Has the Grinch Visited Your Home?
Ruth and I recently saw the movie Dr. Seuss' The Grinch in a theater and thoroughly enjoyed it. That inspired us to also watch the original Grinch animated version from 1966 as well as the Grinch movie starring Jim Carey.
Our recent focus on the Grinch caused me to wonder about all the forms he takes each Christmas season.He often steals our joy by making the season all about the presents, the preparation for family dinners, or an elusive "Christmas spirit" that never seems to warm our hearts like it does in the movies.
He may also appear in the form of the brokenness we feel more acutely at this time of year from heartbreaks in the past or perhaps from an all-consuming loneliness.Perhaps you feel sorrow over the loss of a loved one who with you last year or a year before that.
I know for many, Christmas is just another difficult or even sad day.
This is why Jesus' entrance into our world gives us so much hope. We have a great High Priest who is acquainted with our grief and pain (Heb. 5:15-16) and redeems us so that we might live forever on a new earth where where Jesus will vanquish all sorrows and death. Jesus came to heal the wounds of our hearts, bind up our brokenness, and give us a blessed hope far beyond our current experience in this sinful and broken world.
The good news of the Gospel does not end with the forgiveness of all our sins. He continues to work in and through us with His sovereign power and not only that, we have an exciting adventure ahead for us starting with the changing of lowly bodies into ones like Jesus that will never grow old, grow weary, or wear out (Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:51-55).
Just imagine what it will be like to walk about in a creation restored to what God intended it to be while living in the most beautiful city imaginable, the New Jerusalem. Not only will we be whole in our bodies, mind, and soul; we will also experience a wondrous wholeness as a community of believers. Loneliness will soon become a long forgotten memory in eternity.