Jesus Isn't Decaf (By Naomi Meyers)

It wasn’t the first time they had been in this position. It wouldn’t be the last. If history were any indication, versions of this same event would continue to occur as they had for decades. Different field. Different soldiers. Same enemy. They had been fighting for decades. Small skirmishes. Epic standoffs. Intense battles. A winner always emerged. Rarely was it the same side. Neither group was in a position to claim superiority. The Philistines found victory through advanced weapons and well-informed strategies. The Israelites discovered it in obedience to God. Standing still. Holding their ground. Trusting God to have their backs. When God was fighting for them, the Philistines could never win. Israel simply had to stand their ground.

David fully understood that concept. Standing his ground. He knew exactly how it was done. He’d stood up and fought off predators that came after his sheep. Lions. Bears. God had protected and cared for him and his flock in the face of danger. He had every reason to believe God would always do the same. That’s how he ended up facing down Goliath. Faith in God. Confidence in His power. Courage to walk out in the open when everyone else hid, talk back when others were silent, and stand firm when everyone else cowered. His brothers had wanted him to do the same. They wanted him to drop off their provisions and get out of there. It wasn’t a good place for a kid. They weren’t wrong. It wasn’t a great place for a kid to hang about, but it was the perfect place for the people of God to hold their ground against the enemy of God. 

He’d done that and a little more. Walking out to confront the giant, David drew himself up as tall as possible. He still looked like an an in comparison. His tiny, impotent sling hung limply from his fingers. Defiantly lifting his chin, David courageously squared his shoulders and took possession of his space. Size didn’t matter. The evil eyes, cruel laugh, menacing threats, and enormous spear didn’t stop him. They didn’t make him comfortable. David’s stomach probably knotted up a bit. His knees might have wobbled. His heart rate accelerated. It didn’t matter. What mattered was standing his ground. Planting his feet solidly on the ground God had given them, David pitched his voice to be heard at Goliath’s increased altitude, and firmly said his piece. They weren’t going anywhere. Not one Israelite soldier was running away. They were going to stay right where they were and watch God work. Right now. 

Wrapping a stone in the pouch of his sling, David loosened up his throwing arm. Goliath laughed. Hard. He wasn’t the tiniest bit shaken. Neither was David. He didn’t need to be. No matter the size of the enemy in front of him, the God surrounding him was greater. Spinning his arm with absolute precision, David let loose of the sling. Silent tension fell over the soldiers watching from their tents. Some rested their hands on their weapons, ready for the imminent battle. Others stared in slack-jawed amazement at the brashness of the kid. Most just watched in astonishment as that stone, once safely locked inside the sling, sailed through the air with miraculous accuracy and landed between Goliath’s eyes with alarming force. So much force, in fact, that it didn’t bounce back into the dirt. It sank in. Way in. And Goliath fell. Because David had obeyed God and stood his ground. (I Samuel 17)

Eleazer and David would have to do the same if they wanted victory against the Philistines. And they did. Standing in a field of swaying barley, they had no idea how the fight would go. They knew only one thing. Neither of them was giving up any ground. No matter who else ran away, left the battlefield, or abandoned the fight, they were staying. The risk was significant. The field was for growing food, not fighting battles. It was plowed and flat and treeless. There were no large rocks behind which to hide, no trees for cover, no outcroppings for surprise attacks. They had only their wits and their swords. Because their men were nowhere to be found. Quickly and quietly, they had disappeared. There one moment, gone the next. A mass exodus. The flight of the cowardly soldiers. Before David and Eleazer knew it, they were back-to-back in the middle of the field, surrounded by Philistine soldiers. 

The knowledge changed nothing. They fought without letting up, refusing to give an inch of ground to the enemy. They weren’t distracted by the pounding feet of fleeing men. They weren’t discouraged by the fear of defeat. They weren’t derailed by exhaustion, the taunts of the Philistine soldiers, or the sheer number of their foes. In determination, they fought on. Indeed, Eleazer fought so hard and killed so many opposition men that his arm could barely lift his sword by the end of the battle. In a massive minority, with the odds ridiculously stacked against them, God saw those two men standing their ground and gave them the victory. (II Samuel 23:9-10; I Chronicles 11:13-14)

Shammah felt the same. He understood the importance of standing his ground, not giving up, not running away when things looked severe. Watching his fellow soldiers run the opposite direction, Shammah staked his space in a field of lentils and battled the Philistines. Alone. In lentils. Admittedly, I checked the internet. Lentils do not grow on trees. They are not giant plants offering hiding spaces and cover. No. There is absolutely no cover in a lentil field. Not one with plants. Certainly not one without. Shammah was an unobstructed target. Or should have been. It was not humanly possible or conceivable that one man with no cover would be able to defeat an entire army and send them running for their lives. But Shammah did. Because he held his ground. He stood up for what he believed. He believed in God. And, regardless of the odds, the impossibilities, the improbabilities, God brought him a trouncing victory. Because he stood his ground. (II Samuel 23:11-12)

Given an infinite amount of time, we could continue. The list of Biblical heroes who stood their ground against enemies, both physical and spiritual, is long and varied. Daniel stood on his knees when ordered to forsake praying to God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego stood on their feet when commanded to bow to a golden statue. Stephen stood on his faith even as he fell to his knees while being stoned for sharing what he believed. He counted the value of eternal life worth more than earthly applause. He didn’t alter the gospel, sugarcoat truth, or change his course to satisfy public opinion. He stood his ground. So must we. (Daniel 3:16-21; 6:1-18; Acts 7:54-60)

