Week Four - Day Five

Today is Christmas - the day when all the waiting of Advent turns into celebration. The Love of God bursts into the world at the birth of Jesus. This past summer our family saw the musical Les Misérables. Much like the Christmas story, while the musical is filled with elements of tragedy and condemnation, it also shines brightly with the love of God.

The main character, Jean Valjean, is condemned to 19 years in prison for stealing bread. Even after release, he’s legally marked as an ex-convict, facing constant rejection. Condemned by society, a desperate Valjean is taken in by a bishop who offers him food and shelter. But that night, Valjean steals the bishop’s silver and flees.

Soon after, the police encounter and question why he has the bishop’s silver. They return him to the bishop, who, in an incredible show of love, does not accuse him. Instead, he tells the officers the silver was a gift - and then, in an act of grace, gives Valjean two more silver candlesticks. Love triumphs over condemnation.

Jesus was born as the one who came not to condemn, but to save. The angel tells Joseph to name him Jesus, “because He will save His people from their sins.”

This Christmas morning, let the truth of God’s love for you soak in deep as you celebrate Christ’s birth, and let it become part of your life as you demonstrate our Savior’s love to the world.