Let's Not Overly Romanticize Christmas

This morning I found myself "musing" about the Christmas story, not in ways that romanticize it, but as a story about real difficulties in life. It's always good to see the "end" of something and know that God was at work in shaping the outcomes, and the lessons we learn from it. I am of the opinion that we are better if we approach life's difficulties with Faith in God, and a desire to learn what he has for us to learn. Yet, sometimes life's pains and agonies are very real when we're in the midst of them.

Take Joseph: Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)
1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph was afraid...the angel tells him not to be, but in fact, his reputation, the thoughts that swirled around his mind, his sense of Mary as HIS bride, his family's opinions, his friends and acquaintances where they lived, his joy suddenly deflated, his doubts, etc...these were just the things going on in his heart and mind.

Then there were the logistics...the details of living. A pregnant wife, no relations for the next ? months, the decree that means a journey back to his hometown of Bethlehem, no room when they arrive, giving birth in a stable, etc...

I couldn't help but "feel" for Joseph.

It all makes sense after it's all over with...perhaps, and sometimes it still doesn't make sense; but then that's why it's about Faith!

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Joseph the Righteous One

Scripture tells the story of Joseph in brief. He appears for a bit of time in the birth story of Jesus and then disappears. So, what kind of a man would God choose to raise his son?

Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)
1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

The phrase that tells me more about Joseph's character is in verse 19 - "Joseph her husband was a righteous man..."

Our day and time would honestly struggle, if not reject, the label "righteous" on an individual. It sounds so "high and mighty", so "piously above you", as if to relegate that kind of individual to religious snobbery. The word "righteous" in the NIV is the greek word, dikaios, which means a just person, a person of right-ness. Joseph is not a nose-stuck-in-the-air religious snob; he is a man who cares about honoring God with his life. He doesn't know that Mary's pregnancy is of God. He can only assume what any rational person would - that Mary had had relations with another man; and so, his choice is merely a matter of "what would Yahweh want me to do?" He decides to divorce her - because in Jewish law, the "betrothal", or as we would say engagement, was binding and took an act of divorce to break the betrothal. Yet, Joseph does not seek to shame Mary. His plan is to divorce her quietly. For Joseph, being righteous was not a matter of being above another, but rather being able to do God's will in humility.

We need more Joseph's today. Again, my heart goes out to Men. God has given us a great privilege in honoring us with spouses and children, or maybe friends and relatives. Whether single, engaged, or married, can we step up to be "righteous" as Joseph was righteous - a man that honors God with his life?

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Joseph, Man of God's Favor, Man of Faith

I am now 61 years of age, and I cannot live apart from the notion that God is the center of all of life. I wished I could say I've known that and operated that way "all" of my life; but in actuality, this is a "growing" thing inside of me, and I expect it will continue to grow however many years of life I live.

The word "favor" in the title isn't written without thought. I wouldn't say I could recognize "God's favor" in everyday life - usually. BUT, I know I'm surrounded by it, day in and day out. God has shown us favor, shown me favor, in the sending of his Son, our Savior, Jesus, to redeem us from our sins. God has shown us favor in giving us His Holy Spirit, to shape our communities of faith, to live and breath his life and light into our darkness. God has given us favor in everyday life with the nature we are surrounded with, with friends and family, with food and shelter. It's a good word, but it's not always easy to put a handle in concrete ways in which it appears to us.

Joseph is a man of God's favor; but having said that, read this passage slowly to realize what that favor meant: Matthew 1:18-25 (NIV)
1:18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"--which means, "God with us."
24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Joseph, I want you to choose the unbelievable.
Joseph, I want you to embrace the impossible.
Joseph, I want you to love that which comes from me, and did not involve your own working.
Joseph, I want you to trust me and have faith in my plans, even though they seem inconceivable.
Joseph, I want you to walk into a life as a Father of a Son that is beyond your imagination.
Joseph, I want you to be prepared to face the gossip and finger-pointing, and judgments of those who will never really know - because I don't want you to defend me!


I try not to be one of those "alarmists" about the generation that is following mine. I have two sons, and two son-in-laws, and frankly I couldn't be happier. I have been "favored" as a Dad. But there is a part of me, the pastor part, that is concerned for "MEN - of Favor and Faith". I don't think God will hand us men easy tasks. I think the character of God that so desperately needs to be formed within happens in the crucible and fire of difficult acts of faith - when we choose to embrace the favor of God in spite of the world around us. God wants Men who believe that he wants to show them the full extent of his favor, and wants them to walk by faith in his word - above all other words surrounding us.

Many years ago, I read the words in the Old Testament: 2 Chronicles 16:9 (NIV)
16:9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him..." I believed those words then, and I believe them today also. As Men, let us be those who seek God's face and believe that he has great things for us.

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What was it like?

It is always difficult to think of what it must have like for Mary? By all accounts she is a young girl - 16? - maybe older, but maybe younger too. We don't know. We don't know a lot about her family situation, but there is no mention of dialog with Mother and Father, just her cousin, Elizabeth. Yet here she is, and what she says yes to is not the sort of thing we can brush off as "sure, why not?"

Luke 1:38 (NIV)
1:38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

We get a hint of her character, and the depth of her soul in her "song", Luke 1:46-55 (NIV)
1:46 And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me-- holy is his name.
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation.
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful
55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, even as he said to our fathers."

