Christmas Eve                                       Luke 2:1-20                                             12/24/03

 

                Wouldn’t it be interesting if Jesus’ mother, Mary, had kept a journal of her experiences in giving birth to the Messiah, God’s holy Son?  What if she could come back and reflect with us about this holy night we call Christmas?  What if she could share her thoughts from the perspective of an older, more mature mother?

 

                Listen now to a monologue, a telling of what she might say...

 

                It was such a long long time ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.  I know you know the story, but bear with an old woman as she looks back on the most wonderous experience of her life.  I still treasure the memory of that night and reflect on its deeper meanings.  I’m still seeking to understand all that God meant by coming into my life as He did.  I imagine you all share that experience - the wonder of God becoming human out of love for us.

 

                Anyway, as you know, I was engaged to Joseph, the carpenter of Nazareth.  It was an arranged marriage and Joseph was a good deal older than I.  I imagine you women of the 21^st Century find that unacceptable, but in my day it was just the way such things were done. 

 

                I was glad that Joseph was older too.  I think his maturity helped him deal with those most unorthodox happenings during our engagement.  A younger man surely would have rejected me once he learned I was pregnant - perhaps even made a public accusation that could have resulted in my being stoned to death.

               

                Not my Joseph though.  He was a man of great faith and love.  He believed this child was special and that God had chosen him to protect and care for us.

 

                Yes, I was very blessed to be betrothed to Joseph.  And as events unfolded I would need his strength very much.

 

                You see, the Roman emperor, Augustus Caesar, decided a census must be taken.  He had recently taken over rule of territory that included Palestine and he wanted to be sure he was squeezing every last penny from those he oppressed.  You see, when Julius Caesar was assassinated the empire was divided and rule of each third given to a different man.  Augustus forced the others out and took it all for himself.  He had himself declared a god and savior too.  This was blasphemy.  To keep what he had won, he ruled with an iron hand.  We Jews lived in terror of Roman soldiers.  To make matters worse the local ruler, Herod, was not a true Jew and was very wicked.  The times were very much like Isaiah foretold, “The people walking in darkness...and those living in the shadow of death...”  We needed the light that only God could send into our world.

 

                But, there was something Augustus didn’t know.  His census was used by God for God’s good purposes.  Our prophet Micah had declared that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.  This was important too because of links in our people’s minds between Bethlehem and King David, our greatest king.  Thus, we knew the Messiah would be greater than even King David.

 

                Joseph and I lived in Nazareth.  But with the census we had to go to Bethlehem...and it was just in time for our baby - God’s Son - to be born.

 

                Dr. Luke who you know wrote a version of our story showed the greater significance of my Son’s birth by emphasizing that the census was worldwide.  Thus, he underlined the fact that the true Savior (not the emperor of Rome, but God’s own Son) came to save all people.

 

                First, of course, we had to get to Bethlehem though.  Even the shortest route - one through Samaria - was 85 miles.  With Joseph walking, leading the donkey I rode on and with many rest stops because of my condition, it took many days.  At times I wondered if I might have to give birth in the middle of no where, on the side of the road. <sigh>

 

                Finally though, we reached Joseph’s ancestral home, Bethlehem.  We hadn’t been prepared for all the crush of people - pilgrims like us - all looking for a place to stay.  As it turned out the only place we could find was a stable.  In a way this was God directed too.  In the inn people were all housed together.  Men and women put their sleeping mats on the floor wherever they could find a bit of space.  The stable, on the other hand, was quiet and private.  And Joseph made me a nice bed of straw and the manger made a fine cradle.

 

                Being so young and without the women of my family to help me through the birth was scary at first, but I drew on Joseph’s strength.  My memories of the angel’s promise also helped to get me through.  Soon I had this wonderful baby boy to hold in my arms.  Little did I know then that thirty three years later I would ache to hold my suffering, dying son in my arms...but this is a story for another day and even it has a glorious ending.

 

                If I thought giving birth was scary though, the next event was even scarier.  We were just settling down to rest when a group of shepherds came barging in on us.  Joseph grabbed his staff, ready to fight them off if the stories told about shepherds being thieves and ruffians proved true.  But, he didn’t need to protect us.  They were half dazed and full of awe at seeing my son wrapped in cloths lying in His manger bed.

 

                They told a story almost stranger than my encounter with Gabriel.  They were out in the fields standing night watch over their flocks when an angel appeared and told them of my Son’s birth.  Then a whole company of angels joined the first one, singing praise to God. 

 

                They admitted to us that they were terrified.  Because of their work, shepherds can’t keep ritually clean, so they rarely get to worship at the synagogue.  They are pretty much looked down on so the idea that messengers of God would come and invite them to be the first to see God’s Son must have been pretty shocking. 

 

                God is funny that way.  He chose me, a maiden of great standing or wealth to bear His Son.  He chose humble shepherds to be the first witnesses to the birth.  Of course, raising up the poor and lowly became a theme of my Son’s ministry too.

 

                Anyway, if you could have seen those shepherds beaming at my Son, you would never forget it.  Why, this one big, rough shepherd kneeling by my Son’s bed...it still brings a tear to my eye - he started to reach out a calloused finger to touch my little One.  He stopped though and looked to me for permission.  I nodded my okay and then my little One wrapped His fingers around that shepherd’s finger and...I know this seems strange...but I’m quite sure I saw a smile on my baby’s face...I’m know the shepherd saw it too, because his face just glowed.

                Things happened quickly then.  Others came to see my baby (I heard that the shepherds were telling everyone of their experience) Soon we found more appropriate lodgings and completed our obligations to Rome.  The rest, as they say, is history.

 

                Well, just one final comment, if you don’t mind.  Something the shepherds reported the angel said may be worth your treasuring and pondering in your hearts.  The angel said, “Today is born to you a Savior who is Christ (the Anointed One), your Lord.  That word you translate “today” in your Scripture isn’t just a calendar kind of “today”.  It’s a special word that carries with it a sense of God reaching down into human history and drawing us all forward into His time, into eternity.  I think that means that God is coming into your today, into your world, into your life this day.

 

                Ponder this.  Will you let God lead you to seek the deeper meaning of His coming and let Him show you how wonderous it can be to have an intimate experience of Him in your life?...Amen