Enjoy
the fullness of this wonderful season!
Many Reactions To The Christmas Story, By Mary, Angels, Shepherds...
Answer this: "Christmas makes me want to ..."
We all respond differently to the wonders of the birth of a Savior, Christ the Lord. That's fine. As I've been studying the Christmas Gospel these recent weeks, I see lots of different reactions to the news of the baby born in Bethlehem. No matter what your natural response is, (and you may see yourself in one of the following) I'd encourage you to make room for at least a little bit of each of these, as shown us by the participants surrounding the Lord's arrival.
Angels:
Celebration!
That night in the field was like an end-zone celebration for the angels. They went a little bit crazy. There are few if any similar reactions in the scriptures to any event like the angels showed on Christmas night.
I picture these faithful and true servants of the Lord, these holy messengers, these mighty warriors, watching the Lord's every move for century after century, ever since they first heard his promise of a Savior back in the Garden.
I see them growing anxious as the time for the Savior's birth approaches. I imagine their love and respect and awe of God for his love of you and I becoming increasingly deeper and more profound, like they were watching a father preparing for a long and dangerous expedition in search of a lost child. they were amazed at the depth of his caring and compassion for lost humanity.
And then it was time. One angel announced to Mary the Lord's plan. Then Joseph was told in a dream why and how his betrothed wife was pregnant. The angels must have been way past the edge of total wonder at the amazing love of God, his unheard of willingness to sacrifice anything for our salvation.
I picture the angels on the night of Jesus' birth, when he came quietly into the world without fanfare or public announcement, finally able to contain themselves no longer and rushing to the throne of the Father, "O Sovereign Lord, O King of majesty and glory, we've been working u[ a song for this occasion, and since it seems like you have no particular plans to announce the gift of a Savior world wide as it deserves, we just have to go and sing it. Can we? Please, can we go and sing and shout and dance and celebrate?"
And the Lord says, "Now calm down. This has been planned for longer than you know about. It's a quiet operation." And the angles who can hardly contain themselves plead and beg until finally the Lord relents. "Okay, go and sing, but it has to be after midnight, and you can't go anywhere near downtown. Go to the fields and sing to a couple of shepherds, but send somebody first as a warning so they don't freak out completely."
So the angels come and they sing and they celebrate and they cut loose with all of their spectacular angel joy at God's goodness over the gift of life and salvation for all on earth who would receive their newborn King.
Remember to have a little angel in you this Christmas. Sing and rejoice and celebrate with all your heart. Cut it loose. Let it fly. Send your praises to heaven, to the God of love who sent his Son for you.
Shepherds: Action!
Shepherding strikes me as short periods of intense excitement, fending off dangerous animals or chasing down a wandering sheep, interspersed with long periods of boredom. The shepherds to whom the angels appeared knew how to spring into action when called on, and that's exactly what they did on that Christmas night.
When they heard the news of a child born in fulfillment of the promise of the ages, they sprang for Bethlehem. "Let's go!" they are quoted as saying to each other, and go they did.
They sprinted in from the fields to check this thing out. No hesitation. No waiting around. There is a time for sitting and a time for action and this was their time for action. They flew to the place where the holy family was and saw everything just as they had heard about it. And as soon as they had the chance, they flew off again to spread the word of what they had been told.
Be an action person this Christmas season. Jump in the car and get to worship. Grab the phone and call a friend you've been meaning to contact and just tell them what a great Christmas you're having, and how much they mean to you. Go visit someone you suspect might be a little lonely. Maybe the shepherds wore Nikes. Just do it.
Joseph: Service!
There were things that just had to be done that really aren't recorded in the Gospels. Maybe we just assume somebody did them. Who packed up for Bethlehem? Who went looking for the place to stay? Who made all the arrangements for the birth and made some warm Ovaltine for Mary over the next few days? Who washed diapers and did the dishes? I expect it was Joseph. I expect there were things he did over the course of these months that no one, except his dear Mary, even noticed.
Extraordinary servants sometimes do the unnoticed things that make the day a bit brighter for everyone else. There are thousands of pictures of Mary holding the Child. I can't think of any of Joseph. I don't think he minded.
This Christmas, do some of those tasks others dread. Get the dishes done before Mom even notices. Make a bed. Take out some trash. Wipe a few counters or a bathroom. Be a Joseph and make the day a bit easier for someone else as an offering to the Lord who came as a Servant King.
Mary:
Contemplation!
She "kept all these things, pondering them in her heart." No one ever had more to wonder about than Mary. Wonderful things cause wonder, and she found time to pause and ponder and reflect on God's power, his mercy and his love.
Take some time like Mary did. Ponder. Wonder. Pray. Reflect. Write. Weep. Smile. Sigh. Just think about the gift of Christmas, and let the good news of salvation change you. Transform you. God is at work this Christmas season, at work shaping and molding you into the person you are becoming, the extraordinary servant he has made you to be. Think about it for a little bit. The Holy Spirit comes.
Wise Men:
Curiosity!
This business of a King born in Judea was of more than academic interest to the Magi. They saddled up the camels and made their way west to investigate, and they were changed when they did.
Do some adventuring and exploring on your own. Open your Bible to the Christmas story in Matthew 1 or Luke 2 or John 1 and dig around a little. See what you can find. Take an adventure. Ask some questions. Go for yourself and see. Follow the star. Get curious. God has some things to share.
Have a glorious and wonder-full Christmas season!