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| I didn't know Jesus was born the proportional size of a two year old... |
If you take a look at the two biblical accounts that we have of Jesus birth (found in both Matthew 1:18-2:23 and Luke 1:1-2:20), you can see that in a lot of ways our timeline is all screwed up anyway. Matthew only talks about Jesus birth in the before and after, as in the announcement from the angel to both Mary and Joseph and the visit of the Wise Guys almost 2 years after Jesus was actually born (read the context!). Luke focuses on John the Baptist preceding Jesus and then zeros in on the actual events immediately surrounding Jesus birth, including the catalyst for Mary and Joseph being in Bethlehem, that is Caesar's census.
Did we miss something here?
The point of all that is to say that, in many ways, we have
romanticized the Nativity (if you don't believe me watch the movie) so much that we tend to lose the flavor that
God had originally intended us to have.
We have made Christmas into this nice holiday that we can bring out of
the attic along with all of our Christmas decorations, and when we are done
with it, we place it back in the box with the rest of the decorations, never to
be thought of until the next year when we do it all over again.
The truth is Jesus birth, like so many things in Scripture, was not as
neat and put together, maybe not even as beautiful, as we like to think. Just think about who was there: Joseph and
Mary, who had just finished traveling a great distance and had nowhere to clean
themselves up before they are thrust into labor next to the family donkey. Then there are the shepherds, who let’s face
it, are not exactly in the most refined class of people (and who, because they
spend all their time with them sheep, smell like…sheep). And let’s not forget the animals that would
have been around (presumably the donkey Mary rode in on, maybe a cow or pig or whatever), who tend to make quite a mess when left to their own devices.
So if anything, the most certain thing we can say about the night that
Jesus was born was that it was, if nothing else, smelly. Smelly and Messy. That’s right.
The most important event in all of history was probably very, very
smelly and very, very messy. I mean seriously, Jesus was even laid in a FEEDING TROUGH!
The funny thing about that is, when I think of it in those terms, suddenly the night comes alive, and Jesus seems to be very, very real. And though it might not appear so, in that less-than-kosher environment, we find an ordinary day that has become something else entirely: a holy day.
The funny thing about that is, when I think of it in those terms, suddenly the night comes alive, and Jesus seems to be very, very real. And though it might not appear so, in that less-than-kosher environment, we find an ordinary day that has become something else entirely: a holy day.
We have to choose to make
Christmas a Holy Day, rather than a holiday
Often we allow our preconceived notions (our traditions, our personal
preferences, etc.) to color how we see Christmas. When we do that, we take Christmas, a holy
day, and turn it into simply a holiday.
What happens is that we take this major event in history and direct the
value of it towards ourselves. We get
wrapped up in presents, Christmas lights, family traditions, and suddenly we
miss what Christmas is really about. We
turn a Holy Day into just another holiday.
We miss the opportunity to reflect on the wonder and mystery of what God
did in Christmas: that he humbled himself and made himself vulnerable by being
born in the filthiest, poorest, and most ridiculous situation imaginable.
So this is the crux of the lessons for the month of December. Will you make Christmas a holy day, or will
you let it pass you by as just one more day in the holidays?
Let’s be like the shepherds
So the logical question is: How exactly do we make Christmas a holy
day? I am certainly not suggesting that
we get rid of our traditions and our decorations and stop listening to
Christmas music so that we can focus on Christmas as it is meant to be. But I think that what we need to do is take
time and give space for Jesus to make himself present in the midst of the
festivities as he did on that night over 2000 years ago.
Consider the shepherds. Luke
says they were “living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their
flocks at night.” The
shepherds were in the perfect situation for God to speak to them: they were
watching and waiting in the dead of night.
Maybe this is what we need more of.
In the midst of a busy holiday season, maybe what we need to do is to
take time out of our schedule to simply be together as families, as people of
God, as Christians, to simply and quietly make space for Christ to show up in
Christmas. Everything happens so fast
these days that it truly is easy to miss what God is doing, but when we quiet our hearts and open our eyes,
God will surely show up.
So here are some suggestions of
ways you and your family might make space for God to show up in the midst of
your lives and your traditions this Christmas:
1. Take some time to talk about your family
traditions together
Sometimes
it’s good to reflect on why it is you do certain things certain ways. Set aside time to talk to people in your family about
what they like and what they don’t like about your Christmas traditions. Give them the space to share and listen to
what they have to say and you all may really begin to take ownership of your
traditions. Who knows, maybe someone will
even have a few good suggestions of their own for things you might do together
as a family.
2. Read the Christmas story together (Matthew
1:18-2:23 and Luke 1:26-2:20)
It
is amazing how quickly the Christmas season can go by without even thinking
about Jesus and what it means that he came to be born among people like
us. Take an opportunity on Christmas Eve
or before that to read through the both versions of the story and discuss
them. Ask each other what you liked about
the story, what you did not like, and what things you don’t understand. A unique way to do this may be to
pick one word, phrase, or idea that stands out or connects with you and why it does that. It may feel corny
or awkward, but I can almost guarantee that you will be surprised at the things
others can pick up on or have good questions that get you thinking about it.
3. Take an opportunity to serve others
together with your family
Around
this time of the year there are so many service opportunities out there and so
many places and people that need help. If you can
find time, even just a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, get
connected with a food bank, soup kitchen, or even a Salvation Army to
help those less fortunate than you this year.
This can be a really humbling and eye opening experience for you and your loved ones. You may have never seen
someone truly in need, and it can be a great place to open up a conversation with others about God’s love for everyone.
4. Celebrate Christmas in one of your church's Christmas Eve services
I
have not been to the Christmas Eve services here at Zion yet, but I have heard that each of the services here on
Christmas Eve (6:00, 8:00, and 11:00 PM) has its own flavor and emphasis. If your church has different services that are different, but you have been attending the 6:00 PM
service for 10 years, switch it up with a visit to the 8:00 or 11:00 PM. At the very least, take the opportunity to talk about the service with others, and not just to comment on how nice the sermon was or how pretty the candles were. Really talk about: the wonder and beauty of Immanuel, God with us.
I hope and pray for you this Christmas season that you will take every
opportunity to reflect on the beauty of God becoming flesh and dwelling here
among us that we might have the hope of salvation in Him.
Until next time,
Kevin
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