This Christmas Eve...

             Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”  (Luke 2:11-14)

 

            Who are you this Christmas Eve? There are lots of possibilities. Let’s start with the world. All the people around the globe who didn’t know what was going on. They didn’t know that something was going on. They went about their business, oblivious to anything special, and might have been contemptuous if someone had given them the news. “The doorbell is broken. No knocking.” This group may have included most of the people at the inn.

            There were the shepherds, the fast-food workers of the day, with a boring job when they weren’t being attacked, and considered basically worthless by the world. Like the world, they were going about their business, but they got interrupted and told what they never expected to hear, and then were left to figure it out.

            Next, let’s consider a group I don’t find mentioned in Scripture: midwives. As poor as Joseph and Mary seem to have been, there may have been relatives or even caring women who would have stepped in to help. They would no doubt have gone about their business, doing what was needed to help Mary. I don’t know if they were there, but the innkeeper was. He gets a bad rap for not finding room in the inn, but if the only beds left were in a common room, he showed Mary the kindness of not making her give birth in public. The midwives and the innkeeper had no idea what was happening. It was just another day. Mary was just another pregnant woman carrying just another baby. No doubt, there are times when we’re the midwives or the innkeeper. We go about our lives, trying to help and without knowing it, we get to play a role in some story that God is telling.

            Of course, there are Joseph and Mary. They knew what was going on, and knew that they were being swept along as the flood of God’s will swept through. Though, for as much as they knew, I’m sure they didn’t think they knew enough. How does one prepare for these things?

        There were the angels, some of whom were given the task of announcing and witnessing the most wonderful, most perplexing, most “isn’t that impossible?” thing the universe had ever experienced. Others got to witness, but they seethed instead of celebrating.

            And lastly, there was God. One yet three, watching like any proud papa as His Son was born, the only one who understood.

            Later on, there would be VIPs from the east who would inadvertently draw Herod into the situation. They sought the king of the Jews to do him honor. They had information, but they may not have made any better use of it than those who had less. Yes, they provided the resources on which Jesus and His family would draw to live in Egypt. But when they went home again, did anything change in their lives?

            And, as I said, Herod. He didn’t tell us to talk to the hand, he sought Jesus for all the wrong reasons.

             Who are you this Christmas Eve? I wanted to be one of the angels, singing my heart out, but my throat just can’t handle the notes, especially if I want to sing on Sunday morning. I find myself relating to the shepherds, who got to listen to the angel choirs singing. They didn’t understand what was happening. They expected to stand on the outside looking in, but got invited to enter and be involved, and told to spread the word. Suddenly, they had a purpose – a job that took them way out of their comfort zones. Yes, I think this year, I am a shepherd.