Christmas Eve
Reading — Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20
Sharing at Christmas, that is what we do.
Sharing at Christmas is what happened on that very first Christmas.
There was no room at the inn at Bethlehem. Joseph’s relatives, living in the Bethlehem area, had no room. On their second try at the inn, the innkeepers thought maybe the freshly swept stable behind the inn would do. With lantern in hand, they lovingly guided Mary and Joseph, sharing what they had.
In the warmest corner, opposite the wind, the creatures moved from their accustomed spots, the cow, the horses, even the mice, lovingly shared their favored comfortable places for the expecting Mary and Joseph.
Joseph lovingly shed his heavy winter cloak to warm Mary as she entered the final moments of birthing. He also noted a few improvements he could make to the stable to repay the innkeepers’ generosity. When they fled to Egypt to escape King Herod’s wrath, his carpentry skills would provide for the family.
Mary lovingly shared her very intimate self for nine long months. While her cousin Elizabeth rejoiced with her, her own family did not. The walking up and down the hills from Nazareth to Bethlehem was rough. In the warmest stable corner, she gave birth to her first- born son, placed him in a manger, and fell asleep. That night she lovingly gave her all. She shared her all, and would continue to do so for the rest of her son’s life.
The saga of Bethlehem originated with the Creator of the heavens and earth. God lovingly initiated, and God lovingly shared his only begotten son that most holy night with Mary, with Joseph, with the innkeepers and with the stable creatures. God lovingly shared Jesus, the Christ, given for us and for our salvation.
Now you know “salvation” is just a fancy word to remind us that Jesus, the Christ we know through the four Gospels, guides us by example through our daily living. God shared on that most holy night with all humanity how we might become more fully who we were created to be. As we live into our Jesus-life, we live into the eternal life, here and now.
The innkeepers, and stablemates lovingly shared their space for a few moments.
Mary and Joseph shared their entire lifetimes of love.
God poured out eternal love through Jesus, the Christ.
May we, with the Christ-child cradled in our hearts, share love with our families, with our neighbors, with our communities, with our nation, and with our world.
The whole world is watching, waiting, for God’s love to be made real through us, the people of God.
Amen
