The Christmas That Could Have Been
The Christmas That Could Have Been for Mary and Joseph turned into so much more. Look into the manger with faith and you'll see that Christmas isn't what you make it to be. We learn in Titus 2:11-14 of God's grace and love for us. Christmas is what makes you God's own redeemed, forgiven, loved child, eager to do what is good. December 24, 2008.
Unplanned travel and unwanted busyness. Crowded streets and inns. Disappointment. Stress. Christmas could have been so much more enjoyable for Mary and Joseph …
- If only a Christian Caesar had ruled the empire instead of Augustus, whose definition of peace was paranoia that no other empire ever exist except his own – so he killed the opposition and taxed citizens heavily in order to fund his military, his building projects, and his personal needs.
- If only Mary and Joseph could have stayed at home with their family, could have traveled without Mary being so delicately pregnant, could have had a decent place to stay in a less crowded village, could have used the cradle Joseph had made for the baby instead of a dirty feeding trough.
- If only the angels had visited Mary and Joseph personally and lifted their spirits with bright array and heavenly voice, instead of sending the stinky shepherds.
- If only the partiers in the inn hadn’t kept the baby up all night, and the census lines the next morning hadn’t been so long, and the tired little baby hadn’t been crying of hunger.
It could have been a very merry, holly jolly Christmas. But it was so much more.
The Christmas that was
The first Christmas was just as God intended: a miracle, a work of heavenly grace hidden behind the earthly for faith to see. Sometimes God doesn’t want his miracles to dazzle ogling onlookers with special effects. He prefers the circumstances of his miracle to be so simple, or strange, or even stressful that we only see it when we look with faith. When we look beyond the circumstances to see God keeping his promises once more. When we trust that God is at work in the world and in our lives, and it’s beyond our control or against our comprehension, and that’s a good thing – that’s part of what makes a miracle. Christian author, Max Lucado, reminds us about the Christmas that was:
The stable stinks like all stables do. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling … [The baby] looks like anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby … Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter … This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds. Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility. Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking (excerpts from God Came Near, Max Lucado, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006).
Luke’s Christmas gospel begins with Joseph, as he takes each unplanned step closer to Bethlehem, trusting in God for a safe journey for Mary and safe delivery for the baby. It ends with Mary whose faith “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart” (Luke 2:19) and the shepherds whose faith praised God because everything happened “just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20). The miracle at the first Christmas wasn’t confined to the manger, but made its way into human hearts. It was a miracle meant for faith.
The Christmas that is
Where is that Christmas miracle today? Like Naaman, the unappreciative Aramean general whom the prophet of Elisha told to wade into the river and he’d be healed that, we tend to balk at the idea of a simple Christmas. We like dressing it up and end up stressing it out because we need special effects. Special gifts cost us more than we can afford. Special parties cram our schedules. Special recipes demand special trips to the grocery store. Special vacation time to catch up on projects. What happened to the baby Jesus?
At a Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, New York, the Christmas-shopping crowd of more than 2,000 that had gathered for a 5 a.m. Black Friday opening began pressing against the sliding-glass double doors, which, at 4:55 a.m. gave way from the weight. As the shrieking mob surged into the store Wal-Mart employees, including Jdimytai Damour, tried to hold the crowd back. In the human stampede, however, Damour was pushed to the floor and trampled. His resulting injuries were grave and despite efforts by emergency workers to save him he was pronounced dead an hour later. Americans as a whole spend an average of $450 billion on Christmas every year. Providing clean drinking water to every person on the planet would cost $10 billion. What happened to peace on earth and goodwill to men?
A response to the inquiry, “How was your Christmas?” can reveal – depending on one’s station in life – either delight or disappointment based on the volume of gifts given or received, the success of Christmas foods and feasts, the efforts of the relatives to get together and then to get along, and the hours spent traveling on snowy roads or hibernating in front of the TV. What happened to faith?
According to the Bible Christians say no to worldly passions so that at Christmas time we can rejoice in the “glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ” but if we’re honest with ourselves we find that we’ve prioritized worldly passions and said no to Jesus Christ. We’ve reinvented Christmas. Who’s going to save it? Let’s reenter the real story of Christmas and rejoice that God still makes Christmas a miracle. In us.
The Christmas that will be
One group of churches has taken the faith celebration of Christmas so seriously that they created an advocacy group with a compelling and inspirational message. They’re called Advent Conspiracy and their website home page says:
The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? Welcome to Advent Conspiracy (http://www.adventconspiracy.org/).
For people who don’t believe in sin and grace, and in repentance and renewal, those words might sound harsh. But for believers who know the power of sin and the pressure of worldliness we listen to those words as a welcome reminder that Christmas is about our faith in God who enters our world and our lives. “The grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all people.” God’s grace interrupted shepherds’ chores and they left their work behind to worship Jesus. God’s grace attracted the magi on a journey of faith that wouldn’t stop until they worshipped Jesus. This Christmas cross off one work project and spend the time in personal worship time marveling at Jesus. God “gave himself for us to redeem us.” This Christmas spend less so that you can give more. There is still time not just to give presents but to be present, like God did at Christmas when, relationally, he gave the gift of love. He didn’t give gold or silver; he game himself. “Live upright and godly lives … [as] a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” To us a child is born. To us a Son is given. God’s final target in sending his Son Jesus isn’t the manger. It is you. You belong to Jesus as much as he belongs to you and, together, you can do what is good. This Christmas put love into practice to more people more often. Be eager to live a godly life. Sure, it will take a miracle, but that’s what Christmas once was, is still, and will continue to be for those who believe.
Earlier this month church members in Poettmes, Germany found a real, newborn baby in the manger of their nativity scene. The baby was only hours old and was taken to the nearest hospital where its mother was located. She said she couldn’t care for the baby and left him there hoping that someone would care for him. God sent his Son not with hope that we’d care for him but with promise that he’d care for us. Yes, save us. Look into the manger with faith and you’ll see that Christmas isn’t what you make it to be. Christmas is what makes you God’s own redeemed, forgiven, loved child, eager to do what is good. Christmas is a gift from God. Amen.
Preached at Grace Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, WI (http://www.gracedowntown.org/) on December 24, 2008
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