The Strangest Christmas Message

CONSIDER THIS

Here it is, the month of December already. And, as oft we do, we reflect upon the mind-boggling events of that very first Christmas — no vacancy signs and angels galore and the brightest star and a bundle of Boy born in a stinking stable.

But if we look carefully, we’ll find the strangest Christmas message. The apostle Matthew chooses to start his book with a list of 42 names, a long seemingly insignificant genealogy, showing the crooked crazy family tree of Jesus, including the ones we’d rather hide: the harlots and adulterers, the liars and murderers, the notorious sinners — the broken, the misfits, the outcasts 

Why? Why does God do such a thing? Why does He highlight some of the most sordid, nasty and immoral people in the Bible for everyone to see? He didn’t have to but He did. He came to include and invite, to rescue and redeem, to bring the Good News: Jesus takes the outcasts and makes them family. 

And He still comes, embracing us, wherever we may be, rescuing and redeeming us  and taking us from outcast to beloved. The grace of Jesus Christ is available. He invites everyone — the prostitute and king — to sit down at the same table. His table. The table of grace.

Grace was born on Christmas Day.