Worth the Wait

Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,     though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me     one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old,     from ancient times.” CONSIDER THIS His name was Phillips Brooks. Brooks was a pastor of a small community church and he had hit a wall. Exhausted and spent emotionally and mentally from the day-to-day operations, sadly, he found himself in a familiar place that many in ministry can easily come to—a place of burnout. He just didn’t have much left in the tank to give. So he went to the leadership of his church and asked for some time off and inquired about the possibility of taking an extended sabbatical. The leadership of his church approved, and when Brooks was asked where he’d like to go, he threw out the idea of a dream, of visiting the Holy Land. So he booked the trip and off he went on his adventure. Now, I have been to the Holy Land several times, but somehow, Brooks was able to book something I have yet to do: he rode a horse from Jerusalem to Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. And, to make matters even sweeter, he arrived at the Church of the Nativity just in time for Christmas Eve services. After the service had ended, which was said to have been five hours long, he walked out of the church at the midnight hour on Christmas Day and suddenly became completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the Christmas story. He had read and preached the Christmas story so many times before; however, on this particular night, the Christmas story read and preached the glory of the gospel to him. Brooks experienced a moment of awe and true wonder, caught off guard by the darkness of the little town contrasted by the brightness of the stars on that night, but, more than anything, how this Advent story had been his story. Before traveling back to his church, he thought he would capture the moment by writing down some lyrics he hoped would become a song he could gift to his church. So he grabbed pen and paper and began to write down the following lyrics: “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie; above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by. Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light; the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”1 The year was 1868 and, unbeknownst to Phillips Brooks, those scribbled-out lyrics would turn into the beloved Christmas hymn, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” which is still being sung today. Long before Phillips Brooks wrote that, there was another verse written about that same little town of Bethlehem. It wasn’t a song, however; it was a prophecy spoken by Micah regarding the hope that would come through that little city (Mic. 5:2) some seven hundred years before that first Christmas Day. In Micah’s day, God’s people had a lot to fear. Israel was still in rebellion against God, and Micah didn’t shy away from speaking about a coming judgment. It was harsh, involving Babylonian captivity and some really difficult years ahead. Yet amid the fears, amid the darkness still to come, there would also be a sliver of some much-needed hope. Through this little city, the Messiah would come. The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, a humble and unexpected setting, mirrored the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy and signified the perfect timing and faithfulness of God. Think about that. Israel got this news seven hundred years before the Messiah was to come! That’s a long time to wait. Yet it was worth the wait because God’s timing will always be divine timing. As Paul said to the church of Galatia, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son” (Gal. 4:4a ESV). At just the right moment, through the birth of Jesus, we’re reminded that the good news of God’s plan and redemption has come into our story. Let this story preach to you today. Just as Micah’s words were fulfilled in Jesus, may we find comfort and joy as we are reminded that God’s promises are true, his words are trustworthy, and, within this Christmas story, we can all be reminded: “the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”2 THE PRAYER  Heavenly Father, what a joy it is to remember that this is not just a story to be told; it is also a story to be received. Breathe the wonder of this good news into our lives and hearts today and may we exhale with joy the story to all we encounter. In Jesus’s mighty name, amen. THE QUESTIONS Find the lyrics to “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and read them as a prayer. What lines in the song register with you? What hopes and fears do you hold that could be met in Christ today?