December 24, 2005

An Unbelievable Story

Isaiah 9:2-7
John 1:1-14
Luke 2:1-20

When you stop to think about it, Luke's description of the birth of Jesus is a pretty unbelievable story, isn't it? Visitations from angels; the virgin birth itself; wise men following a star (this part is mentioned in Matthew's Gospel); and of course, the coming of God in human form - all quite incredible!

What I'd like to do tonight is briefly look at a few other unbelievable elements in this familiar story, and see what they might mean for us as we struggle to find meaning in our own lives. First, why Bethlehem? If you or I were producing the nativity story and were trying to present it in a believable way, we wouldn't pick Bethlehem for the setting, would we? Of course not! Bethlehem was a sleepy, podunk town, crowded that night because of the emperor's census, but normally a quiet, unsophisticated village. If we'd been producing the Christmas story, we'd have had it open in Jerusalem, and then on to Athens and Rome, but not Bethlehem! (i)

And what about the setting - a damp, rough, cold, unsanitary stable? Come on; we'd have done better than that. The words to the beloved carol, "Away in a Manger," romanticize the scene. In reality, the place was dark and filled with animal smells, the straw in the manger, hard and prickly - a most unantiseptic, unlikely place for a birth. It's little wonder baby Jesus even survived his first few hours. We may prefer to turn this unbelievable story into a Christmas card scene, but the truth is that God's own Son came into the world in a cow shed, a place of poverty, rejection, and lowliness. (ii)

And why a baby? Why not have the Savior enter the world full grown, a mighty hero, a conquering king? But a baby, a helpless, dependent, vulnerable infant? God in the form of a human person, one of us? The very thought staggers the imagination. If we had been writing the scenario, we would have picked a more-likely main character, I'll bet.

Finally, why the shepherds? Why were they chosen to receive the angelic annunciation of the birth of the Messiah? At first glance, we might say, "why not?" Weren't they symbolic of the common folk of the day, gentle persons, kindly caretakers, honest, hard-working laborers? Not really! Actually, shepherds were regarded by people in Jesus' time as outcasts, interlopers, and squatters. Their testimony was forbidden in Jewish courts because shepherds were considered dishonest, and their word unreliable and untrustworthy. (iii) Yet it was to these scruffy dregs of society that the heavens opened, the angels sang, and Christ's birth was made known.

Why? What was the point of all this? - these unlikely shepherds, a helpless baby, an unsanitary manger, an unglamorous town for opening night? Why? We must keep in mind that God had been preparing for this event for a long time. It was no spur-of-the-moment thing with God grabbing whatever happened to be lying around. We've got to believe, if we believe anything in this incredible story, that each component, each element, was part of an eternally-conceived divine plan. The story began thousands of years before. It began with a call to Abraham, when he and his kindred were chosen and set apart to form a new people. It continued in Egypt, where these people became slaves under the greatest civilization of the day. Then there were the years of wandering in the wilderness, in which the twelve tribes of Israel became a nation. What followed were the years of nation-building, the golden years of Kings David and Solomon, followed by many not-so-great monarchs, and then the time of exile, when under the influence of the prophets, a faith was forged. (iv) Then when everything was set, when all was in readiness, God sent forth the Son. "Heaven's light flashed against the darkness, a guided star left its socket, curious kings their thrones, and shepherds their pastures. The human spirit soared as if lifted by eagles' wings, while all the hosts of heaven joined in a hallelujah chorus to announce the appearance of history's brightest hour. It was the fullness of time, and the highest hopes of both God and [God's] people met in a manger in Bethlehem." (v)

No wonder then, with all this divine planning and oversight, that even the most unbelievable parts of the story would have meaning and truth for us. Why unglamorous Bethlehem and a rough, lowly manger? Could this have something to do with the truth that God comes to each of us where we are, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves? We often try to wear masks, kidding ourselves and others that we're a whole lot better off than we really are. But the masks hide our feelings of loneliness, of rejection, and our deepest, most hidden fears. Our God who came in a lowly cow shed to folks who literally had doors slammed in their faces, also comes to us in the cold, frightening aspects of our lives. God is with us when the going gets tough, when the journey is most difficult.

And why the baby and the shepherds? Perhaps this has something to do with God coming to us in our humanness. We may pretend and act like we're strong and fearless, like we've got it all together, but are we, do we? The God who first came among us as a helpless baby, identifies intimately with our helplessness, our weakness, the many times we fall short of our own expectations, and the expectations of others. People expected the Messiah to come as a conquering king; Jesus came as a babe in a manger, who grew up to become a suffering servant. And his birth was announced to lowly shepherds. If shepherds are part of the divine plan, hopefully you and I are also. The point of the Christmas story is that God came to us about 2,000 years ago, and comes to us still, in our time; that God comes to us no matter who we are or where we are, no matter how bad our situation, no matter how hopeless it may seem; that God comes to us no matter what we've done, or whether we believe this unbelievable story or not, whether our faith is secure or shaky. God comes to us and is with us for no reason other than simply because of God's grace. "Grace is finding love in bloom where the climate is too cold for it to grow. And grace is, in the final analysis, what the story of Christmas is all about." (vi) Unbelievable? Perhaps. A mystery? Yes. But also incredibly good news, the good news that we celebrate tonight. Do you hear what I hear? Listen - the faint sound of angelic wings, the first strains of heavenly music. Hark! The herald angels are singing! Merry Christmas. Amen.

The Pilgrim Church of Duxbury
Rev. Kenneth C. Landall

i Al Carmines, Word & Witness, 12/24/83.
ii The Clergy Journal, 5-6/83, p. 17.
iii Jon M. Walton, Word & Witness, 12/24/83.
iv The Clergy Journal, 5-6/80, p. 22.
v The Bethel Series, New Testament, Study 1, p. 3.
vi James Forbes, quoted by Walton, op. cit.