Advent Devotional: Day 18
“When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.”
The Prince of Peace caused a disturbance in all of Jerusalem. Could it have been any other way? Not likely... Jesus’ interactions with humanity routinely evoked responses such as alarm, excitement, and confusion. For instance, He startled a boat full of disciples one stormy moonlit night while walking across the Sea of Galilee. Remember the uproar when He blindsided Bartimaeus by restoring his eyesight? Let’s not forget how Jesus rattled the crowd, calling forth Lazarus from the grave four days after his death.
On a personal level, a wide range of emotions followed some of my unanticipated encounters with the One who spoke the world into existence. “When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:3 Peaceful and calm? Not so much. Forget the Hallelujah chorus and the “Joy to the World” soundtrack. Consider instead the sounds of the entire entourage of barn animals from that stable in Bethlehem. Oh, and not just the sounds. Ultimately, however, those perplexing, confusing, and even troubling occurrences brought relief, hope, and greater trust in the Lord.
Now let’s talk about the other end of the emotional spectrum. I once experienced a metaphorical Lazarus reawakening. I didn’t even know that I was buried. I thought I was just living the new normal, two and one-half years after my father died. But the Lord ingeniously used my Polish heritage, a secular Christmas tune, and an Elvis impersonator to catapult me out of the catacombs. How so? At the Palace Theatre in Lockport, with an old song set to a new rhythm. A masterful polka adaptation of “We Need a Little Christmas” began to engulf the building, as “The King” stepped out and transformed into the Crown Prince of Polka! My heart immediately leapt to the dance floor, as if being jolted by a cosmic defibrillator. A group of cherubic special needs children shrieked, squealed and giggled, completing my resuscitation. It certainly wasn’t what I expected. But in that “disruptive” moment, I knew the REAL King was there, offering my heart JOY again.
My thoughts for you, fellow sojourner, as you haul out the holly and slice up the fruitcake. You just might encounter an incognito Babe in a manger delivering a divine and glorious disruption.
“Thank You, Jesus, for the infinitely creative, dramatic, unexpected, and even humorous “disturbances” You continue to orchestrate in my life.”
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