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Christians believe that God came to earth in human form in the person of Jesus. During Advent we wait for the coming of the Lord.
Today’s message is about how God chose a “scandalous” situation and way to come into this world. And through this message I will discuss what the true message and meaning of Christmas is that today’s passage reveals.
In our world today, we love to celebrate grand births. The Royal prince and princess having a child is great news and widely discussed in the media. Famous celebrities having children is big news. What they will name their child is big news.
For many other powerful families, the birth of children is seen as hope for a continuation of that family’s legacy and power. We can imagine a life of great expectation and destiny for many of these children who are born into power and privilege. In today’s day and age, it almost seems like you have to be born into the right family and circumstance to have a decent shot at life. The American Dream that anyone can make it with simple hard work is being more and more exposed as a myth. The recent election in the US is a protest against this sense of disadvantage that those who are not born with privilege have. The evidence shows that upward mobility is much more difficult for those whose families don’t have the right background, financial resources and connections.
Those of us who start families of our own want to do everything in our power to provide the best privilege and resources for our children. Your parents have sacrificed a lot and would do anything to give you the best chances in life. I know that I too feel that pressure now that I have a child of my own.
But the situation changes drastically when we examine the origins of Jesus. According to Matthew, Jesus came not in glory and splendor, nor from a grand and prestigious lineage. No, he arrived amidst a great and potential scandal.
Let’s examine verse 18:
- “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way” – ok, this is the setup, the author is telling us that something important is about to take place
- “When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
Do you know what this means? “Before they lived together” basically means before they had sex. So before Mary and Joseph had any intimate relations, Mary was found to be pregnant. What is the only logical conclusion? Mary had slept with another man and become pregnant! Oh my, what a scandal!
In those days, society was very patriarchal and male-dominated. It was quite unfair, frankly. Women bore the punishment for such “sins”. Joseph could have reported her and had her punished or even killed.
But we also see that Joseph was a good man. He was not going to subject Mary to such disgrace, but was planning to dismiss her quietly. He was obviously not going ahead with the marriage. But then, before he could do so, the angel of the Lord appears in a dream and tells Joseph: “Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child is conceived with the Holy Spirit.”
Wow. What a leap of faith Joseph is being asked to take! And let’s hold on for a second: the angel is saying what? That this baby is conceived by the Holy Spirit?
Joseph would never have imagined that God’s plan was to use this baby to save his people from their sins. On the surface, just looking at the facts, the only logical explanation for Mary’s pregnancy was that she had been unfaithful – what other explanation would make sense? Yet Joseph is asked to have faith in a different vision and plan that God had. And Joseph trusted God.
When I reflect on this story, I think wow: how present God is in any situation. But more than that, when I think about the Bible as a whole, it seems like God is more present in the humble and difficult circumstances of life, rather than in glorious situations. This was definitely a difficult circumstance for Mary and Joseph, but this is where God chose to reveal Himself. Why is this the case?
Maybe it’s because we’re more receptive to God’s leading when times are difficult? Maybe because in these times we know that our own strength and ability is limited? Perhaps we are more open to God when we are vulnerable? That reminds me of Jesus’ sermon on the mount: “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of God”. Maybe what’s really required of us is humble faith: trust and obedience in God’s leading.
In my own life, there were many moments when I felt lost and unsure of myself and life. I was wandering for a long time, unsure of where my direction lay. I had tried so long and so hard to do things my way, to carve my own path, create my destiny. On the surface, things looked great. I had done all the “right things” I was supposed to do. I had used my own strength, my own smarts, and took great pride in that. But that pride is what had prevented me from seeing God’s will and God’s plan. Pride blinded me from seeing God.
I had to be broken of that pride. I had to learn to trust God and wait – that God would make a way for me. In these darkest moments, I had to simply listen and wait, and wait for a very long time. It was very difficult, but that is what I learned – that we have to wait for God in difficult moments.
“Do not be afraid”. Those are the words of God for us today. This is the grace of God: God has plans for us that we cannot see – until and unless we listen closely. This listening closely comes as we pray and deepen our relationship with God.
God chose a scandalous situation to bring forth a saviour that would bring hope to the world. If we faithfully listen and wait on God, God will use our scandalous and difficult situations to make a way that only God knows. In difficult moments, in hopeless situations, remember this message: God will make a way. And often, this way will be a way that we could have never imagined on our own. That is the wonderful power and mystery of our God. That is the true message of Christmas.
Merry Christmas, and may God make a way for you where there seems to be no way.
https://youtu.be/aRXt5OjIe5E
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