Magyar Egyház, 2010 (89. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2010-10-01 / 4. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 3. oldal Christmas message in 2010 To the members, elders and pastors of the congregations of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America Dearly beloved Sisters and Brothers, During the holidays, around Christmas we greet [each other: Merry Christmas! This holiday is a mood, a quality, a symbol. It is never merely a fact. As a fact it is a date on the calendar; to the believer it is the anniversary of tiff Event in human history. We retold this story every year from the kitchen table to the most ornate of pulpits. Like the rest of the Bible, this story never fails to speak to individuals, the church, and the nation no matter our circumstances or condition. In the last few years and now near Christmas, we find ourselves in difficult economic times. Two thousand years ago, Joseph and Mary and all those who lived during that time, were in the same bad situation: political difficulty, personal distress, prophetic discernment, promised deliverance, private delight. We have to focus our attention mainly on how the saints of God should handle difficult times, and how we in our situation today. "And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. "Luke 2:7. The political situation, the Roman destruction and control of the people, new tax law, changes in leadership and changes in monetary policies threatened the well-being and the confidence of the people. This represented a huge change in the way of life of the people (Luke 2:1-3) Today, we find similar circumstances. We who claim to be God's people and claim to trust in Him, now find that our way of life is threatened by change. Have we really been trusting in God, or were we really trusting in the only way of life we have ever really known? God can upset the "status quo" and has done so on many occasions. World wars, natural disasters, catastrophes, bad leadership, depressions, and many other things have torn Christians from their beds of ease and trusted us into a new and frightening set of circumstances. Joseph and Mary had a special secret, their unborn child was the long-awaited Messiah. They were certainly the "chosen" of God to be entrusted as parents of the Son of God. Both of them had obeyed the heavenly vision and followed God's instructions. No one would blame them if they had expected (Luke 2:4-6) a little "special treatment" from the Father for this great task that lay before them. But no special treatment came. It is amazing to think of how today's Christians expect to be spared from the repercussions of recession and economic hardship. If God let Mary and Joseph suffer in such a time as Christ's birth, what should be our expectations today? Joseph and Mary were poor. The Roman occupation had ground the Jewish people to poverty. Joseph and the pregnant Mary didn't find available rooms and most likely no money to pay for one. Mary and Joseph were without friends on this journey. When we consider the trials and tribulations that this godly couple endured, one is tempted to ask, "Why did God allow this to befall them?" Don't forget: God's thoughts are not our thoughts. As we negotiate our way through these times, we must remember that God never promised to save us from troubles, but to help us in our troubles. In the Christmas story we can see the fiilfillment of prophecies. (Luke 2:25-39) The angel had prophesied of the coming Messiah. The wise men from the East also followed the prophetic star to Christ's birthplace. And do not forget Anna and Simeon, the old people in the temple who trusted God that they would see the Messiah before they died. The times in which we live also give proof to fulfilled prophecy. Just watch the whole world! Just like in the story of the first Christmas, people go about their daily routines oblivious to the fulfillment of prophecy in their midst! God was working in the world, bringing the political and economic conditions to a point that would be conducive to the Coming of the Messiah. (Luke 2:10-11) The promise was made that a Savior had come! While nothing outwardly changed in the world that day, a great event had happened. As we search the history books, the taxation of Caesar Augustus rates barely a mention. The birth of a backwoods Jewish child in the little town of Bethlehem gets no mention at all. But human life had changed that day! And so it is today! The salvation that was made available in the First Coming of Christ is still available today. You won't see it mentioned in the New York Times or the Washington Post. You won't hear it spoken on Wall Street or Hollywood. The leaders of the world, for the most part, ignore the salvation of Christ just as they did in the First Century. There is deliverance for humanity! There is a cure for sin! There is a key to a better and more fulfilling life! It is Christ! Just as it was in Bethlehem long ago! Mary and Joseph had just gone through a most traumatic experience. The birth of her first child had occurred away from her family and home in a stable, and she was surrounded by shepherds, angels, and, later, wise men from the East. Mary "kept" these things, that is, she kept it all in her mind lest it be forgotten. (Luke 2:19) The word means to preserve a thing. And notice the word "pondered." This means to bring together in one's mind, converse with one's self about a thing. Each of these great events in her life were put into her mind's picture book, to be taken out and considered in her quiet time. We have all had experiences with the Lord, prayers answered, truths given, principles observed, that we should ponder in our hearts! My point in bringing this message is to compare the time of the first Christmas with today. We are humans no different than those in that day. God is working in lives today just as yesterday. We can see His fingerprints on the world stage, moving and working His will. We should not expect to get a "free pass" from the trials and tribulations of the future. God has a plan for each of us, but that plan will be carried out with history as a backdrop. We will not be saved "out of' recession, depression, war, or famine. We may be called upon to carry out His work in the midst of it, as did Joseph and Mary in Old Bethlehem! With Christ in our heart, members, elders, pastors of the congregations of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America, let us make our service and labor for our family, for our church, for our nation. The best we can do is to give ourselves fully to the experience, accepting and embracing the divine, as Mary did, in all its richness and power. Merry Christmas for all of us. 2010, Christmas With brotherly love in Christ, Sándor Szabó, Bishop Frank Király, Chief Elder
