MPC, 25th December 2002.Luke 2:1-20; Matt. 2:1-12 "Deserve Better?"
Maurie Cropper MPC, 25th December 2002.
With a matter of great urgency, TV channels across England broke into normal programmes with a news flash. 'Breaking News'. While people held their breath, wondering if war had broken out, or there'd been another terrorist attack… across their screens came the ground-breaking news that the English cricket team had won a match!
Only the day before, after yet another defeat for their cricket team… the not-so-flattering English Press … bowled a bouncer... directly at their country's cricket team... with the headline in huge print on the front page: 'We deserve better!'
Still in England, recently the English Football Association demanded that they deserved better as well!
They were fuming over what they said was an extremely lenient fine imposed after some shocking behaviour towards the English soccer team.
The Association cried foul… and said they deserved better!
While I was on-line with the computer the other day I thought I'd check out who else thought they deserved better.
I came up with an amazing array of websites with headlines of people and groups stating that they deserve better.
For example, a scientific journal was claiming "young scientists deserve better": better funding… better recognition… better support from the system.
The Family Research Council says women deserve better. Another article headlined said "Good teachers deserve better pay".
And the workers group that said they deserved better conditions.
And a feature article in a prominent newspaper demanded we deserve better political leadership.
And this one… an organization called 'No Chains: Dogs deserve better'. I quote: "We're a non-profit organization dedicated to becoming the voice for all chained up dogs."
And while we might support most of the sentiments aired in those headlines,… there are those who deliberately appeal to our sense of 'greed', or of 'being hard done by in life'… or 'of missing out on something'.
I came across a site that began with: 'You deserve better'… and concluded with: 'So talk Life & Career Challenges & Changes with Jessica!'
The list was endless.
And to top it off, there's a candidate hoping to be the next U.S. President under the slogan: 'Americans Deserve Better!'
What really said it all for me was that in 13 seconds of down-load time the Web Searcher came up with 1,430, 000 sites that headlined the words: 'Deserve Better'.
And I wonder how many Christmas presents will be unwrapped this Christmas by someone whose first thought will be: "I deserve better".
Our selfishness and self-centredness fuels the belief that we deserve better!
But I wonder if you look at from God's perspective if we really do deserve better at all. You might think you do. But maybe you're wrong. From the Bible's point of view, none of us deserves anything. Because all of us have sinned. And fall short of God's glory. And if you look inside yourself in an honest moment, you know it's true.
So, just for a moment... imagine what it would be like if we all got what we really deserved. I reckon it wouldn't make for a very pleasant Christmas.
For example, let's start with us guys. Instead of the packet of socks, what if all there was from our wives and families was a note hanging on the tree spelling out some home truths regarding how we've neglected to lead our families with integrity. Or we're reminded that we didn't keep our commitment to work on issues like anger, selfish ambition or avoidance.
And ladies, instead of the latest 'Jamie Oliver' cookbook, you receive a single recipe for an 'Upside-Down' cake with your name on the top. And while it looks sweet and perfect, its ingredients include things like: a dash of manipulation; a splash of jealousy, and two of dissension or contentiousness.
And you children or you teenagers how would it be, if instead of the cover of the CD listing all your favourite band's songs, you found a list of the times you have been disobedient or disrespectful to your parents? And the times you were envious or gossiped about others. And all the occasions when you chose foolishness over wisdom.
So depending on your perspective, it might or might not be a Christmas worth remembering. Because maybe the fact we always think we deserve better, is a symptom of our problem.
And if getting what we deserve from others might make for an interesting Christmas… getting what we deserve from God would certainly make us want to skip Christmas altogether. Because we've constantly ignored him. By nature, the only time we even think about God is when we're in a fix.
And we're born that way. With a born to rule mentality. That leaves God right out of the picture. Like king Herod in that final reading. He's blatant about it. He's not going to stand for any other king. So he wants to find the baby Jesus. And kill him. We're more subtle about it. But just as definite.
And in the midst of all that, God steps in with a saviour. Instead of writing us off, instead of ignoring us the way we've ignored him… he makes the ultimate connection with his world… in the person of his son. Who was born humbly, who lived as a servant… who gave up his perfect life on our behalf.
The very thought of bowing down to someone else greatly "disturbed" King Herod. Not only Herod. The Religious Leaders of the day were offended as well. Convinced they deserved something more than a Servant-Saviour King.
And yet that was the plan. And we celebrate it today. That it was into this world that rejected God, an undeserving world, that God sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ … as a demonstration of his love for us.
It's probably the most famous verse in the bible. But it says it all. John 3:16. "That God so loved the world he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." The ultimate, better than we ever deserved Christmas present.
It's ironic, rather than getting what we deserve, in Jesus we are given something far better. Through Jesus we are offered reconciliation to God the Father for all eternity.
Jesus says: "I've come to do my Father's will. And my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." [John 6:39-40]
People have always been divided about Jesus. Polarised right from his birth. I mean, the wise men… they're looking for him because they want to worship him. They surround him with their lavish gifts. They bow at his baby-feet. While at the same time, Herod's looking for him to kill him.
And all the way through the gospel accounts there's the same tension. Those who love him. Those who want to kill him. It ends in the cross. It begins again in the resurrection.
So where do you stand? What have you done about Jesus? Because believe me there's no grey area. There's no fence to sit on. There's no neutral place in our relationship with him. You've either accepted him, and his sacrifice for you… and his claim to be King of your life… or you've rejected him.
If like the wise men you're on his side … then, as a follower of Jesus, glorify and praise him with your life.
If like Herod you're not yet on his side, then...
Don't swallow the bait of: 'you deserve better'.
Don't get hooked into believing that you won't get what you deserve.
Don't keep... being tossed to-and-fro... doubting that God's love doesn't extend and include you.
For His love took on human likeness in the Christ-child of Bethlehem.
So if you're presently on the other side of the fence to Jesus, why don't you seize the moment, accept Jesus, crossover… accept the gift you didn't deserve… and make this the most significant Christmas of your life! One you'll remember for the rest of your life.