For the past three weeks we have been journeying with Ebeneezer Scrooge as he has met the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future through studying the book “The Redemption of Scrooge” by Matt Rawle.
When we met Scrooge at the beginning of the study he was a stealer of joy, a miser, a party pooper, and absolutely miserable. He was annoyed by the joy of others and could not understand the meaning of Christmas.
Today we meet Scrooge on a different day. Today we meet him on Christmas morning where he has been given a second chance.
There is something about Christmas where redemption is in the air. Scrooge was redeemed that Christmas morning where he found reconciliation with his nephew Fred by joining him for dinner. His redemption shone through the generosity he bestowed to others including buying the largest turkey to bring to the Cratchit’s.
I think it is in our human condition to root for the underdog. We want people to succeed who in our world’s view have little ability to do so. We love movies like “Rudy,” “The Blind Side,” and “Mighty Ducks” where the heroes find redemption through their own hard work and the support of others.
The Bible is filled with stories about underdogs who with God’s help do mighty things. David killed the giant Goliath. Gideon defeated an army of Midianites of which he was severely outnumbered. Noah built an arc. The disciples were given the power to heal other people.
In this day and age, I believe that it is us Christians who are charged to find redemption, not only within our relationship with God, but in our role to the world.
We cannot find redemption and salvation on our own, but through Christ who died for our sins and was raised from the dead so that we could be saved. This is our redemption through Christ.
This is why I love the Christmas story. It points us toward redemption to so many facets of the world. I hope you can come this fourth Sunday of Advent and hear about the peace that Christ is offering to us and how we are blessed to serve as agents of peace.
Prayer: Prince of peace, we thank you for stilling the storms of our lives. We thank you for giving us so many examples of people in the Bible who lived your ministry of peace. Help us also be peacemakers in the world so that you may be know. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
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