Scripture: Luke 1:39:56 / Delivered: Dec 22, 2024
So, over the years I have participated in and seen my share of Christmas Plays over the years. I imagine many of you have as well. Many run along with the same cast of characters and storyline. Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, Angels, Shepherds, Wise Men, and maybe we even see the Innkeeper make an appearance. Sadly, I think the Innkeeper is often mis-characterized and mis-construed and made it to be a heartless individual. But we can save that for another day. Back to the play, of course you have donkeys, sheep, and lambs rounding out the ensemble as well. And usually, the costumes are colorful and clean and pressed. The robes must look right for the part. The crowns for the Wise Men must be shiny and full of fake jewels. The wings and the halos on the angels must sparkle with tinsel. And of course, their white robes must be unblemished. The manger needs just the right amount of hay to hold baby Jesus without letting him get swallowed up and disappear to the bottom. Many play directors spend many sleepless nights trying to plan the perfect church Christmas play. Most times, the end result is close enough to perfect and the performance happens just as practiced. However, there are those times when unexpected moments and unplanned events show up as well. The thing is that often it’s those years when those unexpected and unplanned events end up making those plays both the most memorable and the most meaningful.
One of my favorite plays we did at my home church was the one based on this book, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson. Just this year it was also made into a movie. I haven’t had a chance to see it yet, but I hope to. The title on the cover of my book actually reads like this: The Worst Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Because that’s the premise of the book. Everyone thinks this year’s Christmas play is going to be ruined because of the Herdmans.
This is the description, or the synopsis found on the back of the book:
The Herdmans are the worst kids in the history of the world. They lie, steal, smoke cigars, swear, and hit little kids. So, no is prepared when this outlaw family invades church one Sunday and decides to take over the annual Christmas pageant.
None of the Herdmans has ever heard the Christmas story before. Their interpretation of the tale – the Wise Men are a bunch of dirty spies and Herod needs a good beatin’ – has a lot of people up in arms. But it will make this year’s pageant the most unusual anyone has seen, and just possibly, the best one ever.
But at the end of the book the people realized it was one of the best ones after all. Because by participating in the play the Herdmans hear the Christmas story for the first time in their lives and they really, really get it. They are moved and changed by it. And thus, the church people attending the pageant get to experience this un-conventional, and somewhat messy and chaotic, rendition of a familiar story in a new way.
Today, that’s what I want us to do. This morning, I want to strip away the beauty of the well-placed decorations, lights, and perfect touches that we tend to put on Christmas. Okay, perhaps strip away is too harsh. Let’s say I want to peel back those layers and expose some of the messiness and chaos of the Christmas story. Because it is messy, chaotic, and actually scandalous as well.
Our Scripture reading today starts out with “In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country”. Why did she leave in haste. Well, if we read the verses just prior to this we have her encounter with the angel Gabriel where it is revealed to her that she will conceive and bear a son who will be the Son of God. And Mary answers with “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” To be sure that is a beautiful and miraculous encounter. And Mary was probably struck by the wonder, the awe, the beauty of what was revealed to her.
But what about the moments after the angel departed. Then Mary was left alone to deal with the repercussions that would come. She’s probably 13 years old. She is engaged to marry, but not yet married. And now she has to reveal to her family, friends, neighbors, and husband-to-be that she is pregnant. I would call that a chaotic and messy situation for one to find themselves in. So, she leaves in haste to travel to a Judean town and the house of her older relative Elizabeth. Did she leave in haste to avoid having to face her immediate relatives and Joseph and delay sharing this news with them. Perhaps. That is speculation on my part.
We do know that Mary was told by the angel that Elizabeth too was pregnant. And this too was a miraculous occasion due to Elizabeth’s advanced age and many long years of barrenness. So, perhaps with this news and maybe with the prodding of the Holy Spirit as well, Mary sets off on this journey.
What we don’t have to speculate about is this – that upon her arrival Mary found affirmation, confirmation, and love in the presence of Elizabeth. Verses 41-41 states, “When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’”
Mary found love, comfort, and acceptance in the presence of Elizabeth. That love that she experienced from her was the outpouring of God’s love through Elizabeth. We know that Mary had accepted and believed the words of the angel. But I would imagine this outpouring of love from another person whom she could touch, hug, be with was an extra source of encouragement and assurance to her. Standing there pregnant and unwed and fearful of the disgrace that she might face from others in society, to be called blessed must have been a shining light that for the moment that helped sweep away the mess and the chaos of her situation.
Feeling loved by another can do that to a person. Feeling loved, accepted, and that you belong sweeps away the messy crumbs of our life that we feel we are standing in the midst of. Feeling loved, accepted, and that you belong can calm the roaring, loud, chaotic voices that we sometimes hear telling us we aren’t good enough, smart enough, worthy enough. Sometimes those voices and cries are words we hear from society. But sometimes those voices and cries are words we say to ourselves.
Messy and Chaotic. Even beyond our individual lives and looking at the world around us, I think those words apply. And I would say that Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth would agree that those words would apply to their larger world as well. And God looks down and decides it’s time to show his love for humanity in a new way. But he doesn’t appear in a burning bush, a chariot of fire, or with thunder and lightning and a rush of mighty wind. He doesn’t come crashing to earth ablaze with power and glory. Instead, he decides to come join creation in a very messy and chaotic way. He doesn’t choose to just “become” human and walk among us. He lowers himself to be born as a baby. He starts his presence with us a cluster of cells in the womb of a young girl who is essentially a nobody. She’s not special in any powerful and mighty way. She is just simply willing and faithful. This is where God begins his new journey with humanity. This is where Love comes Down right into the Messy and Chaotic thing that is life.
We use words like Emmanuel and Incarnation to describe God becoming man and dwelling among us. C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity writes, “If you really want to get a hang of it [the Incarnation], think how you would like to become a slug or a crab.” The truth is, it’s a mystery we can’t fully comprehend and understand. Yet, that’s okay. We don’t have to fully comprehend and understand it to see the love inherent in the act. Love amid Mess and Chaos.
Mary was invited to conceive and deliver the Son of God for the world. Yet, we too are called to conceive and deliver Jesus to the world as well. Mary did so in a physical sense. We are called to do it in a spiritual sense. When we begin to understand, accept, and see God’s love for us then we are called to share that with others. Yes, even in the midst of our own messy and chaotic lives we are called to live our lives where we are to let ourselves be loved and to love others.
Mary went into haste to see Elizabeth. I think she did so knowing that she would find the love and support and encouragement she needed and desired. I hope and pray that we all have an Elizabeth in our life that we go in haste to when the messiness and chaos is too much to handle on our own. Someone who will remind us that we too are blessed by God. Blessed and loved. And at the same time, I hope and pray that we all take the time when called upon to be an Elizabeth to another who comes in haste to us when their mess and chaos is too much to handle on their own.
I hope that in your own way you can peel back the beauty of the holiday decorations, gifts, family gatherings and see the Christmas, both then and now, with new eyes. Because even if we peel it back and even if we see the mess and chaos, if we seek it all anew, we will see the light of Love shining brightly in the midst. And the love of God is beautiful indeed. Perhaps even more beautiful when it does shine amid the mess and chaos.
Notes from a Book Nerd 