"Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.” – Luke 1:39-40
Perhaps you can relate to the image of Mary traveling in haste, as you hustle to finish decking the halls and wrapping presents for Christmas. It is a busy time of year with seemingly far too much to do.
Lest we lose sight of the true meaning of the Advent and Christmas seasons, we would do well to learn from Mary’s example. Why is she traveling in haste? She has just found out that she is pregnant with the Son of God! She bears the Savior within her womb, the One who will redeem Israel! Unable to contain her wonder and awe at this miracle, she runs to share the good news with her relatives.
How many of us approach the holidays with that attitude? What if, instead of just talking about sports or the weather, we shared stories with our family about how God has acted in our lives? Imagine if we focused on making our family gatherings true celebrations of God’s love. That is the real reason for Christmas in the first place!
Perhaps you are saying to yourself, “I don’t know how God has acted in my life, and honestly, I’m not sure that he has. How can I share the good news if there is nothing good to share?” I admit that I am guilty of this type of thinking myself.
The problem is a lack of humility. This virtue helps us see our blessings and acknowledge our need for God. The first thing that impedes our ability to see God’s activity is the temptation to compare ourselves to those around us. How can we recognize the good things God gives us if we spend all our time greedily lamenting that we have less than others? We should spend more time thinking about those who have less than us. That will help us appreciate just how blessed we truly are.
Similarly, modern conveniences can erode humility, because they make us feel immortal. For those of us who are blessed with adequate food, shelter, healthcare, and the like, it can be easy to forget that we need a Savior.
The truth is, we do. Without Jesus, none of us have any hope for eternal life. As Saint Paul tells the Romans, “All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God” (3:23). Only by acknowledging this fact can we appreciate that the news about Jesus Christ is truly and unsurpassably good.
So, let’s count our blessings and rejoice in the fact that God has sent us the Savior we need. Let’s make haste this Christmas for the right reasons, like Mary: to visit our families and share the good news of God’s love.
Come, Lord Jesus, help us appreciate your gifts and rejoice in your salvation, that we may unreservedly share the Gospel with those whom we love. Amen.