Bombarded by opinions and ideas dressed up to sound good and lure us away from God, it sometimes takes every ounce of strength we have to stand firm in what we believe. The cacophony of voices is loud and persistent. The differing viewpoints can make our heads spin and cloud our minds. The arguments for wrong and against right are so convoluted that just one weak moment could draw us aside, turn our heads, confuse our hearts. It is urgently important to know what you believe and why you believe it profoundly. It is even more important to know who you believe in. You must know God. Intimately. Know His Word. Know His voice. Be in a position to test every opinion, every theory, every idea, every thought against the Word of God. Check the Book. Every time. Stand firmly on what God says. Not every person’s interpretation of the Bible will be correct. So know it yourself. Read it. The actual Book. Not just books about the Book. Read the Book. Memorize it. Base your beliefs on your own knowledge of the Bible and your personal interactions with God. Don’t gullibly take some preacher, blogger, or writer’s word for what you should believe. Know the Book. Know the Author. You have that capability. 

Unlike the people of Biblical times, you can own and read the Bible. You can learn ancient languages and read it in the original verbiage. You can read it in modern English, Old English, or whatever language you choose. It won’t change the message. Wrong will still be wrong. Right will still be right. God will not have changed from the dawn of Creation to the morning of the day you read about it. He won’t change tomorrow, either. The same God who surrounded David in the valley of Elah, upheld Eleazer in the barley field, and fought with Shammah among the lentils, will stand by you too. The God who held Daniel’s hand in the lion’s den, walked with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the furnace, and personally welcomed Stephen to heaven’s glory is with you too. The Bible says it. You can believe it. No matter what society, friends, politicians, celebrities, social media, or television preachers staunchly avow, the only true authority is the Word of God. It is His message to mankind. It never changes. To truly follow it, you will have to stand on it. Even when it means standing alone. (Daniel 3:22-28; 6:19-23; Acts 7:55-56; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:89)

Following Jesus, being His disciple, means to stand your ground. Be rooted and grounded in Christ and His Word. Refuse to budge. In storms. In adversity. In temptation. In battles that seem too lopsided to win. Don’t move. Stay there. Stand on the Word of God. Even if you have to stand alone. Value your relationship with God above the trinkets of the world. Take the Bible seriously. Live your life by its words. Ground yourself in its values. Stabilize your soul with its truth. Strengthen your heart with its promises. Why? Because everything else is passing away. It is all changing. It is crumbling. It is failing. God’s Word isn’t. It can’t. It won’t. It is safe and secure. Every promise, every prophecy, every word. It is all trustworthy. The Book. The Author. You need to know them both, so you can have the courage to stand your ground. (Luke 9:23; I Corinthians 15:58; 16:13; Ephesians 6:11; Joshua 1:8; II Timothy 3:16-17; James 1:22; Psalm 119:11; Matthew 24:35) 

She had started planning the minute she saw them headed toward her house. This was going to be one epic dinner! Every single one of her cooking skills would be engaged. The lamb would be moist and perfectly seasoned. The vegetables would be expertly roasted. The bread would be marvellously crunchy on the outside, yet exquisitely tender on the inside. Wine would flow. Conversation would be easy. Laughter would resound. The entire experience would be a triumph! As long as everything went according to her plan.

Nothing was turning out as Martha planned. When it was time to prepare the feast, she found herself in the kitchen alone. A pile of vegetables needed peeled and diced. The lamb needed slicing, seasoning, and cooking. The flour and yeast that would become bread rested helplessly on the counter. She would need another set of hands to pull this off. Usually, she had another set. Extra hands. Helping hands. Mary’s hands. Her sister would normally be right there beside her, working in tandem, precipitating the next necessity. Not today. Today, of all days, Mary chose to go rogue. She was nowhere to be found. Not peeling vegetables. Not kneading bread. Not setting the table. Mary was well and truly missing. 

Martha didn’t have time for this. She didn’t have time to go searching for a grown woman who knew where she should be and what she should be doing. This was ridiculous! Without Mary’s help, the kitchen had turned into a one-woman circus. Slicing mutton. Dicing vegetables. Kneading bread. Roasting, basting, stirring, baking. Martha badly needed a third hand. Or her sister. Mary could make an appearance at any moment. It wouldn’t upset Martha one little bit. She could overlook her tardiness, forgive her abandonment. She just needed Mary to get in the kitchen. Now. This entire meal could fall apart if just one task was left undone, one pot was stirred too late, one vegetable was overcooked, one pan stayed over the hottest spot of the fire too long. Yet here she was, alone. Feverishly working to create a meal worthy of the occasion.  

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Martha quickly checked to ensure all the pots were over the right heat, tossed her dish towel over her shoulder, and marched out to look for Mary. She surely wouldn’t have gone far. Not when they had company. Maybe she had just gotten caught up in conversation with one of the disciples and lost track of time. Maybe she didn’t realize Martha was already cooking. Maybe she had gone to make sure there was enough space for everyone to fit in the front room. It really didn’t matter where she was or why she was there. A pointed look from her bossy sister would get her sorted. If Martha could only find her. 

