When Jesus had finished saying these things,
the crowds were amazed at his teaching,
because he taught as one who had authority,
and not as their teachers of the law.
~Matthew 7:28-29
We celebrate Christmas knowing the baby born in humble conditions will grow to be a man of great authority. He will live out his true identity as Prophet, Priest and King. And in the end, the Son of God will give us more than just words to live by. He gave his life so that we might live in the Father’s Kingdom each new day and beyond.
Each year at Christmas, we are reminded of how the ordinary becomes extraordinary when God is involved. And we are truly amazed once again, just as those who heard the teachings of Jesus were amazed by his compassion and wisdom. But Jesus wasn’t born and didn’t teach because he wanted us to be amazed at his authority. He wants us to give up trying to build our own kingdoms and give him authority over our lives.
As Christmas day is celebrated and the new year begins, may you and I be amazed by the sacred mystery of living in the Father’s Kingdom where the ordinary is always extraordinary.
For Christmas is not merely a day like every other day.
It is a day made holy and special by a sacred mystery.
It is not merely another day in the weary round of time.
Today, eternity enters into time,
and time sanctified is caught up in eternity.
~Thomas Merton
Come Learn Rest Ministries 