I love Mary's heart. As a Protestant, I think we make too little of Mary, and perhaps our Catholic brothers and sisters make too much of her. But what is so obvious is that Mary is filled with joyful praise. The song is called "The Magnificat" because the Latin version is Magnificat anima mea Dominium - "my soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord". Mary's small, young person doesn't diminish her grand vision of the greatness of God.

I think I'd like to meet Mary someday!

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The Little Boy Waiting for his Dad

Luke 1:31 (NIV)
1:31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
Matthew 11:25 (NIV)
11:25 At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

Yesterday I had the great delight of driving three hours to pick up my daughter, son-in-law, and twin one year old grandchildren from Ohare. Lindsay, Pete along with twins Raewyn and Theo flew some 8 hours from England to arrive for a three week Christmas stay. I am a happy Dad and Grandpa this morning.

While at the airport I had one of those Advent moments. Waiting at the terminal where passengers come through the doors after clearing customs are all sorts of people. Most are very quiet until their loved one, or friend, or business colleague comes through the door. If it's a loved one or friend, there's the hub, sometimes kiss, or some other show of affection. The impersonal thing is the person standing to the side with a sign with either a name, or a company name, etc... I can't say it's a bad thing, but it doesn't compare with warm welcomes of family.

Yesterday while I stood waiting for my family members to arrive, a young Mom with two little children showed up. The little girl looked like she was about 18 months old. She could stand, walk, and whisper to her Mom, but definitely clung to her leg for safety. The little boy was the antithesis of his sister. About 4, I guess (I have a three year old Grandson to compare with), he arrived at the rope line and within seconds I could hear him say, "Dad, We're waiting Dad", as he, Mom, sister, like all of us stared plaintively towards the glass doors for our loved ones to make their appearance. It did not stop at that. He was quiet for all of ten to 20 seconds at a time I would guess. "Dad, Where Are You Dad", was the cry of his little mind and heart. And on and on it went. Ten minutes, twenty minutes passed...he did not give up. No one seemed to mind.

I smiled and saw the heart of the child that Jesus said was indicative of those who "got it". The little boy is undeterred in his expectancy. He does not care who is listening; and he does not mind repeatedly asking for His Dad to show up.

Advent means "arrival", "waiting in expectancy", craving Immanuel, "God with us".

His Dad walked through the door, and the little boy, oblivious to security rules and concerns, went under the ropes and ran to his arms, and his Dad swung him around in a circle and they hugged, and kissed, and all I kept hearing was "Dad, You're Here"...and it made me smile.

Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen!

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Son of David

Luke 1:26-33 (NIV)
1:26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."

Who is this messiah? What will he be? What is it that will be born among us?
The very first words about Jesus announce that he is the fulfillment of an ancient proclamation - the fulfillment of David's family promise. He is a King and shall be the King of God's promise to David -- get this, over 1000 years before!

David was a King for a time, a season of history, and yet is considered Israel's greatest King. David was called "a man after God's own heart". Flawed and faithful, he was a human who saw God as central to all of life. In 2 Samuel 7, David announces he is going to build a house for God. God says "No" - "You won't, but your son Solomon will"; AND THEN, God says the words that find their fulfillment a 1000 years later:
7:11 "...'The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom." 2 Samuel 7:11-12 (NIV)
In the immediate history this is Solomon, but it is Gabriel before Mary that the promise comes to it's fulfillment.

Here is the deeper meaning of God's purpose - the Kingdom of God - and here is the King that shall reign over God's Kingdom.

Jesus:
Name of wondrous love, name all other
names above,
Unto which must ever knee bow in deep humility.

Jesus:
Name decreed of old to the maiden mother told -
Kneeling in her lowly cell--by the angel Gabriel.

Jesus:
Name of priceless worth to the children
of the earth
For the promise that it gave, "Jesus shall his
people save."

Jesus:
Name of wondrous love, human name of
God above;
Pleading only this, we flee, helpless, O our God,
to Thee.
Amen.

- William W. How, 19th century

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"May it Be to Me As You Have Said"

In the Christmas story of Luke's gospel everything begins with Zechariah, Elizabeth, and Mary. Mary's encounter with the angel Gabriel is brief, but makes clear her response is one that chooses to believe.

Luke 1:26-38 (NIV)
1:26 In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,
27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.
28 The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.
30 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.
31 You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
34 "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
35 The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.
36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.
37 For nothing is impossible with God."
38 "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

"May it be to me as you have said". That might be the most simple, best statement of faith that exists. "Yes Lord" is faith. This young poor peasant girl is willing to do the unfathomable. She says yes to God, and she also therefore says yes to "questioning", "suspicion", "finger-pointing", "gossip", "shame". A young virgin conceiving a child by God...impossible. What would you say if someone called you with that line. But, here she is, this woman who says "May it be to me as you have said."

Thomas Merton put it this way:

"Mary", he wrote "was as pure as the glass of a very clean window that has no other function than to admit the light of the sun."

May It Be to Me As You Have Said
It was the whisper
of a young woman's ready response to God
that opened to the miracle of saving grace
entering our world in the person of Jesus, Our Lord.
- Jack Hayford

"To You, Today, A Savior..."

May we be as open to God, a window to let in his light.

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