PREPPER-ATION, OR A THIEF IN THE NIGHT

Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar knew that Advent was about Christ’s coming in many ways: in a manger at Bethlehem, into the human heart of the believer, at the time of death to take us home, and the hope of the second coming.  Now Caspar was certainly prepared -he had taken survival classes, had his “go bags,” had binged watched a host of zombie apocalypse shows and even “Alone” on Pastor Matthew’s recommendation.  Now, he was certain that he had found the Christ child.  Melchior and Balthazar explained gently, that  Cindy Lou Who’s Christmas tree had not, in fact, been raptured up the chimney, but that Caspar he had simply found the wrong “thief in the night.”

WESLEY’S QUESTION: Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?

SCRIPTURE:  Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. (Matthew 24:42-44)

FOOLISH WISDOM:  Cindy Lou Who asks why the Grinch is taking the tree away.  Without so much as a blink, the Grinch says that the lights on one side of the tree aren’t working, and he’s taking the tree back to his workshop where he will fix it up and bring it back.  I don’t think it’s an accident that the Grinch calls attention to lights not working.  He lies so quickly to the young child, and when a lie is effortless, there’s always a truth just under the surface.  A Christmas tree with broken lights is like a Grinch with a heart two sizes too small.  The tree can still hold ornaments and be a placeholder for gifts, but without the lights, there’s something missing.  The Grinch still has a heart.  It’s just not big enough to be much good.  He conceals the truth, and the only reason one tries to hide the truth is because you know the truth is powerful.  (Matt Rawle, The Heart that Grew Three Sizes)

MUSIC SELECTION:

Prepare the Way of the Lord by Lloyd Larson

Jason Moon, solo and Laura Hesse, piano

© 2011 Hope Publishing Co.