Trying to see Christmas– for the tree….Zaccheus and me
Zaccheus came- because he wanted to see Jesus.
Luke 19: 1-10
Zacchaeus the Tax Collector
1Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’ ”
8But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Zaccheus had a problem. He was short. He and I have a lot in common. Only while I am of average height- I am often short. Short tempered, short fused…mostly- short sighted. I see the things right in front of me- while missing much there is to see.
Like Christmas. Oh, I see it’s CROWD pressing in, all around me, alright. There are piles of amazon.com boxes in my dining room, waiting to be wrapped. I can’t see over them. On the hard drive of my computer- there is a list of people yet to shop for. I can’t see past it. There are decorations yet to be set out, and knitted gifts yet to finish. I can’t see finishing either. I have one sick, and one injured child, and a third who just can’t sit still.
The crowd of pressure (mostly of my own making) and stress, is making it hard to see- all right. But for this moment—- I’m climbing a tree- (though it feels more like I’m climbing the walls) a Christmas tree- and it’s Jesus I want to see!
Will you join Zaccheus and me? Will you climb a Christmas tree- to take a peek at Jesus?
If you will- I’m asking you to post your favorite Christmas Carol—-I’ll be posting mine too;)
Silent Night
Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Sleep in heavenly peace.
Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight,
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing alleluia;
Christ the Savior, is born!
Christ the Savior, is born!
Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face,
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth.
O Come All Ye Faithful
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold him
Born the king of angels
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
Christ the lord
Sing, choirs of angels,
Sing in exultations,
Sing, all ye citizens of heavn above;
Glory to god
Glory in the highest:
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
Christ the lord
(the following verse is not sung on the boney m version)
See how the shepherds,
Summoned to his cradle,
Leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze;
We too will thither
Bend our joyful footsteps;
(chorus)
Yea, lord, we greet thee,
Born this happy morning,
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
Word of the father,
Now in flesh appearing:
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
Christ the lord
O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to bethlehem
Come and behold him
Born the king of angels
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
O come let us adore him
Christ the lord
The crowd is still there, the pressure- the stress, the boxes are still here- they are still, unwrapped. (Why is there no gift-wrapping fairy????) The kids are still sick and injured, although the little one has fallen asleep. (in the dog bed I might add) But- for now- I am remembering. For just this moment- it isn’t about boxes and bows or gifts and treasures. For right now- I am a top the Christmas tree- and it’s Jesus I can see!
Tracy,
Thank you! What a delight to my soul this post has been, getting me off on the right foot this morning! May the Lord bless you and show you himself from the treetops today!
I have taken on your challenge to post my favorite hymn at my site and I have also awarded you my Transparency Gal Stamp (more about that stamp here:http://www.laundry-alternative.net/sortsnsuds.htm?blogentryid=1074096)! May you wear it for God’s glory, knowing that you are serving as a Titus gal!
Blessings, from under the pile,
Elisa at The Laundry Alternative
http://www.laundry-alternative.net
God bless you, Tracey! This is the best post I’ve read in a while. Beautiful. I’m doing some tree-climbing right now. Favorite carols:
I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day
Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne
Good Christian Men Rejoice
Wonderful post! Thank you. My favourite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night”.
You know – there is just so much going on that we miss the point – sometimes to celebrated why the babe was in the manger. I know I have…
One of my favorite songs is “Silent Night”, but I also like “Breath of Heaven” very much. I know it it is not a hymn, but it might be by the time I am singing in heaven “Holy, holy…” 🙂
Thank you, Tracey for inviting us to climb the tree with you…