Following the sound of Jesus’ voice to the front of the house, Martha found Him surrounded by His disciples. They were hanging on His every word. No one was asking questions. They were just sitting there. Sponges. Soaking up every word that came from His mouth. She wished she could be there, too, but duty called. She couldn’t afford the distraction. She had people to feed. And she needed help. Glancing around from the back of the room, she searched for Mary. No luck. The space was full, indicating they had added a few people since Jesus arrived. She couldn’t see over some people or around others. Edging her way around to the front of the group, Martha stopped in her tracks at what she saw. Her jaw went slack, then tightened in irritation. That was Mary! Front and center! Right at Jesus’ feet. Listening. Learning. Soaking in His presence. Deeply distracted by her desire to be in His presence, Mary had forgotten her place. Forgotten her duty as hostess. Forgotten that her sister was doing all the work and could absolutely use some help. 

She hadn’t intended for it to happen that way. Caught up in the words of Jesus, Mary meant only to stay for a few minutes before heading off to help Martha. The time had passed without her realizing. Now she didn’t want to leave. Couldn’t make herself get up and go. She was enthralled by His teaching. Enamored by His words. Utterly distracted from the mundane cares of earthly living by the heavenly lessons Jesus spoke. Her heart raced with excitement as she learned more and more. Her soul hungered and thirsted to hear His words. There were a dozen places she could be, one specific place she should be, but only one place she wanted to be. Right there. At Jesus’ feet. 

Pushing her way to the front of the group, Martha took her issue to the Authority. She wasn’t having this. Reaching Jesus’ side, she issued a rebuke in the form of a question, “Don’t you think Mary should be helping me? She’s just lollygagging around listening to your stories. I’d love to do that too, but it doesn’t cook the food! She needs to do her share of the work! Tell her to get moving and come help me!” Regarding Martha with compassion, hearing her viewpoint, reading her heart, Jesus spoke. Not about Mary. Not really. About Martha. She was distracted, too. She was swamped in dinner details and entertaining minutiae. She was worried about putting on a grand feast when everyone would have been pleased with broiled fish and bread. Everyone else was distracted by Jesus. Martha was distracted by work. (Luke 10:38-42)

Mary had the right of things. Her distraction was good and right. Jesus wouldn’t be stopping by forever. No one would remember the food Martha prepared that day once Jesus had gone back to Heaven. But they would always remember the words He spoke. Those lessons would be burned into their hearts. They would be guiding lights to their souls. When the darkness of the world tried to suffocate them, those words would give them hope. When the seasons of life were hard and heavy, those words would give them strength. When their minds were unsettled and distracted by the daily cares of living, working, and surviving, those words would resound in their ears, bringing them peace. When they had questions, worries, and concerns, the lessons and parables Jesus spoke that day would guard their hearts and minds, keeping them focused on what truly matters. If there was ever a time for them to be distracted from chores and duties by someone or something, this was it. This was the day. This was the moment. Jesus was there. The Way of Truth. For life. (John 8:12; 14:6; Psalm 33:20-22; 46:1; Ephesians 2:14; Philippians 4:7)

Distracted by the duties and details of her everyday life, Martha spiralled out of control in frustration and irritation when her sister was distracted by Jesus. She didn’t see the similarity. She didn’t notice they were both distracted. Her by the world. Mary by Heaven. She didn’t understand how each distraction would impact their souls. If Martha’s earthly distractions continued to pull her from Jesus, her soul would dry and shrivel. Her faith would shrink. Her heart would harden. When life got difficult, despair could easily find a place to lodge. Not so for Mary. Her continued distraction with Jesus would strengthen her soul. His peace and presence would surround her. The storms of life might give her pause, but they wouldn’t sink her ship. Her faith would be solidly grounded in the safety of a relationship with Jesus Christ. It didn’t mean she wouldn’t help with the cooking anymore. It meant that, although her hands were busy with earthly things, her heart and mind would be on Jesus. We should all be so distracted.  

You see, being like Martha is easy. Surrounded as we are by a constant barrage of distractions, it is so easy to be drawn aside by the ones that matter least. The brightest colors flashing across our screens. The loudest pings from our cell phones. The biggest promises from advertisements, associates, employers. We get so busy chasing the proverbial rabbit that we lose sight of what really matters. Relationship with God. Peace in our hearts. Holiness in our souls. It’s not the zeroes on your paycheck, the corner office, the title, or the sports car that matters. Those are just distractions. Things that draw our hearts, minds, and energy away from following God. Chasing Him down. They make us spend less time in His presence, make His voice less audible to our ears. Putting on a show, making a name for ourselves, building our brand, and broadening our reputation all distract and detract from Jesus. They pull us away from God and numb our spirits to His leading. When everything earthly becomes more important than anything heavenly, you need to pump the brakes, my friend. The greatest detriment to your soul is distraction with earth when you should be focused on Heaven. (Proverbs 4:23-27; I Corinthians 7:35; Mark 4:19; Colossians 3:2; I John 2:15-17)

