Luke 1:26-38
December 14, 2008
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Have you ever wanted to travel for the holidays, to spend Christmas somewhere exotic? The Lederer family did. Years ago they decided that it would be great to spend Christmas in France. What could be better than spending Christmas in France? The lights, the tradition, the cathedrals, the wine? So they planned a trip that would start in Paris, and end in Nice on Christmas Eve. What could be nicer than Christmas in Nice? Unfortunately, the trip pretty much turned into a disaster. As they traveled from Paris to Nice, they found that all the hotels were cheap tourist traps, the weather dripped and rained the whole time, and the car kept breaking down. When the family finally made it to Nice on Christmas Eve they looked for a nice restaurant to have dinner together. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants in Nice were closed, and all they were able to find was a small, greasy restaurant. There were very few others in the restaurant as they ate: two German couples, two French families, and an American sailor sitting in the corner writing a letter, and smiling as he did. Near the bar the piano player listlessly plunked out Christmas tunes.
Other than the sailor, it seemed as though everyone had been hit by a scrooge bug. At the table of one of the French families, the father was scolding one of the children. At the table of one of the German couples, the wife was berating the husband. At the Lederer table, an argument erupted between Bill Lederer and his wife. She had ordered their meal in French, and when the wrong food came to their table, Bill figured it must be her fault for ordering wrong. Everyone was miserable.
To make matters worse, suddenly the door opened, bringing a rush of cold, wet air into the restaurant. In stepped an old French woman selling flowers. She went up to each table, asking, “Flowers, monsieur? Only one franc.” Each time she was shooed away by the people at the tables. She then sat down at the bar and ordered a bowl of soup. She looked at the piano player and said dejectedly, “Can you imagine, Joseph, soup on Christmas Eve?’ He only pointed to his empty tipping plate. Then, something special began to happen. Let me share with you what Bill Lederer says about these events:
The young sailor finished his meal and got up to leave. Putting on his coat, he walked over to the flower woman’s table. “Happy Christmas!” he said, smiling, an picking out two corsages, asked, “How much are they?”
Two francs, monsieur.” Pressing one of the small corsages flat, he put it into the letter he had written, then handed the woman a 20-franc note.
“I don’t have change, monsieur,” she said, “I’ll get some from the waiter.”
“No, ma’am” he said, leaning over and kissing the ancient cheek. “This is my Christmas present to you.” Straightening up, he came to our table holding the other corsage in front of him. “Sir,” he said to me, “may I have permission to present these flowers to your beautiful wife?” In one quick motion, he gave my wife the corsage, wished us a Merry Christmas, and departed.
Everyone had stopped eating. Everyone was watching the sailor. Everyone was silent. A few seconds later, Christmas exploded throughout the restaurant like a bomb.
The old flower woman jumped up, waving the 20-franc note. Hobbling to the middle of the floor, she did a merry jig and shouted to the piano player, “Joseph, my Christmas present, and you shall have half so you can have a feast too.” The piano player began to beat out “Good King Wenceslaus,” hitting the keys with magic hands, nodding his head in rhythm.
My wife waved her corsage in time with the rhythm. She was radiant and appeared 20 years younger… She began to sing, and our three sons joined her, bellowing the song with uninhibited enthusiasm.
“Gut, gut,” shouted the Germans. They jumped on their chairs and began singing in German…. The Germans ordered wine for everyone. They delivered it themselves, hugging the other customers, bawling Christmas greetings. One of the French families ordered champagne and made the rounds, kissing each one of us on each cheek. The owner of the restaurant started singing “The First Noel,” and we all joined in, half of us crying. (from “A Sailor’s Christmas Gift,” Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul, 1997).
This story reminds us that what really makes the difference at Christmas isn’t the decorations, the presents, the cookies, or the celebrations. What makes the difference is the sense of joy people either do or don’t have. As you can see, just because it’s the Christmas season doesn’t mean that there’s joy in people. Why is that? Why is it so hard for everyone to have joy at Christmas?
One of the problems with Christmas is that we’ve cheapened it. We’ve made it so much about the surface stuff that I’m not sure what kind of spiritual meaning Christmas has to us anymore. It’s typical for pastors and other Christians to complain that we’ve cheapened Christmas nowadays by making it all about retail and parties. But that’s not even what I’m talking about. That cheapening is a given. What I’m talking about is that even we diehard Christians have cheapened it. Some of the most joyless people at Christmas are those who complain that Christmas has lost its spirit. Let me show you what I mean.
Last week I received the following e-mail. It’s one of those e-mails that circulate periodically so that Christians can proclaim their outrage. The e-mail goes,
For years I've been bothered by the politically correct attitude. Lately I have become alarmed that Christmas is no longer a Christian holiday. It's become just a generic holiday. Why is it OK for other religions to celebrate their holidays of Ramadan, Kwanza or Hanukkah, and we have to have a "Holiday tree:, or even a "Celebrate the Season Parade". This is ridiculous, as you'll see by the verse below. So I say either celebrate the Christmas holiday or don't bother. Enjoy it and pass it on...and Oh yeah, Merry Christmas.
