Christmas
January 3, 2016

Scripture Reading: John 1:(1-9), 10-18

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known. –John 1:14-18

Rules and laws are interesting. They provide order to life. As much as we may dislike traffic laws, can we image the chaos that would result if they did not exist. On the other hand, if there were no traffic laws we would probably all be more attentive to our driving or not depending on our personalities. Even with the traffic laws there are those who challenge them at every intersection speeding up when they see the light turn red gambling that they can get through the intersection before the cars going the other direction become aware that they have the green light. Rules and laws have their place but they are means to ends not ends unto themselves unless we make them so.

Love is both a means to an end and an end unto itself. Love is the source of peace and justice but also ultimately love is a glimpse of God even in its most rudimentary form. Love transcends rules and laws even while obeying them because they help us move through life with less complexity.

Jesus Christ came as God with us to help us to love not just to obey rules and laws. It is a gift of grace, the ultimate gift of grace in full measure that gives life meaning for all who claim it.

Prayer: O God enable us to love one another, because love is from you and is you. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.