Luke 2:1-20
Merry Christmas!
Everything seems such a rush, a blur; everything, at this time of the year it’s just too much! It seems all I’ve been doing is buying, going to the post office, writing sermons, preparing services, wrapping gifts, visiting everyone that is sick and homebound and doing all the social and family stuff. Is there any rest? Can I find time to just sit back and enjoy the wonder of Jesus’ birth, God’s gift to humanity of his Son? It seems not! But then, as I look at my life, I must say that I am so very blessed, how can I really and truly complain; what justification can I have? I look at it all, and I see most of the stuff that I do, is of my own choosing, and I think, so too will you. God didn’t ask us to decorate trees and our homes with lights and ornaments. God didn’t ask us to send cards and letters and give gifts to our loved ones and put together great feasts with family and friends. It was, in fact God who, with his angels, lit up the sky for us, in celebration of Jesus birth, and the angels who sang carols of such wonder and beauty for the people to hear. It was God who sent us the message of great joy and who presented our world with a gift unmatched by anything we could think to give; that gift Jesus. At times like this, I like to remind myself that everything we do to celebrate Christmas is simply our way of trying to give back to our God, who gave us so much, and to share with others the joy that God has made so possible for us; so, how can I complain; how can any of us possibly complain?
When we get so that we feel the burden of our Christmas celebrations, then we might want to remember why we celebrate, who we celebrate and how much Jesus’ birth has given to us in the form of spiritual gifts and blessings. Cathy and I have learned, having had most of our Christmas Eves occupied with church, to let everything that is not done fall to a time later that night, maybe to a time a few days from then, or maybe a week later, and accept the fact that maybe some of the gifts will not get wrapped; sometimes Cathy and I will wait a few days before we exchange our gifts with each other so that we may get some needed sleep. After all, some of our friends and family we will not see for weeks to exchange gifts and celebrate Christmas together. Christmas!
Right here and right now, here in church, is the place and time to really celebrate Christmas. So, take a deep breath; you are, for at least the next hour, out of the rat race; you are here, in a place (that is, if you don’t answer your cell phones), where none of that other stuff can bother you, where none of it really matters, where the birth of God’s Son alone matters, and where the mood of the evening is happiness and joy. On this night we remember a young woman and a young man, tired from their journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Tired, maybe a little dejected at having to set up camp in a stable, but happy that they would have some space to be alone, to have privacy, and also excited and maybe a little scared that the time was near to deliver the most special baby. All babies are special, but this one was God’s Son, the long-awaited Messiah of God, Mary’s son and Joseph’s adopted charge. They truly believed that this birth would mark the end of Rome’s dominance, it would mark Israel’s freedom.
Mary and Joseph knew their heavy responsibility, but they had come to trust in God’s plan and protection. So, their bed made, their things set and stored, the donkey fed and watered, they were able to begin a good night’s rest. But it was God’s plan that was at work, not theirs. The Messiah of God was ready to begin his walk with human kind and their rest was interrupted. In a stable, with just Mary and Joseph there, Mary delivered her, and God’s, son. Joseph more than a witness, helping where he could and taking up the beautiful baby boy in his arms, he wrapped him and handing him to Mary. This all according to God’s plan. And the baby was healthy, and Mary was healthy and Joseph remained strong for them both.
A beautiful picture, that we all of us envision; it may be described as quaint, with animals in the background, eating, and sleeping, and making quiet animal noises, and Mary and Joseph sleeping and the baby asleep in a simple feeding troth; all was well; all was at peace in the world. Simple and natural, but God could not let this wonderful moment go unnoticed and the angels of the Lord could not hold back their joy, so to the, maybe, only people still awake at that time of night, the shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks, the angels with glorious song and powerful words announced the good news of the birth of God’s Son, the long-awaited Messiah. On the hillside, where there had been quiet and peace, there was now joy and excitement. And as the angels went back into the heavens, these shepherds had to go see it all, and they went and by doing so took away the sleep of Mary and Joseph and disturbed the peace and quiet that the young parents were enjoying. “Disturbing” is not really the right word though, because each word from the shepherds describing the angels and the angels’ words and song, brought joy to Mary and Joseph. And for at least that one night in that stable, it seemed to Mary and Joseph that all was right, more than right with the world. And for Mary and Joseph it felt so very good that God had revealed to the shepherds, what seemed to be their secret of their wonderful Son; maybe it even helped them to believe all the more what they already knew to be true. They were not alone!
The story does not end with the shepherds.
Some time later, we don’t know how much later, others came to see the newborn king, as these visitors had called him, these were the Magi, wisemen or kings who came from the East to witness to the newborn Jesus and present him with gifts, treasures of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Messiah of God, Jesus was not just for the Jews, but for all the nations, all the peoples of the world, for us and those others who we neither understand nor find agreement. I invite you to bask in the wonder, the love and the peace of Christmas. Enjoy the gift of the Savior. Tonight, nothing else matters. Carry this good feeling out from here, into your homes and out into your communities and so spread this love and peace far and wide.