That is where Mary was. Where we should be. Completely distracted by Jesus. Entranced by His presence. Enthralled by His teaching. Empowered by His words. We should be sitting at His feet, listening to His voice, learning His ways, leaning in to the lessons He teaches. It doesn’t mean we shirk our duties, leave work undone, the house a mess, the kids unfed. We don’t blow off meetings at work, turn up late, or renege on responsibilities. It means that, even in the hustle and bustle and busyness of all the things our lives entail, our hearts and minds are tuned to Jesus. We constantly listen for His voice. We consistently look for His leading. It means our first response to every opportunity is to seek His guidance. It means we don’t take a step if it requires letting go of His hand. It means we take time every day to distance ourselves from the distractions of earth and immerse ourselves in the distractions of eternity. It means we remember that our heavenly calling is infinitely more important than anything we do on earth. It means that we know in our hearts and believe in our heads that the greatest thing we can ever be is distracted. With Jesus. (Psalm 32:8; 42:1-2; 63:8; Matthew 5:6; Jeremiah 29:13; I Chronicles 16:11; James 4:8; Romans 8:5-6; Ecclesiastes 9:10)  

The eavesdropping had been quite unintentional. She hadn’t even known she could. Not anymore. Her hearing wasn’t what it used to be. Nor was the rest of her body. Her eyesight had dimmed. Her hands were frail. Her feet were feeble. She moved much more slowly than she had when she first came to the temple. Back then, she had floated around the sanctuary on nimble feet, a lithe woman full of grace. More than eight decades of time had made changes to her physical body. Decades of prayer had made changes in her soul. She was no longer the brokenhearted girl who had come to find peace in the temple and never left. After decades spent in the presence of God, Anna was different, inside and out.  

Only seven years of marriage had passed before her husband’s death. It was too soon. The future she had dreamed and planned came to a sudden, disastrous halt. His untimely demise and her sudden, precarious place in society brought Anna to the temple. It was the only place she could feel a semblance of comfort, a modicum of peace, an ounce of joy. She felt safe there. Like she belonged. Perhaps she always meant to stay. Maybe it just happened. Either way, Anna became a permanent fixture. Day and night, she could be found there worshipping, praying, fasting. She embodied the yet unspoken words of the coming Messiah. “Ask and keep asking.” She lived the truths that would later be encapsulated in the Apostle Paul’s letters. “Even when you don’t see what you are hoping for, keep hoping, keep praying, keep believing. Because hope in God, faith in His promises, will never leave you disappointed.” Anna knew hope. She lived it. Daily. Prayed it. Constantly. Spent every day in the awareness that Jesus, the Messiah, the hope of salvation for fallen mankind, was coming. She hoped it would be in her lifetime. (Matthew 7:7; Romans 5:5; 8:25; Isaiah 7:4; 9:6)   

Simeon had an actual promise of that. The Holy Spirit had come, giving him a promise. He wouldn’t die before Jesus was born. Woudn’t go to his heavenly reward before he had met the Messiah. It must have been wonderful to have that assurance, that promise. A place to rest your hope and anchor your faith. Certainty like Abraham had that the God who promised would also perform. Anna didn’t have that. She didn’t have a personal promise on which to stand. She had hope. Hope that she would still be alive to see the goodness of God in the form of the promised Messiah while she was in the land of the living. It was something she prayed for. God’s kingdom on earth. His Messiah to come. She believed it would happen. She wanted it to be alive to see it. She waited expectantly for that day. (Luke 2:25-35; Romans 4:20-21; Matthew 6:10)

Perhaps that anticipatory spirit was what made her aging ears overhear the words Simeon was saying to the couple standing in the temple. Maybe it was the picture of Simeon holding a child in his arms that made her walk that direction. More likely, it was the perfect timing of the God, who plans every single detail of our lives, that brought Anna to be standing within earshot of the tiny huddle when Simeon made his joyous announcement. This child was Jesus. The Messiah. The Prince of Peace. He had come. In Anna’s lifetime.  

Her heart leapt within her at the sight of the Child and the words that burst from Simeon’s lips. This moment was everything she had hoped for and more. Her prayers, fervent pleadings of a heart desperate to see Jesus, had been answered. Her faith, based on the unwavering belief that God would keep His word, had not been misplaced. Though her aging body was unable to physically do the dancing, Anna’s soul was doing somersaults. Praise and thanksgiving erupted from lips. She couldn’t stop the flow. Whether or not she was supposed to share the news, she did. With everyone she met. Everyone who had been expectantly waiting, hoping, praying, believing that God would make good on His promise to send a Messiah to rescue them. She couldn’t keep the smile off her face, the light from her eyes, or the worship from welling up and verbally overflowing. She didn’t even try. (Luke 2:36-40)

There is something about answered prayers, fulfilled promises, sighted faith, that loosens our lips. Those miracles are what we talk about. The fulfillment of our requests. The proof of God’s power. The fruit of our faith. It has always been that way. The healed leper Jesus told to keep his story quiet didn’t do it. He told the story. Not the one about how long he waited, the pains of his illness, his waning hope, or wavering faith. No. He talked about his answer. So did the deaf and mute man, Jesus gifted hearing and speech. He surely had a million things he wanted to say, a story to tell. He’d had years to think, hope, pray. Yet when his tongue was loosened, when the words flowed freely, they were words about a miracle, not about the waiting, the hope, the faith, the painfulness of wondering when the answer was coming. (Mark 1:40-45; 7:31-37)

Anna was the same. She, too, had a story. She had spent 84 years in the temple. Watching. Waiting. Praying. Hoping. Fasting. Worshipping. Yet the Bible tells her story in three short verses. There had to be more to tell. More to say. More to know about the woman who, with no personal promise from an angel or the Holy Spirit, waited in prayer and hope and faith for more than eight decades without seeing the answer. The woman who, with no sight of the fulfilled promise on the horizon, still worshipped. That was Anna. As her body began to show signs of aging, she worshipped. When it seemed her faith would never be realized, her hope was misplaced, she worshipped. When everything seemed lost, and it appeared she would not live to see the miracle of God in human flesh, she worshipped. The temptation to give in to defeat, discouragement, and disappointment must have threatened a thousand times, but Anna never succumbed. Instead, she worshipped. And it became her story. 

