The temptation of comparisons at Christmas
Not too far from where our church gathers are two larger congregations that go all-out for Christmas. They orchestrate large events with music, plays, lights, and gifts. They secure sheep and donkeys for petting, goodies and treats, raffles and photobooths. Personally, I am grateful for how all-out they go. People in the community come and hear the story of Jesus. It brings attention to the wonder and glory of the incarnation (when done in a God-glorifying and wise way). However, our church is smaller in size. We have limited resources and could never dream of competing with such a spectacle. We don’t even try. We don’t feel the need to. With that said, I am still tempted to compare and wonder, “What could our little church offer this Advent season that shows the spectacular nature of Jesus’s coming? We are not impressive.”
God’s heart for the small and unimpressive
Why is God so interested in small things? God often chooses the unassuming, weak, humble, and often-forgotten people and places of the world. He set his heart on a wandering nomad named Abraham. He set his heart on a small shepherd boy named David. Jesus grew up in a small town. Jesus used the small lunch of a small boy to feed thousands. Jesus taught that it was the poor in spirit, the lowly, the sorrowful, and the meek that would be blessed in God’s Kingdom. Paul stated that God chose what is “foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong” (1 Cor. 1:27). God seems to have a curious fondness for showing his love to those who seem least worthy of it. And in this reality, we find a powerful truth:
Our value comes not from any intrinsic worth we possess but because God gives it to us as an overflow of his generous grace.
And if this is true, then there is hope for the average, unimpressive, weak, and humble pastors and churches of this world. Especially during Advent, we are viscerally reminded that what is spectacular about Christmas is not us but the Christ who resides at its center.
Bethlehem: Though you are small …
Bethlehem is a shining example of this. It was probably inhabited by only 500 people and was only 60 acres in size. Yet, every one of us knows its name. This is not because it was impressive but because God did impressive things through it. Despite its mixed past which included being the burial place for Rachel (Genesis 35) and the birthplace of tragic evil (Judges 17, 20), God preserved and redeemed this little town. Bethlehem is the setting for the book of Ruth where this little town became a symbol of the great redemption of God for those who humbly and desperately trust in him. It was this little town that king David was brought up in and became known as the city of the king after God’s heart. It was this little town that Micah prophesied would be the city of the Messiah (Micah 5:2). And ultimately, it became the city of Jesus’s birth. From Bethlehem (which means “house of bread”) came the one who was the “bread of life” and brought a greater redemption, a deeper salvation, and a more glorious kingdom.
What a remarkable encouragement for all who feel small and unimpressive, for all pastors who feel weak and ordinary, for all churches whose Christmas celebrations feel small and simple. God has a burning passion and stubborn habit for displaying his extraordinary beauty through ordinary and simple vessels. What makes any of us significant in God’s kingdom comes not from our size, importance, or impressiveness. Our significance comes from the staggering truth that God has chosen us despite our frailty and weakness. Not only that, but God brings us into the work of his Kingdom and does extraordinary things every time we simply put what we have on the altar. Every offering made to God from a heart of faith and worship is a sweet-smelling aroma that gladdens his heart and glorifies his name. Do you doubt it? Simply look at the little town of Bethlehem.
Don’t seek to be “impressive” this Christmas. Christ already is.
Our family enjoys going to the live Nativity event 15 minutes up the road. Our kids love petting the sheep and eating from the mountain of Christmas cookies. We love hearing the soaring vocals of Christmas hymns being sung. We appreciate the excellence and thoughtfulness behind these community events. However, none of it compares to the experience we have when we gather on Christmas Eve with our spiritual family, we read the Christmas story, we sing ancient and new songs of worship, and we reflect together on our extraordinary Jesus. And in the intimate familiarity of our church family, in our simple worship and long fellowship afterward, the glory of Christ affects extraordinary things in the hearts of all who gather in that room.
The point is not our own impressiveness, but Christ’s. Inasmuch as we seek to draw all the attention to the glory of Jesus Christ, we gladden the heart of God and witness his effectual transformation in ours. Inasmuch as we seek to be “spectacular” like the church up the street (or on social media), we may be distracted from seeing and experiencing our spectacular Christ who cherishes and works through the lowly.
In this, we find an abiding comfort and glorious vision. Christ is the impressive one. Let us do all we can in our churches to exult in him this Christmas.