First Reading Micah 5:2-5a
2But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days. 3Therefore he shall give themup until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest ofhis brothers shall return to the people of Israel. 4And he shall stand andshepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name ofthe Lord his God. And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to theends of the earth. 5Andhe shall be their peace.
Psalm Psalm 80:1-7
1Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim. 2In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your strength and come to help us. 3Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved. 4O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angered despite the prayers of your people? 5You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have given them bowls of tears to drink. 6You have made us the derision of our neighbors, and our enemies laugh us to scorn. 7Restore us, O God of hosts; show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Second Reading Hebrews 10:5-10
5Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 6in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” 8When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), 9then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. 10And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Gospel Luke 1:39-56
39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” 46And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. 50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” 56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.
A DIFFICULT BUT JOYOUS JOURNEY
I read a story the other day about a man who decided to send out 600 Christmas cards to total strangers. He looked up names and addresses in online telephone directories from several cities, addressed 600 cards to people he had never met, put his return address on the envelopes and mailed them. Amazingly, he received 117 responses from these total strangers. One lady wrote, “It was so good to hear from you. Your card arrived the day I got home from the hospital, and I can’t tell you what an encouragement it was to hear from an old friend.”
Another wrote, “I have to admit that when we received your card, we couldn’t really picture you. We had to think hard for a long time before we remembered. By the way, please give our regards to your father. He is such a wonderful man!” But I think this one took the cake. One guy wrote, “It was so good to hear from you after all these years. By the way, we’re going to be in Salt Lake City next summer. Would it be all right if we came and spent a few days with you?” I’m sure the guy didn’t see that one coming! Maybe it isn’t such a good idea to send Christmas cards to people you don’t know.
This got me to thinking; how did Mary, the mother of Jesus, notified her cousin Elizabeth that she was coming for a visit. After all, Mary lived in Nazareth, a town west of the Sea of Galilee. Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judah between 80 and 100 miles away. Obviously, Mary didn’t call her cell phone, so how did she send word she was on her way? Luke doesn’t even mention whether Mary made any preparations for the trip or how she traveled; did she go on foot or as part of a caravan. This was about the only two ways a person could travel in Biblical times.
In Mary’s day, a person traveling by foot could cover about 20 miles per day. If Mary walked to Elizabeth’s home, it would have taken her four to five days. If she accompanied a caravan, she would have arrived in about three days. Still, it was quite a journey, and the circumstances were quite unique. Listen again as Luke begins his story: “At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth.” For a moment I want to consider these first three words, “at that time”.
Luke isn’t clear about why he phrased the account this way, but a casual reading of the entire chapter would suggest that she made this journey very soon after Gabriel’s announcement to her that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her and that the child whom she would bear would be called the Son of God. I’m certain that a visit by God’s messenger and the fact that she, a virgin, was pregnant with the promised Messiah was a bit overwhelming. And since Joseph himself had quite a bit to take in, I’m sure he was more than willing to allow Mary to travel to see her older and wiser cousin. Of course, Elizabeth had her own interesting situation going on.
Elizabeth, who was married to Zechariah, a priest, was way past the normal age of child-bearing, and yet she, too, was carrying a very special child–a child who also would become known throughout the region. He would be named John, but he would later come to be known as John the Baptist. It was quite a distance from Mary’s home to that of Elizabeth and Zechariah which gave Mary plenty of time on the trip, to ponder the wonder of what was happening to her. Surely, she knew that angels don’t appear to every girl–particularly to tell them that they would become pregnant by the Holy Spirit. What was happening to her . . . and what did it all mean? When she arrived at the home of Elizabeth, it must have been a joy filled scene as these two cousins, so very different in age, greeted one another.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, Luke says, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary answered Elizabeth with a song: “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me–holy is his name . . .”
You have to wonder what went through Mary’s head as she made her way to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s home in the hill country? For that matter, what were the thoughts that went through her mind later when the shepherds left to go back to their flocks after that holy night in Bethlehem? After all, we read in Luke 2:19, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Still later what were her thoughts as she watched her boy grow? Luke tells us again in the 51st verse of the 2nd chapter, “She treasured these things in her heart.” Even more important, what were her thoughts when she saw her boy suffer and die for the sins of the world? What were the thoughts that went through Mary’s head as the mother of the Christ child?
Perhaps she thought, first of all, that life certainly has some strange twists and turns. The announcement by the angel that she would bear God’s son was literally right out of the blue. Probably just as well. How could any woman ever prepare yourself for such an event? Never again would her life be the same. Of course, that’s true of all new parents. A child has a way of changing your life forever.
Mary’s life was certainly changed. Right from the very beginning of her life as a new mother, her life had twists and turns. The story of the pilgrimage to Bethlehem is an enchanting one. We pass over it so quickly as we tell the Christmas story. We read in Luke 2: “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And everyone went to their own town to register.
“So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. . .” (Luke 2:1-7)
Mary should have known then that her life would be no picnic. I’m sure many of our mothers here today could tell of the experiences surrounding the birth of a child. Even with all the modern advances in medical technology, there’s that element of suspense at the actual time of arrival. But few mothers today have to spend the last few days of pregnancy on the back of a donkey. Most, if not all, of our moms have done better than a stable and the odors of cattle and sheep in the birthplace. Mary should have had an omen at Jesus’ birth that life wouldn’t be easy. Besides, this wouldn’t be her last journey under adverse circumstances.