 You see, all we know about Anna is all we need to know. Anna worshipped. She suffered tragedy and sorrow, but came out worshipping. She looked disappointment and discouragement in the face and kept worshipping. She lived with the knowledge that her faith might never result in physical sight, yet while she waited, she could still be found worshipping. No matter her circumstances, Anna’s response then was, her reputation now is, to worship. The posture of her heart in every situation was worship. Could the same be said for you? 

As you linger in hopeful prayer and tentative faith for the thing you have been praying about, asking for, and waiting on, are you filling the silence with worship? When faced with disappointment and distress, does your heart take on an attitude of worship? When the answer arrives, your faith becomes sight, the miracle is given, do you respond in worship? In gratitude? In explosive praise? Or do you take your answer for granted and bemoan that the next thing on your list of wants and wishes hasn’t yet occurred? Does your worship include telling everyone who will listen about the greatness of your God? Do you worship Him with your words, your actions, your life? Even in the waiting? Is your response in every situation, your reputation among friends and family, coworkers and neighbors, one of worship? For what God has done. For what He will do. For the hope in His eternal promise to give good gifts to His children. No matter your circumstances, are you still worshipping? Even in the waiting? (Psalm 27:14; 34:1; 105:2; Lamentations 3:25-26; I Thessalonians 5:17-18; Hebrews 13:15; Philippians 4:4; Matthew 7:11; James 1:17; Isaiah 12:4; I Chronicles 16:9; Ephesians 5:19)

Tears burned the backs of her eyes, threatening to cloud her vision and roll down her cheeks. It was all such a mess! She just wanted to find a room. She wanted to sit down, lie down, get off her feet. She wanted to sleep. Somewhere comfortable. Somewhere that wasn’t the ground by the side of the road. Somewhere, she didn’t have to roll out bedrolls and gather wood for a fire. She needed food. Decent food. Something better than the now stale bread they had in their bags. A vegetable would be nice. Maybe a piece of lamb. She wasn’t extremely picky, as long as it had been prepared recently and she didn’t have to do it. Mary wasn’t sure she could cook anything. This ridiculous journey had sapped every ounce of her energy. 

Odds weren’t in her favor. They weren’t the only ones Caesar Augustus had forced to leave home and comfort and travel to their birthplace just so he could count them. The streets of Bethlehem were teeming with people. Bustling, jostling crowds. Jabbing elbows. It was pure chaos. Civilized manners were non-existent in the mad rush to secure a path to walk, a place to eat, a room to rent. No one gave a second thought about the person next to them. Not the elderly. Not the lame. Certainly not the very pregnant lady wishing she could be anywhere but there. No. The goal of every soul was to get there first. Before the rooms were full. Before the food was gone. Before they were forced to sleep rough under the dark Judean sky. 

Mary’s heart resonated with that same goal. It was her greatest fear. Sleeping rough. Again. The very idea was revolting. After a week of sleeping under the stars, she was ready for a room and a bed. She was too far gone in her pregnancy to want, or even be able, to comfortably go camping. A blanket bed under the stars was not her idea of an adventure. A year ago, before the angelic visit, her teenage heart would have thrilled at the fun. Not now. She didn’t want to be here. She didn’t want to be travelling. She didn’t want to be racing a thousand other people for the few available rooms in town. She just wanted a bed. A quiet space to lie down. The journey had taken its toll. She was completely exhausted. And suddenly, although she couldn’t quite put her finger on what was wrong, she wasn’t feeling so well. 

Walking multiple miles a day for a week will do that to a pregnant woman. Especially one in the final throes of her forty weeks. Her feet were swollen and uncomfortable. Her back ached. Sheer determination and lack of choice forced her to place one foot in front of the other. It had been a terrible journey. Long. Hard. Riding wouldn’t have been better. It would still have been awful. Tears had frequently threatened. Often they had spilled quietly down her cheeks. Joseph had been forced to travel more slowly than usual. Resting often. Worrying about his wife. They had both been looking forward to the bed at the inn. Warm water to wash away the dirt of their travels. Hot food to fill their grumbling stomachs. A good night’s sleep before the events of the following day. Neither ever believed it would be an issue. Mary was carrying God’s Son. Surely, He would provide a decent place for them to stay. 

Looking around the burgeoning city, Mary felt her faith plummet. The likelihood of finding a room, any room, was rapidly dwindling. Lines had formed outside businesses. Families huddled together discussing options. Campsites were being erected in nearby fields. Still, hope kept Mary and Joseph trudging from one door to another, checking every possible space, until they were certain every available room was full. The threatening tears welled up and overflowed as the innkeeper shook his head at their inquiry. His rooms were full. Completely. People were already sharing spaces. There was literally no vacancy in his establishment. Not even a corner. He was sorry. He couldn’t help them. 

