21st December 2023
No room for Jesus
In the days before the birth of Jesus, Joseph and Mary had to travel to Bethlehem for the census. When Joseph tried to find a place to stay for the night – Mary was in labour – he was told every space was taken. There was no room for them (Luke 2:7). No room – no room for the Saviour of the world. No room for the one who was to redeem every human from his or her sin. So, he was born in a stable, a place for animals. The one who would be called a king was squeezed in between the donkeys and the sheep.
They squeezed him out of the inn and crucified him clear out of this physical world. We’ve been squeezing him out ever since. He’s been squeezed out of churches and replaced by ritual and legalism. He’s been pushed out of schools and replaced by evolution and humanism. He’s been shoved out of Christmas and replaced by Santa and consumerism.
Sometimes we Christians do that to Jesus. Our lives are full of so much busyness, that we squeeze him right out of our lives. Then we try to squeeze him back in – between the shopping and the Internet, or the bills and the chores. Sometimes there just isn’t any room for him at all.
This month, during Advent, is a good time to reflect on what’s happening in your soul. Instead of getting caught up in the usual holiday activities, spend some time alone, tending to your heart and faith. By interacting with God, we can, as Dallas Willard says, “bring our personality and total being into effective cooperation with the divine order.”
Making room for Jesus in our lives is a matter of our hearts. What is closest to your heart? Or as Matthew says, where is your treasure (Matthew 6:21)? If Jesus is your treasure, he will have your whole heart and you won’t have to make room for him. There won’t be room for anything else.
Study by Tammy Tkach
First published on 5 December 2023, at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com
About the writer:
Tammy Tkach is the Assistant Pastor of the Eugene, Oregon, USA, Grace Communion International congregation. She is a speaker and writer, and publishes a blog at www.gemsofgodsgrace.wordpress.com
Local congregation:
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