The familiar Christmas carol calls the faithful to come and adore Christ, but what about the rest of us? What about those who stumble, doubt, and repeatedly fall short? What about the unfaithful…people like ME???? The beautiful truth is that Jesus's invitation extends especially to the unfaithful.
Think of Peter, who denied Jesus three times after boldly declaring he would die for him. In that crushing moment when the rooster crowed, Peter broke down, believing he had forfeited his place among the disciples, but more importantly, the love and acceptance of his Savior. Yet Jesus specifically sought him out after the resurrection, restoring him not just to fellowship but to leadership in the early church.
Or consider the woman caught in adultery (gotta wonder where the man was, since it takes two to tango!), dragged before Jesus by religious leaders eager to condemn. While they stood ready with stones, Jesus showed compassion. "Neither do I condemn you," he said, offering both forgiveness and a fresh start.
The Bible is filled with such stories – not of perfectly faithful followers, but of broken people (just like you and I) who repeatedly lost their way. David, the man after God's own heart, committed adultery and murder. Thomas doubted. Paul persecuted Christians. Yet each found mercy when they turned to Christ.
This pattern reveals something profound about God's character. His faithfulness isn't dependent on ours, and that is AWESOME news! When we are faithless, he remains faithful. Like the dad in the parable of the prodigal son, he watches eagerly for our return, ready to run to us with open arms, wraps them around us, ignoring the stink of the pig pen that we’ve been living in.
Perhaps you've wandered far from your Best Friend. Maybe you've made promises to God you couldn't keep, had no intention of keeping, or your doubts feel overwhelming. You might think you've exhausted God's patience or that your failures have disqualified you from his love (because that’s what the response of the rest of society is towards us). But Jesus's invitation still stands: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
The beauty of the gospel isn't that Jesus came for the faithful, but that he came for the unfaithful. He came for the doubters and deniers, the broken and betrayers. He came for those who would pledge allegiance only to fall away, knowing that his grace would be sufficient for every failure.
This Christmas, as we hear the familiar carol, let's remember that the invitation to "come and behold him" isn't just for those who are perfect. It's especially for those of us who have wandered far but really want to come home. The manger holds no judgment, no condemnation…only welcome. That Baby’s hands reach out not to condemn, but to embrace…yes…ESPECIALLY YOU AND I!
So come, all ye unfaithful. Come, doubting and discouraged. Come with your failures and fears. Come just as you are. The miracle of Christmas is that God became human not to reject us in our unfaithfulness, but to remain faithful even when we are not.
He came for you and me. Let’s go!
About the Author
Dr. Bill Young is an elder at the Danville SDA church and a professor at Eastern Kentucky University. Having a long-term background in prehospital emergency medicine, he has seen the worst that this world has to offer. In doing so, he has found that turning to the scriptures is a very real refuge. He enjoys exploring the history and geography of Israel during the time that Jesus walked the land.