Ushering Mary away from the door before her sobs erupted in loud wails, Joseph looked around for a private place to calm his wife and evaluate their situation. Before they had taken more than a few steps, the innkeeper called them back. He was not unsympathetic to Mary’s condition or their current plight. He was deeply sorry for the situation in which they found themselves. He understood how loath Mary was to sleep another night completely outdoors. He had a space. He was almost embarrassed to offer it. It wasn’t great. Wasn’t pretty. It was all he had available. It was the stable. They would have to share it with the animals, but there were walls, a roof, and hay. It wasn’t a bed, but it wasn’t the ground, either. It was all he had. Take it or leave it. Joseph and Mary were left with no choice. They took it. 

It wasn’t as bad as Mary thought it would be. A little drafty. The animal smell wasn’t great. But the hay was just as comfortable as any bed they would have been given. And it was better than the ground. The gentle lowing of the oxen and rumination of the sheep could even be called relaxing. She told herself she’d be fine there. She would sleep. She would rest. She would wake up feeling better. Whatever ailed her would be fixed by a proper night’s sleep in a relatively decent place. She hoped. 

Hope had been her lifeline over the past few months. After the first visit with the angel, her faith had been bold and strong. She believed God would do what He said He would do. And He had. She was miraculously pregnant. But the angel hadn’t outlined some of the finer details. Those were the things that troubled her. Those were the times her faith wavered. It was then she found herself clinging to hope. Hope that God would take care of her. Hope that she had made the right choice. Hope that Joseph would love her child as if it were his own. Hope that she would be a good mother. Hope that she wouldn’t be giving birth along a steep, bumpy, dangerous road between Nazareth and Bethlehem. And now, right this very moment, hope that she could make it back home to familiar surroundings, her nicely prepared baby things, and the comfortable space she had created for welcoming her first child, before her delivery time came. It was not to be.  

Sometime in the evening darkness, Mary felt the first pain tighten her abdomen. She tried to ignore it. She’d had a few before. Nothing serious. She hoped this was the same. Repositioning herself, she tried to get more comfortable. Tried to calm her mind, relax her body, fall back asleep. She almost made it, too, but just as she began to doze, another pain came. The strength of it had her paying attention, her chest tightening, her fear mounting. This wasn’t the way she planned. Her baby wasn’t supposed to be born in a barn. He wasn’t supposed to be birthed in unsanitary conditions. She didn’t have any of His things here. She didn’t have her family, the midwife, her friends. Nothing was the way she believed it would be. Hot tears once again scalded Mary’s cheeks. Her faith shook. Her mind reeled. Where was God now? Could He not see what was going on? Was He too busy to care? Everything was a mess, and Mary didn’t understand why. Why was it turning out this way? Why was this thing, this grand thing God had asked her to do, turning into such a disaster? (Luke 2:1-6; Matthew 1:18-25)

It wasn’t. There was nothing disastrous about what was happening. It was perfect. Even if Mary couldn’t see it at the time. Even if she never recognized it. Everything was going exactly according to plan. God’s plan. A virgin (that was her!) would give birth to a Son in Bethlehem. He would be named Jesus. His mission in life would be to save people from their sins, show them how to live on earth, and leave them with directions to Heaven. The prophets told the story centuries before. The people faithfully watched for the grand event. For a time. Eventually, they had become less diligent, less watchful. Faith in the truth of the prophecy dwindled. Logic wrestled with the probability. For some, faith in the promise began to feel impossible, and all they could do was hope. Hope that a Messiah was coming. Virgin or no virgin. Grand entrance or stealthy takeover. It didn’t even matter. They just hoped it was true. Somehow. Some way. They needed a Messiah to come and rescue them. From sin. From turmoil. From death. And He did. (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Micah 5:2; Mark 2:17; John 10:10; I John 3:8; Romans 6:22-23)

In the dark of night, with no complications or unnecessary fanfare, Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem of Judea because there was no proper room available. He was wrapped in strips of cloth and laid in an animal feeding trough because there was no open cradle. He went completely unnoticed by the people of Bethlehem then and the people of Nazareth later, because their faith, even their hope, was fixed on a grand birth announcement, a glorious fanfare, a triumphant arrival. It didn’t change the facts. Their Messiah had come. Jesus was there. The Hope for which they hoped. The Hope of salvation. The Hope of eternal life. The Hope on which they could lean when their faith wavered, faltered, failed. When the outlook was dark and growing darker still, Jesus came and brought the light of hope to the world. Whether they knew it or not. (I Timothy 1:1; Romans 15:13; Colossians 1:27; Psalm 39:7)

Whether you know it or not, whether you see it, whether you feel it, Jesus is here. When your faith is small and shriveled and sad. When all you have is hope. Do that. Hope. Hope that God will make good on His promise. Hope that He will come through with a miracle. Hope that He hasn’t forgotten your circumstances, your situation. Hope that He has a plan and a purpose for the trials and troubles that currently plague your soul. Hope that in the discord and discouragement, distress and disharmony of this world, God is still moving and working out His divine purpose. Hope in a power greater than any other power. A name greater than any other name. A God greater than any other god. A God of love who cares about every little detail of your life. Every emotion. Every ailment. Every temptation. Every fear. A God who is deeply invested in you. The God who sent Jesus, His Son, into a world who had lost faith that He was coming, a people who found it impossible to believe. To people who were clinging to hope alone, Jesus came. Dwelt among them. Emmanuel. God was with them. (Ephesians 1:19; Philiipans 2:9-11; Exodus 18:11; John 3:16)

