Christmas Morning with My Dad

For many years, my family celebrated Christmas at my grandparents’ home in northern Wisconsin, where winter is typically very cold and snowy. One year my dad thought it would be fun if he and I hiked out into the woods and cooked breakfast over a fire. We got lost. Then we couldn’t start the fire. We were mocked by our family upon our return. We learned though, and the following year everything went well. Except it was so cold, I kept moving my feet closer and closer to the fire until I noticed my boots were melting! Again, I was mocked. Another year, some other family members joined us and pretty much made fun of the whole thing, saying, “We could have stayed home, been warm, and had better food.” No one really understood why my dad and I did this tradition. Mostly we were made fun of. But those mornings are some of my favorite memories of my dad. People often make fun of what they don’t understand. You’ll notice this when you follow your Heavenly Father as well. He sent Jesus into this world to save people from sin and death, to forgive us and give us new life. Jesus revealed the Father and proclaimed His kingdom, which was totally foreign to the way the world was going. Most people didn’t get it, and they rejected Him. Even Jesus’s brothers didn’t understand. Many people mocked Jesus, especially people from His hometown. Even His own disciples rarely seemed to understand what Jesus was up to. Don’t be surprised if following Christ makes you look weird! It will, and the world that doesn’t understand will mock you. But Jesus said, “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me” (Matthew 5:11). When people make fun of you for following Jesus, remember that He knows how you feel. And even when others don’t understand, it’s okay. You can still enjoy being with your Father! • Jeff Weddle • Without Jesus, none of us would want to spend time with God, let alone follow Him. We need Jesus to give us faith to move us from mocking Him to trusting Him. When you find yourself mocking others, how can Jesus’s grace bring you comfort and move you toward compassion? • Why did Jesus Christ come to save people who didn’t understand or like Him? (Including us!) The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:14 (NIV)

Read Verses:

John 1:9-John 1:14; John 7:1-John 7:9; 1 Corinthians 2:14