That Star Quality

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

Have you ever seen a video clip of a celebrity being given their own star on the “Walk of Stars? The celebrity to be honored has achieved some level of distinction. They are recognized by a group as being of “star quality”.  The celebrity in question plants their hand prints into a section of concrete that bears their name on an emblem. This immortalizes the celebrity for all to see. At least until there is no longer any space on the Walk of Stars and their star is removed.

All too often our society fixates on a celebrity. This person may be an actor/actress or someone of notoriety for any number of reasons. The person being idolized is held up on a pedestal for all the world to see. They may be lauded for being very generous in giving of their time or money to charities. Or maybe they accomplished some feat of great daring that none before have accomplished or survived.  In all cases we would do well to remember that when we elevate a real person, we elevate a flawed individual. The Apostle Paul has hit the nail on the head. All have sinned. And all fall short of the Glory of God. All of us can think back to the not too distant past and remember a celebrity, a star if you will, who fell down to earth. It is tragic to watch. And even more tragic to see the widespread disbelief amongst their followers.  When we expect perfection from imperfect beings we are only setting up ourselves and others for disappointment. Knowing, and accepting that Romans 3:23 is 100% accurate, we need to consider where we focus our worship towards. Philippians 3:3 gives us a bit of insight. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh. We can look no further that the pedestal of the cross to gain a glimpse at what real star quality is like. Humility, submission to the will of God the Father, love for all mankind are prominently displayed with Christ on the cross. It is a gruesome, but very effective pedestal. And when we remember the sacrifice given, and the forgiveness paid for by Jesus we have a true star to emulate. That is the kind of love we need to have and show. That is the kind of humility we need in our lives. The false stars will continue to fall from glory. The true star, with true star quality is Jesus Christ and He will never fall and He will never fail you.

PRAYER: Father of Grace and Forgiveness, Your Son, our Savior is a source of inspiration for us all. The human stars in our lives are no more perfect than we are. All have sinned and fall short of Your glory O God. Thank You for Your Son and his sacrifice on the cross. His perfect life stands in sharp contrast to ours and offers all true inspiration. Praise be to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

The Star Quarterback

Philippians 2: 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.

Have you ever known a star quarterback? I guess I have been blessed. I have known two. They are my younger brothers John and Greg. Each, in their own time, was the star quarterback at Tawas Area High School. They achieved this elite status long after I had graduated and joined the Navy. It was wonderful to see them achieve  greatness. Humility was not their strong suit. But now that they are grown up, I have to say I am more proud of my brothers now than at any other time in their lives. I am glad they survived being “stars”.  Because there was a time when the rest of their siblings were convinced we were going to have to “take them out.”

If we look into the life of Jesus Christ we are offered the opportunity to witness profound humility. When it comes right down to it Jesus is synonymous with humility. Can you think of one example where he exercised his privilege?  Think carefully now. Here is God who humbled Himself and took on human form which is a huge let down and lived among a bunch of sinners. He chose not to hang with the upper crust of society. He chose to live with common people. He ministered to the sick, the injured, and the demon-possessed. His people were not as we would find living in the penthouse apartments of New York. They were more along the lines of the street people of New York. Jesus, from the very beginning with his birth in a manger was humble. He was humble to death on the cross so that you, me, and all mankind would be reconciled to God the Father. Now, think about a star quarterback or other star athlete in today’s society. Humility is not an attribute that commonly is given when speaking about star athletes. And unfortunately we have a large part of our population that worships star athletes when they should really be worshipping the true star of Bethlehem. Jesus is deserving of our worship. His love for all of mankind transcended all possible bounds of pride and self-preservation. He died on the cross for you and I. He died for all to be forgiven. He poured out his blood like the sacrificial lamb he was so that a bunch of miserable sinners would be made right in the eyes of His Father. He lived a perfect sinless life. How many star athletes can lay claim to that same type of life. None would be the correct answer. And all to frequently we see splashed across the headlines the stories of how these stars have fallen from grace by some act of self absorption. Jesus is a polar opposite to that type of person. So when you go looking for a star in your life to follow, think of the true star of Bethlehem.  And as for my brothers? I am immensely proud of their decisions to follow the only star that matters, Jesus Christ.

PRAYER: Almighty and everlasting God, You set the stars in the heavens. You let their lights shine into the night sky for all to marvel at. Help us to remember that there is only one star in our lives to worship, Jesus Christ. All other stars are temporary and prone to failure. We ask this in the name of the true star of Bethlehem, Jesus Christ. Amen 

You're A Bunch Of Stars

Matthew 2: 1-2 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

In my high school days I had a band instructor who was a real task master. He expected excellence, and strived to instill that same desire in all of his students. He had a saying he used when our efforts did not meet his expectations. “You’re a bunch of stars.” It was not a compliment. But it was meant as a subtle message that though we were capable of being very good, we had fallen short of his expectations. Much like a falling star that leaves the heavens and plummets to earth.

Has anyone ever called you a wise man, or a wise woman? What if I were to tell you that you are just like the wise men seeking the birthplace of Christ?  Would you believe me?  Well then, let me make my case for you elevation to this exalted status.

Here you and I (we) stand today over two thousand years following the birth of Jesus. We have the benefit of history, verbal and written, to help us in our search for the Jesus. We can make the physical pilgrimage to the stable in Bethlehem where Jesus is thought to have been born. We just need to hop a series of flights, book hotel rooms, secure a rental car and we can be there amongst thousands of others who do that very same thing during the Christmas season. It is as if going there will give a person a more physical connection to Christ the Eternal. Or, we can do the other journey to seek the birthplace of Christ. We can embark on the journey we call the season of Advent at our church. We can gather with a group of fellow believers, read and worship together, pray, meditate, and experience Jesus in our hearts and minds. If you labor under the misconception that you must make a physical pilgrimage to find Christ let me set you straight. Jesus is right here, right now, and always. He is not just waiting to be discovered in a place in some faraway land. He is all around us. He is with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20.) He is found in His Word, in our prayer, in our worship, and in fellow believers. He is right there all around us.  If you have the means and capabilities to make the physical journey to the birthplace of Christ you are certainly welcome to do so. But do not be surprised if you find that Jesus is no more present there than right back at your own home. After all, why would He make Himself so inaccessible to so many by just being in one place? Having to go someplace to experience Christ just does not seem very grace-like to me. How about you?

PRAYER: Lord You are found all around us. In the majesty of your creation all the way down to the most humble of beings. Help us to see You in all that we see. Help us to show Your light in all that we do. We ask this in the name of Jesus, the true star of Bethlehem.