Perhaps you know exactly how it feels, that white-knuckled clinging to hope. Maybe you are struggling to have faith right now. The outlook is dark and bleak. The news is harrowing and terrifying. Everything seems unstable and unpredictable. Most days, you read the news and wonder where God is. As you grieve the effects of calamities beyond your control, you wonder what God could possibly be doing. As things in your world, your town, your life appear to careen out of control, you bury your face in your hands and wonder why nothing is going to plan, why everything is ending in disaster. You wonder what God is doing, if He’s doing anything. Your head and heart know you are supposed to have faith in God, but it feels impossible. So hope. Hope in God. He has never failed. Anyone. Even when it took weeks, years, or centuries to happen, His word, His promise, occurred. God hasn’t changed. He can’t. It isn’t in His character. God is no different today than He was 2,000 years ago. He will do everything He says He will do. For you. For me. Not one word He promised will fail. Not His spoken word. Not the written Word. So when things are bleak, you are overwhelmed, and faith feels impossible…hope. In God. He is faithful. He will help you. Emmanuel. He is here. (Isaiah 41:10; 55:8-9; John 5:17; Luke 1:37; Mark 11:22-24; Psalm 42:11; Joshua 21:45; Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 13:8; Deuteronomy 7:9; Philippians 4:5)

He was upset. Annoyed. Irritated. Angry. The very thought was ludicrous! He was in charge here. Everyone knew that. The sound of his voice sent people scurrying. The flick of his wrist made things happen. His word, when he chose to use it, was final. His desires were always granted. His physical presence among the people was considered a gift. Yet he hadn’t found a way to get an audience with the newest religious teacher on the scene. Other people had. Not royal people. Not even just the upper classes. Poor people. Sick people. Dirty people. The guy was literally hanging out with the dregs of society, yet he, tetrarch of the entire region, had yet to meet Him. The man named Jesus, who, by all accounts, was preaching and teaching and performing amazing miracles, hadn’t even stopped by the palace for a quick visit. He hadn’t come to introduce Himself. Hadn’t made derogatory remarks about the king. Hadn’t outright condemned specific royal behaviors. Not like John. John had been vocal and outspoken in his accusations concerning Herod’s lifestyle, giving cause to haul him in for questioning and imprisonment. Jesus had done nothing of the sort. There was no excuse to bring Him in, no reason to incarcerate Him. Herod Antipas rather wished there was. (Luke 9:9)

Admittedly, Herod missed John the Baptist. Their forthright conversations had been a bright spot in the nearly nauseating obeisance surrounding him. Sometimes he longed for someone to argue with. Someone to break up the monotony of simpering servants and ingratiating employees. John would never have been one of those. He had no problem speaking his mind and standing by his beliefs. They had some interesting conversations. Thought-provoking. Incisive. Herod had no business stealing another man’s wife. At all. John saw no issue condemning the act. Publicly. Pointedly. That was how he ended up in prison. 

Herod never intended to kill John. It wasn’t about that. He held him in high regard. He valued the words he spoke, even if he chose not to adhere. It is likely he would have kept him in prison for the rest of his life. John’s or Herod’s. Whichever ended first. It was a convenient arrangement. For Herod. But for all his great status and trusted leadership qualities, he’d been naive. His wife, Herodias, loathed John. Every fiber of her being wanted him silenced. Herod may have been smart, but his wife was cunning. It was as if she trained her entire life for the moment she would trick her husband into killing John. She used her daughter to do it. A sultry dance before a lecherous king, and she had him. Her wish was his command. And she wanted John the Baptist’s head on a platter. 

With much sadness and great regret, Herod followed through on his promise. He had to. He couldn’t renege and keep the respect of the people. The words nearly stuck in his throat as he issued the order. He hated every single syllable. He had no choice. Herodias knew that. Planned it. What she hadn’t known, been able to plan, or had the power to manipulate was that a new prophet would immediately take John’s place among the people. He would preach and teach without ambiguity. He would heal and help those others would avoid. He’d tenderly welcome children and forcefully chastise religious leaders. No one could leave His presence unchanged. Herod Antipas badly wanted to meet Him. (Luke 9:7-9; Mark 6:14-29; Matthew 14:1-11)

Apparently, it was a family trait. Wanting to meet Jesus. Nearly three decades earlier, his father told the same story. Unsettled by the arrival of travellers from a distant country looking for the newborn King of the Jews, Herod the Great called his leading priests and scholars in for a meeting. They had some explaining to do. Had they missed the birth of the Messiah? If so, how? How had they missed the most awaited moment in human history? Wasn’t it their job to know these things? Why had no one come to him with the news? Why had no one already found the child? Why was the child even still alive? Why did he, the king, have to do everything himself? 

Quickly calling a private meeting with the travelling scholars, Herod peppered them with questions. He was intensely interested in every detail. Where they got their intel? How they knew where to travel? When they left their homeland. When they first arrived in Jerusalem. He didn’t want them to leave anything out. Every detail mattered. Then he told them what he knew from his own religious leaders. The words the prophets had written centuries before. Go to Bethlehem. Look everywhere. Don’t quit searching until you find the Child. It seemed like Herod was helping them until he added a stipulation phrased to sound like a request. “When you figure it all out, when you find Him, come let me know where He is. I want to worship him too!”

