The Tears Of The Oppressed

Eccliastes 2:1 Again I looked and saw all the oppression that was taking place under the sun:  I saw the tears of the oppressed— and they have no comforter;  power was on the side of their oppressors— and they have no comforter.

At one point or another most of us have felt some form of oppression. It could be a subtle oppression or it may have been a very overt form of oppression. In any case the condition was unpleasant at the least or painful in the extreme. The interesting part of Christmas, and our theme of peace in the devotionals this week is the role Christ plays in eliminating the worst form of oppression. Christ fulfilled the law and set the captives free. We who were lost and dead in sin were freed. The bondage we lived in to sin is no more in Christ. Gone are the days of trying to earn grace or live in a manner that is free from sin. We alone just cannot do enough or live sinlessly enough to be reconciled to God our Father. Yet, before God sent His only Son to save us from ourselves, we were lost. His love in Jesus Christ is the purest form of love we can ever know. It is a love to be embraced by all who see freedom and comfort.

This freedom comes with a caution. The Apostle Paul reminds us the truth of freedom from sin in Romans 6:1&2 What shall we say, then?  Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means! We are those who have died to sin;  how can we live in it any longer?  We who are freed from death in sin are cautioned to not seek out sin, and to not live in it any longer.  In sin we were oppressed, in Christ we are not. Those who remain in sin, without Christ, are often without comfort. Miserable describes how they go through their life. “I am in misery” is their mantra. Yet the freedom and comfort they yearn for is so very close. Their tears can be dried, their fears put to rest and peace can reign. All they need is to embrace Christ. For some that is a step they do not know to take, for others it is a step seemingly too easy. And for others it is a step fraught with the peril of having to lose themselves. We as Christians can help by reaching out in love to share the good news of Jesus Christ. We can do this for those who do not know Christ and we can help those who have wandered off the path.  All are in need to comfort, the comfort only the Son of God can bring. We can help those who are in need the most at Christmas and throughout the whole year.

PRAYER: Father Your love for all mankind embodied in Your Son Jesus Christ is comforting. We who are undeserving have been blessed by Your gift of love and grace. Help us to stay connected with that love. Let Your Holy Spirit fill us with the faith to endure when all around us are seeking to distract us from You. Guide us to those who need to hear the good news of Christ that they too may find comfort. Let our hand and feet do Your work here on earth. We ask this in the strong name of Jesus, Amen.