Christmas Reflection

A few days ago I made the treacherous trip into a local shopping mall to do some gift shopping. (Now Louise and I typically look at alternative gifts from organizations like UNICEF, or World Vision – like water purification tablets, HIV test kits or polio vaccinations for 228 children - if you are looking to buy a gift for somebody this Christmas then you really ought to consider an alternative gift.) Well, I entered the mall and I was just overcome by a flurry of activity, a dizzying amount of deals and cacophony of noise – crying children, short-tempered parents, stalls selling me meat and cheese, stalls claiming the world’s comfiest pillow, the latest wii, stores offering me to pay nothing until 2014. I felt totally debilitated – totally drained. I’ve known for years that Christmas appears to start early out here in North America – as soon as Thanksgiving is over, the stores have the Christmas trees up, lights are on, the eggnog lattes are back at Starbucks. Is this what Christmas has come to? The material. More stuff? Or is there something more mysterious, more wonderful and hopeful about Christmas that we are missing out on? Are we missing out on a gift that is so rich you cannot put any kind of monetary value to?

Many of us have experienced the joy of the birth of our own children, or the addition of a new member to our wider family, or celebrated in the birth of a child from one of our friends. Well here, into a town called Bethlehem, Jesus, God’s son was born. The birth of Jesus, the one who at the beginning of the universe spoke it into being giving light and from, is now clothed in flesh. Nestled closely to the body of his young teenage Mother, wrapping his tiny hand around the finger of his father Joseph. Here we encounter Jesus. When we think of Jesus we can often just relate to him as an adult in his ministry as a 30yr old man. But here at this most sacred of moments, we encounter an entirely different Jesus. Frail, helpless, asleep in some borrowed shelter. Here the light of the world, the prince of peace, God with us, lies – wrapped in swaddling clothes, born into a manger – no fixed abode, a refugee. God’s gift to us – his Son, and the hope and freedom and forgiveness that he brings. For years there had been expectation of the Messiah. Some were expecting the arrival of a mighty king to overthrow the Romans, to raise up the people of Israel – a king of might and of power. However as God does throughout Scripture, God turns that expectation upside down and inside out.

This single event in all of human history is absolutely remarkable. This single event in history has charted the universe, this cosmos, this world and our lives onto a totally new direction.

On the very same night that Christ was born a group of shepherds were going about their business when suddenly, the angel of the Lord appeared to them. “Behold I bring you good news.” From that moment their lives were never the same again.

 ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

 ¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Often at Christmas, in preparation for the big Christmas day when we may be welcoming family or friends from near and far there is so much activity around the house – vacuuming, polishing, tidying the kids room, dusting off the shelves, the list could go on and on and on. We do this so that the day is special – will go off without a hitch.

Not so for the Shepherds. There was no opportunity to ensure that their lives were in order. No opportunity to look out their best clothes. Suddenly, unexpectedly into their mundane 9-5 their lives are forever changed. In the quiet of the field, looking out toward a star filled sky, they are greeted by a company of angels, and serenaded by a heavenly song.

What is interesting to note is to whom God chose to announce the news to. He didn’t choose the rich and the powerful, those who were well connected with the hoi polloi of society, the lawyers, doctors, professionals. God chose shepherds. Shepherds who at this time of history were the lowliest of the low. They were despised – poor. Their word could not be trusted – they were a people group given into lies and deceit. In fact it is said that even if a shepherd were to witness a crime their word could not be used in court. Just like Jesus later in his ministry used a motley bunch of individuals to be his disciples – God has a habit of turning up to ordinary individuals – like you and I.

The poor, the destitute, the needy, those whom we mistrust unsure of their motives, the broken, the needy, those who are in sorrow and in need of hope – it is to you and I the gift of Jesus comes this Christmas. No need to prepare yourself for the Prince of Peace. He comes to you just as you are. The Shepherds, the lowliest of society were entrusted to glorify, to bow down and spread the wonderful and amazing good news.

Are you in a place of being cynical this Christmas. Have you heard this all before. Are you sick of the materialism? Do you find this time of year hard? Is this your first Christmas without a loved one? Is this time of year painful? Is your heart burdened with the uncertainty of what tomorrow will bring?

Jesus comes to you.

 Perhaps we need a fresh encounter of this baby Jesus again? Perhaps we need to kneel down before the manger once more and experience this wonderful Christmas gift again. Perhaps we need to be surprised by God this Christmas.

Wherever you are on your journey this Christmas, whether you believe in the story or not may you know peace and joy, and may you be filled with a heart willing to reach out to the poor and needy.

Merry Christmas

Phil