose the
one he loved, but he found a way to maintain righteousness and show compassion.
Wow, God certainly found the perfect man to be the earthly father of Jesus!
Enjoy
Acapella's version of "Joy to the World"
This
week's carol gives us one simple, yet troubling, thought to consider.
"He
rules the world with Truth and
Grace"
Truth
grows out of Righteousness. Truth ensures that what is expected is accomplished.
For example, God expects us to live without sin. On the other hand, Grace is love-in-action.
Grace loves unconditionally.
"But"
and "on the other hand" are easy to do. And, as in "Eat
your cake and have it to", is sometimes almost impossible to
accomplish. God has a terrible problem. He loves us completely AND
He can have nothing to do with sin.
Perhaps
the most popular verse in the Bible revolves around this problem of and:
“For God so loved the world, that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but
have eternal life. (John 3:16)
John
3:16 reveals God's problem – loving the world and also needing
sinful man to perish – and it reveals His solution –
letting the sinfulness of mankind fall on the shoulders of His perfect, innocent
Son. The Apostle Paul describes this transaction in poignant terms:
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2
Corinthians 5:21)
Let's
go back to our carol for one more treasure on this theme:
"And
makes the nations prove…
The glories
of His Righteousness
And wonders of His Love"
Want
to drive this point home? This coming week, don't say "but". Replace
it in all your sentences with "and". You'll quickly come to realize
how amazing God's "and" solution is.
Bonus: Here is a nice post about the history of several most-beloved carols.
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