I think it is difficult to re-read the Christmas story without bringing our own history to Bethlehem with us. By this I mean that we all have some experience with Christmas - traditions, memories, songs, family, etc. All of these things color the nativity in ways we may not even realize.
One of our assumptions may be that Mary really had it all together.
She was the faithful one that responds to the angel Gabriel's announcement of her impending pregnancy: "let it be with me according to your word." (Luke 1:38b, NRSV)
She would have heard of her husband Joseph's dream concerning her child - we are assuming that he told her of it and his confidence in the strange situation.
But even the most prominent of religious experiences have a way of fading. We may doubt that we had them at all.
They may seem more to us a "fragment of underdone potato" to quote Charles Dickens than an actual encounter with the divine.
Is it possible that Mary had her own doubts about the parentage of Jesus at times?
I think that with her being human, the answer would certainly be "Yes!" This doesn't mean she wasn't faithful or didn't also have times of great assurance. It simply means that the religious experience is not part of our everyday life. It is difficult to categorize and easier to explain away.
So when the shepherds came and related to her about what the angels had said about her baby, Luke says that she was amazed. At first glance, we might think, "Well, shouldn't she have expected this?"
But she treasured their words and pondered them in her heart.
It is nice - even for the mother of the Lord - to have confirmation of what she knew to be true.
Their story validated her understanding of who Jesus was for her. You can almost hear her whisper, "So it is true."
I'll be preaching on this passage at Christmas Eve. There are lots of opportunities to celebrate with us. I'll share the story at 4 pm (family friendly service), 7 pm and 11 pm while Trey will be preaching at Guthrie at 6:30 pm and in Wesley Hall in Edmond at 9 pm. While we can't leave our assumptions completely behind as we come, I would invite you to see the story with new eyes once more.
As we share in the carols and fill our space with candlelight, may it confirm Christmas once again for you! And as you leave the church to go home, my hope is that you'll treasure the Christmas story and ponder it in your heart!
In Christ,
Sam
No comments:
Post a Comment