First Mennonite Church
December 15, 2024
Advent: Joy, A Costly Gift
For every parent, the occasion of the birth of their child is a memorable one. For many, it is unforgettable because of the indescribable joy of seeing the fruit of their love, of receiving a precious gift of a new life to care for and to love, and for being given the privilege of parenthood. Something, some couples desperately desire to have. On Thursday morning, I got a text from one of my nieces. The text reads: Tio, (uncle) I just want to share the news that yesterday I went to do some blood work. I just got the results and the doctor says I am pregnant. Kelly has been married for nine years. She and George, her husband, have wanted to have children for some time now. As you can imagine, they are beyond thrilled with the news.
As I was saying, the birth of a child is always memorable to the parents. However, in some cases, it is special because at birth the couple is suddenly confronted with the immediate challenges and difficulties the baby represents. Also, as we know, a few birth stories get publicity and press, such as Prince George’s birth and his siblings’ and cousins’, but of the vast majority, they go unnoticed by the world.
When our children were younger, we had the tradition of telling them on their birthdays stories of their births. There was a little something they loved to hear about their birth story: how I held Josue the whole night he was born and that for the first few nights, he did not like to be nursed, that Jasmine was a screamer the moment she was born, and that Madeleine came with the umbilical cord around her neck, thus was purple/black at birth and had to be put in the incubator for some hours.
Luke’s story of Jesus’ birth comes after telling us that Joseph and Mary were engaged to be married. But before the marriage was finalized and consummated, Joseph found that Mary was pregnant. He decided to leave her quiet, but in a dream, God told him to receive Mary as his wife because the child to be born was from God. Once Joseph knew that, he and Mary settled to face life together. But just as they did with the anticipation of having a child at home, an imperial decree was issued. All men must go to the town of their ancestral origins. And normality, as difficult as it was, was once again shattered. Joseph and Mary were forced to embark on a journey; they were forced to comply with something that was in no manner signaling a better life, especially a life that was barely starting—family life. Censuses in Joseph’s time had only one purpose: to update the payer’s registry. Joseph and Mary traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem because Joseph belonged to the house of David whose hometown was Bethlehem. And while away from the comforts of home and from the support of extended family, Luke tells us, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
We all know the saying, “when it rains, it pours.” That was precisely Joseph’s and Mary’s situation. Joseph and Mary seemed to be followed by trouble after trouble after trouble. Upon salvaging their marriage, they were forced to embark on an arduous journey, then they were unable to find a decent place to lodge in, only to be found in extreme urgency that the baby was coming, without a decent place for Mary to give birth. How can that situation be described as a night where “all is calm; all is bright”? The reality of that first Christmas night must have been the scariest for Joseph and Mary as would be for any new parent facing such a dire situation. It would be a traumatic experience for a baby requiring years of therapy, according to our refined standards of wellness. But that was how our glorious Savior was born. That is how life is for many around the world today.
Luke holds back from informing us why Jesus had to be born in a stable. It is not until he tells us where Jesus was laid that he tells us that there was no guest room available for Joseph and Mary.
While the holy family was going through this tempestuous hour, something else was taking place in the desolate fields that night. To unknown busy shepherds, who between watching their flock and snoozing a bit, the sky erupted with light, and angels appeared to them. The poor shepherds trembled at the sight before them. But the angel eased their fear: “Do not be afraid,” He said. “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 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.”
The birth of Jesus, as displaced or misplaced as it happened, was the way God fulfilled his promise to the very iota: born to a virgin, born in the city of David, and born yet having nothing that would attract us.” The birth of Jesus, as humble and as traumatic as it was, was an event worthy to be announced by angels. These angels described their message to the shepherds as “news of great joy to all the people,” because the Lord, the King and Savior entered the realm of humans.
My dear friends, the coming of Jesus is a message of joy, not only because his birth was announced by angels, but because at his coming, he revealed the love of God to us. This love was not clearly visible in a defenseless infant lying in a manger but through the example of grace and compassion that he showed during his ministry.
Today we rejoice in the Lord our God. The message of great joy we share today came at a very high price. A high price not only paid by Joseph and Mary but especially by Jesus himself. Jesus taught us the way of God. He showed us how costly God’s love is for us. Jesus’ coming is a message of joy, because through his life, death, resurrection, and promise of a second coming we can celebrate today around the Table of the Lord.
Today, as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, let us rejoice in this privilege we are given. It is a joy and blessing given to us born out of sacrificial love. As we saw today, it was the sacrifice of love that started before Jesus came as a baby. Mary committed herself to the risky and very inconvenient role of submitting to the will of God to be the mother of Jesus. Joseph accepted Mary despite the stigma that accompanied a newlywed husband to remain in a relationship where their firstborn was not his own child. And Jesus was born in the most humble place and into a humble family. He lived a life lifting others and filling their lives with joy and new meaning. He gave his life to enrich others with unspeakable joy.
Communion is the way we remember and celebrate Christ Jesus, as the King who invites us to his table. Communion is a reminder of Jesus for giving us life through his own death and resurrection. Communion is a call to each of us to give ourselves in service and love to others. It is a call to bring joy to others even if it might in some way pose a cost to us. Let us receive and celebrate this joy born out of sacrifice. Amen.