Missing Jesus

As always, he arrived early on Christmas morning to give the church a thorough inspection.  He was thankful to see that the aisles and seats had been swept and dusted after the midnight Christmas Eve service.   The lost purses, Bibles and gloves would have been taken to the office and left in the lost and found box.  The left behind service bulletins and flyers had been gathered from the pews and hymnals and thrown away.

He loved this time of the day, just as the sun was coming up.  It was quiet and the gentle light just was beginning to fill the chapel.  He moved to where the Christmas candles flickered and smiled as he watched the way they cast shadows around the floor and walls.  Sometimes their light was enough to highlight the colours in the stained-glass windows.  It was cold now, before the furnace had a chance to warm the space, but not unpleasant.

The Nativity Scene

To the left side of the room, they had taken out the first five rows of pews to make room for the traditional, almost life-sized nativity scene that had been donated to the church long before his time here.  He considered what this scene meant to him personally and said a Christmas prayer of thanksgiving to the One whose birth is celebrated. 

The figures were lovingly carved out of wood and painted skillfully.  In the flickering candle light they seemed so lifelike.  The little stable itself was of rough planks.  Everything was placed onto an elevated, small stage so even the person who sat in the back of the auditorium could see it clearly. 

There was a draped, dark blue velvet curtain hung behind the stable that went all the way to the ceiling to represent the night sky.  A delicate silver-looking star was hung from the ceiling above it.  Just like someone imagined it looked the night a special star led the shepherds and the wise men to the Messiah.  A translucent light ray appeared to flow through the roof of the manger and could be seen shining onto the manger. 

The shepherds in their dusty and tattered robes were just entering, eyes wide in obvious awe.   A few sheep followed them and other kinds of livestock stood in stalls or lay on the edges of the scene. 

In the center was the Holy Family.   Mary, so beautiful and radiant; Joseph looking tired but happy; both focused on the manger.  The pastor could see the care with which the artist had created the expressions on these faces and almost feel the reverence of the two of them.  

Something Was Wrong!

But something was wrong.  A puzzled frown crept slowly across his brow as it dawned on him.   “What is this”, he gasped, and his words echoed off the walls of the empty church.

The manger was empty!   The small figure representing the baby Jesus was gone!

He must be somewhere.  The pastor carefully searched around the manger and behind all the characters but found no baby Jesus.  He began to look throughout the chapel, wondering how this could have happened. 

He peered through each of the aisles, nearly crawling on his hands and knees to see all the way under each pew.   But found nothing.  He found the custodian in his workshop, thinking he may have moved the figure of the infant Jesus to do make some unexpected repair.  But the custodian had no idea where the baby Jesus was.

He woke the assistant pastor with his next call, but he had no explanation -- the last time he had looked at the Nativity scene, all the figures were there and looking perfect. 

He called the church secretary, who always knew what was happening everywhere, but she was as puzzled as he was.  After an hour of searching and for all his phones calls, he sadly accepted the truth that the baby Jesus was gone.  The figure was not moved, mislaid or lost, as far as he could discover.  He hated to imagine that it would have been stolen.  But that was what it looked like.

Morning Service Plea

During the service that morning the pastor reported the apparent theft to the congregation and asked for their help in locating and returning the baby Jesus.  His voice trembled as he shared his disappointment and could not imagine who would do such a thing -- To steal the very symbol of their reason for celebrating Christmas -- the very reason for hope - well, he just didn’t understand.   His gaze swept over the faces as he prayed someone would return the figure before the end of the day.

Yet, each time he visited the manger throughout the day, the manger bed of the baby Jesus was empty.  The star light so carefully focused on the manger bed highlighted that something precious was missing from the scene.

Discouraged Walk

In the early evening, the pastor went out to get something to eat before the last service of the day.  His heart was heavy and discouraged.  The snow was falling onto the carefully shoveled sidewalks.  It was quite cold and the snow was beginning to stick so not many people were out.  But there ahead of him was one of the youngest members of his flock, little six-year old, Timmy. 

His family had been struggling for the last few years after his father was injured at work, so his little coat was a bit shabby now.  His mother, who was always busy with some craft or another, had knit him a bright blue scarf and hat to keep him warm.  Timmy trudged up the sidewalk pulling a beautiful, new red wagon.  He had such a happy look on his face. 

The pastor smiled knowing what sacrifice of scrimping and saving the parents would have made to purchase this toy for Timmy.  They could barely make ends meet, now. 

This was such a beautiful example of family love!  The pastor forgot all about his discouragement over the loss of the figure in the manger as he quickened his pact to catch up to the little boy.  He was eager to wish Timmy a Merry Christmas and admire the new wagon.

The Surprise

As he came alongside Timmy, he noticed there was something in the bed of the wagon.  All bundled in a blanked, but peeking out, was the sweet face on the figure of the baby Jesus.

The boy stopped and looked up.  The pastor slowly crouched down beside Timmy, and looked at him with sadness.  The little boy had such a proud and happy look on his face, but before he could say anything, the pastor told the boy how disappointed he was.  That even though he might be just a little boy, he must know that stealing was very wrong. 

Tommy listened intently to the pastor’s words and his face fell and his eyes filled with tears.  The pastor, pleased with himself, thought he had gotten through to the child and that these tears were tears of repentance.

The little boy wiped the tears from his little cheeks and answered him, "But Pastor, I didn't steal the baby Jesus.   It wasn't like that at all."  He paused to swallow hard and wipe a few more tears.  "I've been asking Him for a red wagon as a Christmas present all year long - and I promised Him that if He would get me one, I would give Him the very first ride in it.”

Conclusion

Sometimes we don’t register what we see, as the pastor did when he looked at the empty manger; and finding the baby Jesus, it was easy to assume and mistake intent in the heart of another. 

This Christmas it might be good to think about how our world is missing Jesus and they don’t even realize this…because they can’t see what is missing and even those who say they “see” do not see clearly or the Truth. 

I received a very lovely greeting card and must share what it said on the front because it is so important:

“Jesus came not to a throne, but to a manger.  He lived, not as a king, but as a servant.  He chose not an earthly kingdom, but a Cross.  He gave not just a little, but everything.” (by Holley Gerth)

For all our presents and the amazing foods we may have shared, for all the family and friends we shared with…nothing can compare with His love…He IS the Gift of Eternal Life!  Halleluiah!

Take care with love, to share His is the best gift ever!  Darlene