(Luke 2:14 NIV) “Glory to God i need a payday loan in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests.”
There are three foundational truths FOR LIFE in this scripture, which is the most known regarding the birth of the Saviour. We will examine their significance in the backdrop of the belief, that the last century was the pinnacle of man’s greatness, that followed a millennium of religious bigotry in Europe.
Jesus was Born to Restore & Reveal God’s Glory .
Modern man has no understanding of God’s glory. He sees nothing more glorious than himself or what other humans achieve in sports, work or entertainment. He thinks he is the limit and that he can achieve all there is to achieve. God thinks otherwise. Whatever we do has relevance, only as it redounds to the glory of God. God’s highness (that is His glory), and man’s lowliness, perceived in that relationship, were to be the basis of all human endeavour. The best of humankind when systematically intoxicated by their own goodness, with themselves as the standard, have caused havoc on mother earth. Neville Chamberlain permitted the rise of Hitler, because he believed in the innate goodness of man. We need not elaborate on the worst of humankind, such as Hitler or Prabakaran .
Glory will come to God through Jesus’ birth in two main ways. Firstly , Jesus would rectify the wrong image humans had of God by who He was, by what He taught and by what He did. This brings us to the other verse of scripture that theologically states the purpose of the Saviour’s birth- (John 1:14 KJV) And the Word(Jesus) was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. Those who taught about God, taught error about God. Each human being adopted a god that best fits his desire and lust. One for cupidity, another for war; one for wealth and another to bring destruction and vengeance on others. The life and teaching of the Lord Jesus would change this.
Secondly , His incarnation would bring glory to God, because those who receive him will be like Him showing forth the virtue of God. Heb 2:10.
“Glory to God in the Highest”, is the only motto acceptable to God under which God can relate to man . A father will have to tell the 2 year old son who is scribbling on the recently painted wall, “Son, you will have to listen to me. Stop this scribbling”. Give glory means, “accept Me to be higher than you are and higher than you can think” . The difference between God and us is infinitely greater than the difference between a brilliant and doting father, and a two year old son. This is not a flattering statement, but it is true. As long as man plays God thinking his glory is the centre of being, we will ruin ourselves . If all humans give glory to God- that is willingly put themselves under God’s rule, earth will be like the Garden of Eden before man’s disobedience and decision to do as he pleased. This brought the ruin. We must empty ourselves of our own glory and fill ourselves with the Lord’s glory.
When a believer is conscious of the 100 day fast cash glory of God , his conversation revolves around his experience in the Lord. When a believer backslides and looses sight of Him who is higher, the believer’s conversation begins to refer to what gives him glory.
God’s Favour
Natural man does not desire to be in God’s favour . Modern man does not think he needs any favour of God. He is at variance with God when he asserts his own independence. Because man is not in a right relationship with God, intellectual and technological development, unmatched with moral and spiritual vigour, begets bigots who will prey on their fellow humans. Even academic excellence and much research, often serves a narrow purpose of academic glory and a livelihood for a few. Research on the origins of life and life in the outer space are such avenues of fruitless and futile research, pumping up the ego of a few, offering them rich livelihood. That money can feed the world’s hungry millions. Science with no moral moorings since Darwin, serves an oligarchy, who rule the world with their philosophy for their gain and glory, just the way the politics serve the interest of the politicians rather than the interest of the people.
By our choice to receive Jesus, we can enter into God’s goodwill. Or we opt to remain at ill-will with God. It is we who have that mindset against God. If we deny our father, there cannot be goodwill between us and him. Jesus is the only way by whom man may enter into God’s favour. In accepting the forgiveness, the Lord Jesus offers, our judicial relationship with God changes from one of offender under sentence, to that of pardoned freeman. This is called justification . We yearn to have the favour of a company boss and be in his good books. Many short fall on the currency of God’s favour as they seek God less, than they would the favour of a secular boss. In fact many would adamantly deny that they need any favour of God. Then the person is on his own, working harder for his profit and for his boss. He forsakes the favour of God and enters into the bondage of work.
Yet others would seek a god with no moral obligation, in order to achieve their immediate end. Newspapers frequently report how murderers and thieves resort to favour from such gods and fulfil vows after the job is done.
Peace Between Man and Man
This will come only when we seek to be at goodwill with God . Being vertically wrong, we cannot be horizontally right. When hard pressed, the worst in us will come out. The enmity that exists between God and us must cease. Then we have peace with God and after that with fellow humans. This is called reconciliation . When God, the Source of peace and goodness we reject, strife and evil we will have. We think, speak and act war; war we will have. Peace is a healed relationship with everyone and even with the environment. Take a simple example. Human beings are addicted to nicotine to soothe their minds, that are troubled without God. We ruin the environment to grow tobacco. Armaments, sports, confectionaries and cosmetics are unnecessary appendages that prop up egocentric man and satiate his lusts, while causing ecological wastage and keep the world’s consolidate student loans extra cash millions malnourished. A few live in a paradise of fool’s glory while billions languish without a proper daily meal. Industrial consumerism allied to the manufacture of non-essentials, ruin the ecology. We are saving whales while our youth perish in drugs, sex and music. A healed relationship with the Lord, is the beginning of healing to our other relationships. As in the story of Cain & Abel and the first murder, man who is angry with God, will kill his brother literally or by unjustly depriving him.
This is the triangular relationship between God’s glory, favour and peace. The cost of pursuing a life apart from God, based on renaissance man’s greatness, has left selfishness, unequal economies, broken families, single parents, orphans, war refugees, maimed and suffering everywhere. Is it not time we took stock of our performance without God, wallowing in our own greatness? We came out of the medieval darkness of religious bigotry. Has our moral light increased in this age of technological brilliance? Has scientifically illumined selfishness done any better than the dark ages of religious bigotry? Has the much praised eastern cultures, since their freedom from European colonialism, done better in their respective lands? The westerners who debunked the God of their fathers, are slavishly spending millions to hear from clairvoyants, astrologers, psychics, spiritists and mediums. Many worship satan . Those who follow eastern philosophies that deny God, yet believe in an unseen hand from above, many gods and gurus. Who can satisfy this yearning?
Can we not return to the One who gave us a spirit, soul and a body and came on earth as Jesus Christ? Our soul life will be greatly enriched and purified, when we personally receive the Saviour of the world into our heart. In him was life and that life was the light of men. In your spiritual hunger you can come to Him. (Luke 1:68,77-79) “Blessed be the Lord God, for he has looked favourably on his people and redeemed them..to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins.
By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” Our nation and ourselves, need this dawn from on high to breakthrough into our bleak situation. The dawn has already come in the form of the Lord Jesus. He is the sun of righteousness, we each must personally receive.
Our intellectual ability, our relationships, family, friends and work are God’s gifts to be enjoyed in right relationship to God. We are to receive Him into our spirit and allow His life to saturate all our soul activities. This is a life available to all who receive Jesus Christ into their hearts. This is the way to do the good I know, yet I do not do.
“Give peace within her borders
‘ Twixt man and man goodwill
The love all unsuspicious
The love that works no ill
In loyal lowly service
Let each from other learn
The guardian and the guarded
“To Him our land shall listen
To Him our land shall kneel
All rule be on His shoulder
All wrong beneath His heel” (Rev. W.S. Senior)
Till Christ himself return.”