Luke 2:1-20
In those days a
decree went out from Caesar
Augustus that all the world should be registered. This
was the first registration
when Quirinius was
governor of Syria. And all went to be
registered, each to his own town. And Joseph also went
up from Galilee, from
the town of Nazareth,
to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because
he was of the house and lineage of David, to be registered with
Mary, his betrothed, who
was with child. And while
they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And
she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped
him in swaddling cloths and laid
him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the
inn.
And in the same
region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by
night. And an angel of the
Lord appeared
to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with
great fear. And
the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great
joy that will be for all the
people. For unto
you is born this day in the
city of David a
Savior, who is Christ the
Lord. And this
will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped
in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there
was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in
the highest, and
on earth peace among
those with whom he is pleased!”
When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds
said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has
happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with
haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying
in a manger. And when they saw it,
they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it
wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary
treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds
returned, glorifying
and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
When I was a child, I used to lay on my
stomach on the floor in front of our Christmas tree, my chin resting on my
hands. I would lay there just gazing at
our little nativity scene that my mother always placed in the front…with gifts
piled beside and behind it. I would look
at each tiny figure and imagine what was happening there, the day Jesus was
born – what each person was thinking, feeling, or saying. I wondered what it was like to be spoken to
by an angel.
Now, as a mother, I wonder what thoughts
might have gone through Mary’s mind as she held her precious firstborn
son. The one promised by an angel’s
visit, conceived in a miraculous moment, carried all those months and finally
born in humble surroundings with her husband-to- be as her birth
attendant. When I held my first son, I
remember feeling so awed by his tiny features, his soft skin, his fine hair and minuscule fingernails. I am sure Mary
felt much the same when she looked at Jesus…and yet, knowing how he came to be
her child…could she have even imagined what He would become to the world?
A tiny little
fist grasps onto her finger...four miniature fingers and a thumb wrapping round
with a tight grip...holding on. That hand will grow in size, in strength,
in power, in might...as the One who came as a babe shares the love, joy, peace and
hope of his Father in heaven. We know
only bits and pieces of Jesus’ childhood, but we can imagine that Mary went
through many of the same worries, struggles and fears as many parents go
through now. Yet, I have always hoped
she had an extra measure of strength and grace given to her by God over the
years. I imagine she never forgot the
feeling of that tiny hand holding on to hers.
That hand now holds you in a grip of grace that imparts strength and peace, as well. When worries come, when illness strikes, when bodies fail us, when circumstances are overwhelming and we feel we can’t hold on any longer….we need only remember that the hand of Jesus is always holding onto us. We are ever in his grip. (Isaiah 41:13) “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”
Merry Christmas to you. May the greatest gift you unwrap this season be the one that opens your heart and mind to the wonders of faith in the One God who loves you more than you could ever imagine.
For God so loved
the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
