Praying To Understand More The Gift of Christ on Christmas

The Day After Christmas

Well, here we are post Christmas.  Most of the “hoopla” of the season is behind us.  Lights are still up and there are probably still some leftovers in the fridge but we move along now don’t we.

I wonder what Mary and Joseph felt as the day of Jesus’ birth and all the difficulties and inconveniences of that slipped into the background.  I’m assuming they found some place to stay that was better quality than a stable.  All the bits and pieces they needed to care for a baby were either unpacked from whatever they brought with them from Nazareth or obtained at a shop somewhere.  Now they looked down on this little one – often sleeping, sometimes crying because he was hungry, just a baby.

They both knew that this baby was a miracle that had not involved sexual relations between the two of them.  The images of the visitations from the angels to each of them surely was going through their minds.  They’d had the visit of the shepherds and their story of how angels had appeared to them and told them that this was the Christ child everyone had been waiting for.  Now what?  What does life look like going forward? 

Maybe there was less time for those kinds of “bigger thoughts” with all of the things that are required in the care of a brand new baby, who knows. 

We’re all pretty familiar with the Christmas song, “Mary Did You Know” as the writer of the song tries to guess what Mary’s perspective might have been. 

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy who’s come to make you new?

This child that you delivered, will soon deliver you

And so on

A number of years ago a musical artist, Michael Card wrote a similar song from Joseph’s perspective:

How could it be this baby in my arms sleeping now, so peacefully, the Son of God, the angel said. How could it be?

Lord I know He's not my own, not of my flesh, not of my bone.  Still Father let this baby be he son of my love

Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours.  How can a man be father to the Son of God?  Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter.  How can I raise a king, How can I raise a king

He looks so small. His face and hands so fair, And when He cries the sun just seems to disappear. But when He laughs it shines again, How could it be?  How could it be, this baby in my arms, sleeping now, so peacefully  The Son of God, the angel said.  How could it be?

That’s our prayer today, I think as we respond to the amazing story of Jesus birth.

Lord, how could it be, that You the King of Kings and Lord of Lords could be born as a baby and do it all for us?  We’re amazed.  We don’t really understand all that well just how incredible these events were.  And yet something inside us is touched by the personal nature of who you are and what You’ve done on our behalf. 

You are the God who has come close.  You are the God is makes Yourself available to us – not in big and scary ways, but in tender vulnerable ones as You come to us and invite us to love you in response to Your love to us.

How could it be? And yet in gratitude and wonder we want to open our lives, our hearts, our worlds to you as we move forward one day at a time.  As Mary and Joseph watched baby Jesus and marveled at changes and growth, cries and first words and first steps, so may we walk with You and watch with You and pay attention to every nuance of what You are trying to show us and say to us. 

You are Immanuel, God who is with us, and we are glad.  Amen