Liar. Herod had no intention of worshipping the Christ child. None whatsoever. He wasn’t even intending to go see the Child himself. He’d just send his henchmen. Do away with the competition. End the problem before it started. God knew that. God saw every stinking, dirty inch of Herod’s darkened heart. Speaking to the travellers in a dream, He sent them home a different way. Avoiding Herod. Outwitting him. Herod was incandescent. In an action that could only be attributed to a madman, Herod ordered that all baby boys under 2 years old be slaughtered. Yanked from their mother’s arms and brutally murdered. One wonders how the story would read if Herod had only gone and met Jesus. 

Why didn’t he? Why didn’t Herod go meet Jesus? Either of them. Father or son. Both claimed a desire to do so, but neither made the effort. Neither rose off their royal duffs, ordered their carriages, organized the guard, grabbed a snack from the kitchen, and went to see Jesus. They didn’t even try. Not so far as the Bible mentions. Herod the Great wanted the magi to pinpoint where Jesus was. Herod Antipas chose to “try to see” Jesus. Neither really stepped out in a grand gesture to see Him. Meet Him. Get to know the Savior. And Jesus wasn’t very far away. 

Except for the two years spent in Egypt as a child, Jesus was often close at hand. Six miles separated Bethlehem from Jerusalem. Herod the Great could have made it round trip in a day, yet he made no move to visit. When teaching and preaching in Galilee, Jesus was only about 4 miles from Herod Antipas’ palace, yet there is no record of an attempt to go meet Him. One wonders why he never made the effort. It wouldn’t have been difficult. The crowds would have melted away at the approach of his guard and entourage. No one would have stood in his way. No one would have blocked his path. No one would have lifted a restraining hand. They wouldn’t dare. Yet Herod Antipas chose not to make the effort. Neither did Herod the Great. He sent people out to find Jesus and report back, but he didn’t go himself. He didn’t even try. Why not? What about their lives was so much more important than meeting the one person they both so deeply wanted to meet? No matter their ulterior motives, why didn’t they go? What held them back when they were just that close to Jesus? 

There must have been a hundred excuses the Herods had for not physically going to see Jesus. It was unnecessarily dangerous to be in public. They had meetings to attend. A neighboring king was visiting. They were stuck in diplomatic discussions. The threat of war might someday loom, and they were organizing the military. Maybe the scribes were overworked, and they had to write their own paperwork. Perhaps there was a formal dinner celebration. Maybe (insert teenage whine here) they were just really tired, and people normally do everything for them, and it was just too much work to make the trip when they wanted to be hunkered down in the peace and quiet of their room. It really doesn’t matter. They were all just that. Excuses. We know, because we make them ourselves. And they sound no less ridiculous.  

Living as we are in the beautiful redemptive space created by Jesus’ death and resurrection, it is important for us to realize how close we are to Jesus. His constant availability to us. His eager readiness to answer when we call. His urgent longing to spend quality time with us, know us, be known by us. It is equally important for us to honestly examine ourselves and own the excuses we make for not meeting with Him. We are too busy. Our fledgling business requires our constant attention. Our own fledglings require food and education, and transportation. Our boss demands our time. Our bills demand our paychecks. Our electronics demand our attention with pinging phones, blaring televisions, flashing billboards, and overflowing inboxes. Our society sings in our ears the siren song of self-care, self-absorption, self-importance. Our focus is inward and outward, but rarely upward. In the exhausting race to do more, have more, be more, we miss the fact that we can have everything we need if we just reach out and touch Jesus. He is as close as breathing His name. He is near to the desolate, desperate, discouraged, and downtrodden. He answers all who call on Him. He hears the unspoken cries of your exhausted heart. He sees your tears and feels your fears. He is poised and waiting to come when you call. When all you can do is think His name, Jesus will come.  Jesus will answer. That’s just how close you are to Jesus. (Psalm 18:6; 34:18; 139:2; Jeremiah 33:3; I Samuel 2:8; Hebrews 4:15) 

Friend, you are ever so much closer to Jesus than the Herods were. They had miles to travel. You can meet Jesus right where you are. You can know Him and spend time with Him. You can sit in His presence, rest in His love. He is not far away. He is near. So don’t waste your moment. Don’t waste a second of the time you could be spending with Jesus. Do the things that build the relationship, foster the connection, encourage true change in your life. Read your Bible. Talk to Jesus. Listen for His voice. Get to know it. Hear Him speak. Rest in the words He has for you. Wise words. Encouraging words. Words of eternal life. And don’t make excuses. At all. You really don’t have a valid one. You don’t have to leave your office or easy chair. You don’t have to make an appointment, arrange a guard, or pack a lunch. You can meet Jesus anytime, anywhere. At home. In traffic. At the gym. In class. Wherever you are, Jesus is.  When you call, He will hear. When you ask, He will answer. Nothing can separate you from His love. Today is your day. Speak His name and find yourself in His presence. Immediately. It is that simple. You really are just that close to Jesus. (Isaiah 65:24; Psalm 145:18-19; Luke 11:9-10; I John 5:14-15; Matthew 28:20; Romans 8:38-39; James 4:8)