“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the messenger who brings good news, the good news of peace and salvation, the news that the God of Israel reigns!”

Isaiah 52:7

This season is all about good news! But sometimes it just doesn’t feel so good. The traffic. The parties. The gift buying. The meal preparation. The anxious anticipation. We get so pressed by the stress that we tend to just go through joyless motions of Christmas, getting lost in a season of aggravation and busyness, rather than recounting the reason for what the season is really about.

I know that sounds cliché, but year after year I tell myself that I’m not going to go there, and every year, unfortunately I do.

In 2 Kings 7, there were four lepers who stumbled upon the aftermath of a miracle. Samaria was not only going through a famine, but they were also under siege from the Aramean army. The starving lepers, who sat at the gates of the city, knew they had nothing to lose when they set out to surrender to the army. But when they got there, they found that the camp was abandoned! The Lord had miraculously led the army to panic and flee by making sounds of great armies approaching in the night. As a result, the Arameans left everything behind. And when the lepers came upon the empty camp, they found treasures of silver and gold, of clothing, and food and wine! But as they went from tent to tent plundering and hiding the goods for themselves, they realized that this was a day of good news! Yet they were keeping it to themselves. So, they shared their findings with the people, and the famine in Samaria was over. The people were saved, and they all found great joy. All because these untouchables decided to share the good news of the treasures they had found.

We too, live in the aftermath of a miracle. When Jesus came into this world, He knew it was not His home. It was not the place of glory from which He came. Nor was it the place of glory to which He would return. No, He came to a world that was starving for truth and love. He came to a world that was infectious and unclean. And he came to a world that was impending death. And yes, just like the lepers, WE are the world that He came to save!

We celebrate Christmas because Jesus came to be the Good News! And He changed our world forever! He came to bring us assurance of knowing that this world is not our home either. Yet, somehow, also like the lepers, our impulse is to keep it to ourselves. The Good News about Jesus seems to get lost when we plunder His goodness with overextended obligations and expectations.

But when we take the time to receive the Good News, we can embrace the Joy that Jesus brings to overcome the distractions that this season so often offers.

So, really, we have nothing to lose – except maybe a little grumpiness – but everything to gain when we receive His gift of grace! Let us take time this week to reflect on who we are without Christ – spiritual lepers, starving, unclean, and grumpy – and let us rejoice and be glad in the greatest gift ever – our joy filled freedom through Christ!

The Good News that brings Great Joy is the reason for the season. Let us not be unavailable to receive it and let us not be stingy in giving it away!