A TALE OF GRACE AND FAITH

      Listen to Luke describe how Christmas began. "Many have undertaken," he wrote, "to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, and... I've decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus…." "In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to a virgin pledged to a man named Joseph. The virgin’s name was Mary." Gabriel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you!” (But) Mary was greatly troubled at his words and Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid; you’ve found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and call him Jesus. “How will this be,” Mary asked, “since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word be fulfilled.” 

      It's a story of great faith, but Matthew focused on Joseph when he told how it all began. "This is how the birth of Jesus came about:" he wrote, "His mother, Mary, was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant…." Because Joseph was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” When Joseph woke up, he took Mary home as his wife. But he didn’t consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. (Matthew 1)

     According to Luke, who wrote an orderly account to a “friend of God,” (which is what Theophilus means), the angel Gabriel visited a virgin- likely 15-16 years old- and said, I have really good news for you, Miriam. You have been chosen to give birth to a son called “Jesus.” Well, Mary may have been poor and uneducated, but she wasn’t stupid, and she replied, “How can this be since I am a virgin,” which was an expected thing in those days. In those days being young and unmarried meant being a virgin and being a virgin was critically important if you were engaged… because being engaged was tantamount to being married (without the consummation). Don’t worry, Gabriel explained, the Holy Spirit will conceive the child… and in a marvelous statement of faith, the young girl said, “Let it be, Lord!” I am your servant- let it me. Not knowing how I will explain this to mom and dad, to Joseph, or the neighbors, and knowing that the consequences might be severe for me… I am glad to say, "Let it be, Lord!"

      And what about Joseph? He truly expected his bride to be a virgin. He would’ve been shocked if she wasn’t… and if she wasn’t, he could have taken legal and even punitive action against her. With this in mind, Matthew lets us know that before Mary and Joseph experienced sexual intimacy, Joseph discovered that she was pregnant. Maybe Mary told him, maybe it just became obvious- but Joseph found out, and according to Matthew, he resolved to divorce her quietly… which was an act of grace. Joseph was a decent man. He had a good heart. He was also a man of faith who couldn’t marry a pregnant woman, but he didn’t want to hurt her either. So he decided to just let things go and separate quietly. But an angel appeared to him in a dream and assured him that the child in Mary’s womb was the Holy Spirit’s! In Joseph’s time, people believed in dreams- and in things they might not understand- so he took her home as his wife and avoided intimacy until Jesus was born"

      There was a time when I knew everything, but over the years I’ve learned that I can’t even explain the very things that make life so wonderful- like love, faith, hope, a child’s smile, a lover’s touch, the sound of rain, being forgiven, and salvation. I’ve been blessed with God's forgiveness and I've experienced God’s grace... but I can't explain either one. I don’t know how the virgin birth happened… but I choose to believe that God cared enough to be with us (Immanuel) in a deep, intimate, and vulnerable way. I choose to believe that God works through trusting men and women of faith to this day, and I want to believe that I can embrace the dreams that God gives to me. Christmas, even the first one, is a gift exchange in some ways. It’s not an equal exchange, of course, but there are things that we can give to God each day… like humility, openness, honesty, willingness, and obedience. We can bless God by living as if God is with us and we can treat others, even those who may have betrayed us, with loving kindness. We can say “thank you” to Christ as he lays in a manger, works at a carpenter’s bench, stands with us when we stand in our own garden of grief, or shows up at our door, begging for help.

      In the end, we are Christian only to the extent that we serve Christ in our own lives and love others in his name. Life is a journey for and with Christ, and the journey begins with words like, “Let it be, Lord! Let it be!” Amen.