*Twas the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,
not Happy Holiday!*
Please, all Christians join together and
wish everyone you meet
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a 'Holiday'.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton!*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,
not Happy Holiday!*
Please, all Christians join together and
wish everyone you meet
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Christ is The Reason for the Christ-mas Season!
So what’s the problem with this e-mail? Makes sense, doesn’t it? Shouldn’t we be upset that people have taken Christ out of Christmas? The problem is that even this person misses the point of Christmas. So what if someone says “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas?” So what if people are so respectful of others that they don’t say “Merry Christmas?”
The problem is that these Christians put their halos on so tight that they have no joy, but instead can only see reasons for complaining. The writer of this e-mail has cheapened Christmas by thinking its’ all about saying “Merry Christmas.” Joy isn’t found in saying “Merry Christmas” rather than “Happy Holidays.” Joy is found in how we live out the Christmas spirit. We can put just as much spiritual joy in “Happy Holidays” as we can in “Merry Christmas.” But if we are upset about people not saying “Merry Christmas,” then I suspect there’s little joy in us. When we are like this, our focus isn’t on God. It’s on propriety and decorum. People who obsess about things like this aren’t really open to the Christmas spirit. Instead, they are just as bad as those who insist on the politically correct “Happy Holidays.” They’ve lost sight of Christ, and have become like Sadducees or Pharisees who are more concerned for law than for God.
If we have joy that comes from God, we can share it with others regardless of what words we use. You see, the real point of Christmas is the formation of Joy in our souls. Actually, that’s the whole point of the Advent and Christmas season. Advent is meant to be much like Lent. It’s meant to be a time of prayer and preparation for Christ’s coming into our lives. The whole point is that if we spend the month before Christmas in prayer and reflection, as well as doing all that other stuff, then by the time Christmas is here we’re ready for Christ.
Unfortunately, too many of us either let the world around us determine our level of joy, or we let our past determine it. We let the world around us determine our joy whenever we demand that everything around us be perfect for Christmas. We want everyone to be happy. We want our kids to be on their best behavior. We want everyone to be so thankful for what we do. And when that doesn’t happen, we become upset. We let the world around us determine our level of joy. Also, we let the past determine our level of joy whenever we let the pain of our past determine how we’ll approach life in the present. So many of us have had difficult lives. And we’ve learned from that to look at life in skeptical ways, not trusting that good things can happen. We expect bad, and we distrust others, suspecting that they have bad motives. So this colors our lives.
We are called to live appreciative lives. Adrian van Kaam was the one who taught me about appreciation. He said that when we live with appreciation, we look around us and see value in everything—people, situations, sunsets, events, and so much more. We see life as bursting with God’s presence, and that’s what brings us joy. Even if we are in bad situations, we are able to recognize God’s presence and sense God’s hand. This takes us deeper than happiness. Happiness comes from things being good around us and affecting us inside. Joy comes from spirit being good in us and radiating outward. We have joy because our spirit sees the good in everything, even the bad.
On the other hand, we can look at life with a sense of depreciation. When we look at life depreciatively, we not only don’t see value in everything, but we diminish the value of even that which is good. We look at life suspiciously, wondering when the next shoe will fall or who the next person will be who will betray us. Being depreciative brings cynicism and despair to life. It causes us to lack joy, and to be unhappy in happy situations. You know people like this. Even when they are happy, they try not to smile, and when they do smile it looks painful.
The kind of joy that we are called to nurture and let grow in us is the kind of joy that Mary had already formed when the angel appeared to her. It was the kind of joy she expressed to Elizabeth about her pregnancy with Jesus. If you really understand the situation Mary was in, you would wonder why she had any joy at all. She was pregnant, and not pregnant by her husband-to-be, Joseph. Even if she had been pregnant by Joseph, she was pregnant before marriage. Either way, she was facing a life with a stigma. People could do the math and figure out that Mary was pregnant before marriage. Mary knew that she was facing a future in which, at the very least, people would look at her and say, “That’s the woman who go pregnant before marriage.” She knew she was to bear a stigma her whole life, as would Jesus. How did she react?
When she met with her cousin Elizabeth, already pregnant with John the Baptist, she talked about her pregnancy and said, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” This is the response of someone with joy. This is the response of someone who faces a bad situation and sees it bursting with God’s grace. This is the response of someone who understands how God wants us to live.
During this time of year we are called to form joy in our souls. It’s the kind of joy that transcends our situation, that transcends our circumstances, that transcends our condition. It’s the kind of joy that comes from the Spirit dwelling in our souls, and that looks for the good in all situations. And it’s the kind of joy that only comes when we make a decision to let God live in our souls so that we can find God’s grace in everything.
Amen.
