Are You Soaring with Angels or Sinking in Mire?

A New Christmas Experience

Magnificent angels, stars twinkling,

gorgeous Christmas trees, wreaths, toys, Christmas music! London at Christmas is truly a holiday splendor. Last December, these were the sights my husband and I, along with our daughter and son-in-law, were privileged to see. We traveled to England to celebrate the graduation of

our oldest granddaughter from Manchester University.  We then all took the train to London and spent five days seeing the sites of Christmas, a new experience for us.

We took a tour of the city on a double decker bus and were astonished by the beautiful decorations that adorned that city. Golden banners with glorious angels were stretched from building to building across the roadways—along with all the other amazing decorations—it was breath-taking, truly magical. We had never seen anything like it!

When I returned home, I pondered the Londoner’s response to the coming of Jesus, that babe in the manger, the Savior of the world. Were the people celebrating His birth and seeking the Giver of God’s indescribable gift or were they only enjoying the many benefits of His coming? Much as our country seems to celebrate Santa and his gifts, the same could be said of many countries around the world.

Certainly, God brought the joy of Jesus Christ to our world through His coming, even to those who do not know Him: “for He (God) makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45).  He is a generous, loving God. In the same way, we want to bring joy to our family, friends, and those in need at Christmas through the delights of the season.

Mary’s First Christmas

In contrast, what did Mary, the earthly mother of Jesus, feel as the first woman to experience Christmas morning? What were her expectations, her experiences? Although the Bible does not reveal that Mary rode on a donkey, Joseph is portrayed in Scripture as a deeply spiritual, caring man who would have looked out for Mary, his betrothed wife, in this way. After all, this was a 70-mile trip from Nazareth to Bethlehem for a heavily pregnant Mary.

Because of King Herod’s demand that all Jews return to their hometowns for a census, there was severe overcrowding in and around Bethlehem. So, road weary and probably exhausted, Mary found no hospitality, no welcome when she arrived. Mary knew that she was carrying the Son of God. So did the circumstances of His birth, a stable with animals, the strong odor of manure, and only a manger full of straw for her newborn baby, cause her to question such a birthing place for the Son of God?

Luke 2 records that Mary pondered (reflected deeply) the events that were happening. Luke’s observation also hints at the depth of Mary’s character.  While she was only a teenager, she knew God’s Word. When she visited her cousin Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, the women rejoiced in the miraculous circumstance of Mary’s pregnancy. For as soon as Elizabeth saw Mary, she exclaimed, “‘But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy’” (Luke 1:43). Mary’s response is what we call the Magnificat, ten verses of Old Testament scripture that praise God for what He had done (Luke 1:46-55).

After her visit to Elizabeth, Mary had to return to her small village of Nazareth, as an unmarried, pregnant girl. Would Joseph believe her or divorce her or even have her stoned, which was his right according to Old Testament law? We know he didn’t believe her because he considered putting her away privately, but the angel Gabriel came to him in a dream and assured him that the Child was God’s Son.

After Jesus’ birth, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt with Jesus to escape Herod’s death threats. Later, the couple returned to Nazareth, their hometown, where everyone knew of Mary’s pregnancy before marriage. I’m sure the couple were the center of much gossip and perhaps even shunning.  Then, of course, Mary spent her life watching Jesus, the man, be maligned by the religious community and even by His own siblings. She witnessed, first-hand, his cruel death on the cross.

What Does Mary’s life have to do with me? 

Like Mary, we can ponder the works God has done and continues to do in our lives. Just as Emmanuel (God with us) was with Mary, He is with us today. A friend of my daughter wrote the following thoughts:

Emmanuel, God is with us. Would the news of His birth be as welcome if we

didn’t feel our need for His presence? Would the light of the Star be as bright if it

didn’t shine into the darkness of our lives? Would the weary world rejoice if we

weren’t needing true rest?

Experiencing some of the manure in the stable instead of just the sparkle and

shine of traditional Christmas celebrations perhaps brings us a little closer to

knowing satisfaction of the real desire of our hearts. Jesus, God with us![1]

Some years we soar with the angels. Other years, we sink in the mire of the world’s manure with its many problems and often inescapable, ever-present pain. It’s amazing how quickly life can go from the heights of the stars to the depths of misery. When we find ourselves in such mire, when the uncertainty of our circumstances overwhelms us, what must we do?

What did Mary do? Remember, we know the end of Mary’s story but, just like us, she didn’t! However, she daily kept her eyes on the truth of God’s Word and trusted Him with all her heart. So, when we find ourselves caught in pain and difficulty, like Mary, we can ponder all the ways God has worked in our lives, treasure all the promises He has kept, and trust His heart when we cannot see His hand.

The secret is to keep our eyes on Jesus. As the Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 9:15, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

Jesus is truly God’s indescribable gift to us all!

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[1] Written by Erin Frank