In Matthew’s account of the first months of Mary, Joseph and the new babe it contains the account of them being forced to flee to Egypt to escape the wrath of Herod. So once again Mary and Joseph were on the move–fleeing to protect the life of their son. Martin Luther, in commenting on the flight to Egypt remarks, “The artists give her a donkey. The gospels do not.” Probably, Mary trudged over the hills in winter on foot, nursing her precious child and leaning on her beloved Joseph for support. It wasn’t until after Herod’s death that the young family was able to return to their home in Nazareth. In a world filled with refugees, it’s important to note that our Lord was at one time a refugee Himself. The next dozen or so years in Mary’s life were doubtless good ones. We know that Jesus had other brothers and sisters (Matthew 13:55–56). As far as we know, Mary and Joseph were never prosperous, but they were able to provide for their oldest son, Jesus, as He turned into a fine young man, growing in stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).
But then, according to tradition, something happened to Joseph. Again, we’re not certain what, tradition is a bit sketchy. Joseph is never mentioned again in the Gospels. Life was even more uncertain after that. In the harsh way that life deals with many people, Mary probably found herself left a young widow. As the oldest son, Jesus would take Joseph’s place in the carpenter’s shop–a role He would fill until about his 30th birthday when He was baptized by John and began His ministry.
Joseph’s loss wouldn’t be the last for Mary, of course. She endured the most grievous blow that can befall a mother–she watched her beloved oldest son die as a common criminal on the cross of Calvary. Can you imagine the hurt and pain as she watched His unmercifully cruel death by crucifixion? Even there, Jesus was thinking of her. John writes in his Gospel, “Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-27). Doubtless, Mary would gladly have taken her son’s place on the cross of Calvary just as He took ours.
Yes, life took some strange twists and turns for the mother of our Lord–just like it does in many people’s lives. Many folks have a difficult time coping with life precisely because we think life ought to be smooth and predictable and when it’s not, they have difficulty coping. Yet, in the providence of God, sometimes we discover we have our most reliable times of growth when life is challenging. People who cope successfully with life are those who understand the importance of discipline and self-denial, who realize that life is a training school, that happiness isn’t a permanent state, but an elusive quality best achieved in search of something higher.
Yes, life can have some strange twists and turns. But we need to keep in mind that some of our difficult times are designed to strengthen us spiritually. Consider the rash of suicides and drug-related deaths among the children of some of America’s best-known celebrities. “But we gave them everything,” a distraught parent moans. That’s it. When life is too easy, we don’t learn the necessary skills to cope.
Mary may have wondered about the twist and turns of her life, but I’m sure she also pondered God’s faithfulness and how He always keeps His promises. Note how Mary responds to her situation in our gospel reading. First of all, she was overwhelmed that the God of all creation could have chosen her for the high honor of bearing His Son. In her words, “He has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.” In Mary’s mind only a kind and gracious God would bypass the wealthy and powerful of this world to have a peasant girl bear His Messiah. You and I don’t fall into God’s plan in quite the same way that Mary did, and yet each of us knows what it is to be humbled by God’s concern for us. We don’t deserve such providential care. After all, who are we that the God of galaxies and mega-galaxies should be aware of our needs? And yet, with a deep awareness of our gratitude, we teach our children to bow their heads and pray, “God is great, God is good.”
God is indeed good. Not only because He chose the lowly maiden of Nazareth, not only because He’s aware of our needs, but because He keeps His promises. That’s a major part of this great miracle in Mary’s eyes. The coming of the Messiah was the fulfillment of a long-awaited promise. And there might be one more thing the blessed Virgin pondered as she made her way to seek counsel from her older cousin Elizabeth. That was the love she felt in her heart–love for her unborn son, love for her cousin Elizabeth and love for the God who had selected her for this special assignment.
Mary’s story is the oldest and most intimate story of all. It’s a story that’s been duplicated millions of times throughout history. It’s the story of a mother’s love for her child. Even when He was a grown man with a ministry she could only barely comprehend, He was still first and foremost her son. Mary’s love for Jesus, however, is but a pale reflection of God’s love for all His children. That’s why the star shines above the Christmas tree. It’s the star of hope, it’s the star of peace, it’s the star of joy, but most surely of all, it’s the star of love.
There’s a beautiful and true Christmas story that appeared years ago in the Denver Post. A week or so before Christmas, a pastor told his congregation about a needy family who was facing a very bleak Christmas. One young father decided to do something about that. He and his son set out in the family pickup truck to cut down a fresh evergreen and deliver it to this destitute family. On the way they ran into a rock slide and a boulder hit the truck. There was quite a bit of damaged.
The windshield was smashed and while the father wasn’t hurt, the young boy was cut by the glass and was bleeding severely. They tried to wave down a passing motorist to help, but to no avail. Finally, after more than two hundred cars had whizzed by, one stopped. The couple in the car took care of the injured boy, returned the two of them to their home, and then went on. The father and son never got the names of their two ministering angels.
A week later the truck was repaired, and the boy was on the mend. On Christmas Eve, the pastor asked this same man if he would deliver a basket of food and toys to the needy family he had set out to bring the tree to earlier on. He said he would be glad to. They loaded up the truck and drove to the address they were given and rang the doorbell. Who should answer the door but the humble couple who had stopped to help him on the highway just weeks before?
Life doesn’t always work out that neatly, of course, but Christmas is all about hope and love. I don’t know what kind of holiday season this has been for you thus far. My prayer is that it’s turning out to be the best one ever. Perhaps, however, there’s been challenges. If so, remember these lessons from Mary’s experience: Life can take some strange twists and turns but God is faithful to His promises. That God loves each and every one of us and God will never leave us nor forsake us. And this is the reason the star of Christmas is still shining today.
Amen 3.7
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.