Christmas
When the angel came in unto Mary, she was
troubled: she thought that something was wrong. And why shouldn’t she? Who has
ever seen an angel? Not many. In all the history of the world, not many. And
who has ever heard an angel speak? Only few. And why should this humble maiden
in her little dark-corner room in the little-known northern town of Nazareth be
one of them? Does it not seem as though something is out of place here? As
though something is not right? So Mary was troubled. She thought something was
wrong.
But the angel said unto her, Fear not. As
if to say, No, Mary, nothing is wrong. Everything is right. Nothing is
darkness. Everything is light.
For you shall conceive in your womb and
bear a son, and shall his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called
the Son of the Most High. What seems to you to be so troubling and what is actually
the case are not the same thing. Do not be deceived. You are troubled, but you
should not be troubled. Fear not, Mary.
When Mary and Joseph then came to
Bethlehem and found no room in the inn, and were therefore constrained to
choose a rude stall for the birth of her son, they were both likely very
troubled: they likely thought that something was terribly wrong. And why
shouldn’t they think that? The decree from Caesar Augustus came at the worst
possible time for them, when she was due to deliver her Child, and was in no
condition to travel down to Bethlehem. And when they arrived, they found that
there was no room for them in the inn, no doubt because there were many that
were of the house and lineage of David who also had to come to Bethlehem. The village
and its one-horse inn would not be sufficient to handle so many visitors, to
say nothing of an expectant mother about to be delivered of her child. So it
was on that dark and frantic night, that everything seemed so very wrong.
But no, Mary and Joseph, the truth is that
nothing is wrong. Everything is right. Nothing is darkness. Everything is
light.
For this is the story of your salvation,
and of the salvation of all the world. So it was that Mary gave birth to her
firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger.
What seems to be an occasion so worthy of dread and foreboding is actually an
occasion for the welling up of abiding and eternal joy. O Mary! O Joseph! If
you are troubled this night, your fears are unfounded. For God is with you.
Immanuel has come. And he has come in
exactly the way he meant to come, shrouded in humility and meekness, so that he
might share with us in all our troubles and turn them all for good. Do not be
deceived about this. Fear not, Mary and Joseph.
When the shepherds saw the angel of the
Lord come upon them, and the glory of the Lord shining round about them, they
were sore afraid: they, too, thought that something was wrong. For in this
case, it was not only the appearance of an angel that was startling, but the
glory of the Lord God Almighty shining round about them. Who ever sees such
things? They were sore afraid! Who wouldn’t be? But the angel said unto them,
Fear not. For behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all
people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David a savior, which is
Christ the Lord.
As if to say, No, dear shepherds, nothing
is wrong. Everything is right. Nothing is darkness. Everything is light.
For the glory of the Lord is revealed this
day for you, for your salvation and rescue. Today is not a day to be afraid,
but a day to rejoice. You, simple and ordinary shepherds, who might be able to
defend your sheep against natural predators, but who have no means of defense
against the glory of God, need not, nevertheless, be afraid: do not be deceived
by what see here, for this angel comes not to condemn or punish, but with good
news, tremendous news, overwhelmingly marvelous news: your Savior has arrived,
your Defender and Shield, your Rock and your Buckler, and the Horn of your
salvation. God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay! Fear not, good
shepherds!
When those shepherds then heard and saw a
multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men, they were likely even more troubled,
confused, and still at least somewhat afraid, notwithstanding the angel’s
comforting reassurance that they need not fear. They, seeing this countryside
of heavenly troops all ready for battle—for that is what a host is--they likely thought that something was dreadfully wrong.
Who sees such things? Who is witness to such majesty? Who can abide the day of
his coming? For he is like a refiner’s fire, and like fuller’s soap. Our God is
a consuming fire. And here, before these poor simple shepherds was a multitude
of the heavenly army of angels, all standing before them.
But the angels’ words to them were as if
to say unto them, No, dear shepherds, nothing is wrong. Everything is right.
Nothing is darkness. Everything is light.
For the meaning of this Child’s birth to
you, o shepherds, is this: the highest and greatest glory of God is his coming,
here and now, to rescue his poor people from sin, death, and hell. There is no
enmity between God and man today, there is no need for these heavenly soldiers
to fight (and who could stand a chance to survive against them?); the heavenly
armies are not here to make war today, but to announce peace! Peace! Good will
toward men! Be not deceived! Heaven does not fight you today! Heaven embraces
you!
So therefore, dearly beloved in the
Christ-Child, whenever you are troubled, whenever there is sorrow, or darkness,
or fretting, or dread, or worry, or regret, or the weight of sin and guilt, or
the awareness of mortality, or the approach of death, or whatever may becloud
your mind: whenever you are troubled, you will also think that something is
wrong. And why shouldn’t you? You can surely recite all the things in your life
that you could wish otherwise, the things that are and that should not be, the
things that for so many people can so easily be said to bring to ruin this time
of year—Christmas—that is supposed to be so happy. Should you not be troubled?
But the angel says also unto you, this
day: Fear not. As if to say, No, my dear ones, nothing is wrong. Everything is
right. Nothing is darkness. Everything is light.
For unto you is born this day in the city
of David a Savior which is Christ the Lord. Behold this tiny Child. Consider the
manner of his coming: as a newborn infant, so very small, who today has such
tiny hands and feet, who today requires the bosom of his mother for comfort,
and the swaddling of her wrap for warmth. Consider this wondrous coming: it seemed
at first to be so full of fear and foreboding for his mother, for Joseph, and
for the shepherds, but it was—o joy!—nothing of the kind. For how can such a
tiny child be frightening to anyone? See him in the manger, beloved: see, there is nothing to fear here.
For the people of the Gospel this was a
time to rejoice and be exceeding glad. So learn from this today, his dear
children: learn to lay aside your fears, and your dread, and your worry, and
even your sorrow and regret. Learn from this not to trust what you sense, or
fear, or dread. Do not let the devil’s tricks deceive you into worry, that
would rob you of rejoicing and gladness. Whoever you are, whatever your
circumstances, your Christmas has not been ruined. Your Christmas cannot be ruined, not now, not ever.
For nothing is wrong. Everything is right.
Nothing is darkness. Everything is light. For Christ, the Savior of the world,
is born for you this night.