Trouble at Christmas
Luke 2:1-20
December 2003
December 2007
This is a fictional Christmas correspondence between Martha Stewart and Erma Bombeck to remind us that Christmas isn’t always picture perfect.
Hi Erma, This perfectly delightful note is being sent on paper I made myself to tell you what I have been up to. Since it snowed last night, I got up early and made a sled with old barn wood and a glue gun. I hand painted it in gold leaf, got out my loom, and made a blanket in peaches and mauves. Now it’s time to start making the place mats and napkins for my 20 breakfast guests. I’m serving the old standard Stewart 12-course breakfast, but I didn’t have time to make the tables and chairs this morning, so I used the ones I already had. I did take time to make the dishes to use for breakfast from Hungarian clay, which you can get at almost any Hungarian craft store. Well, I must run. I need to finish the buttonholes on the dress I’m wearing for breakfast. I’ll get out the sled and drive this note to the post office as soon as the glue dries on the envelope I’ll be making.- Love, Martha Stewart
Response from Erma Bombeck:
Dear Martha,
I’m writing this on the back of an old shopping list, pay no attention to the coffee and jelly stains. I’m 20 minutes late getting my daughter up for school, packing a lunch with one hand, on the phone with the dog pound, seems old Ruff needs bailing out, again. Burnt my arm on the curling iron when I was trying to make those cute curly fries. Still can’t find the scissors to cut out some snowflakes, tried using an old disposable razor…trashed the tablecloth. Tried that cranberry thing, frozen cranberries mushed up after I defrosted them in the microwave. Oh, and don’t use Fruity Pebbles as a substitute in that Rice Krispie snowball recipe, unless you happen to like a disgusting shade of green! The smoke alarm is going off, talk to ya later.- Love, Erma
I don’t know anybody who enjoys the Martha Stewart picture perfect Christmas. Kids get sick, people lose their jobs, people even die. Trouble doesn’t take a holiday even at Christmas. That shouldn’t surprise us: even the first Christmas wasn’t picture perfect . In the midst of all the miracles and joy, there were a lot of hassle, and a lot of hurting. We often look back at Christmas with magical rose colored glasses, and then we compare our troubled lives to it and think it does apply to me. It has nothing to say to my messed up life. Lets take a look back at what it was really like the first Christmas, and I think we will discover it has a lot to say to us today. Lets Look at Luke 2:1-20
I Difficult Times
a. Their country has been invaded and they were under the rule of a super power. (A little like Iraq invading Kuawitt ) (We are at war today)
b. Soldiers and foreign rulers controlled the area for a long time.
C. Now a world wide tax had been added to their already tight economy.
D. They had to travel- back to the home town of their ancestors by donkey or walking. (70 miles for Joseph)
A preacher’s family had started putting up a nativity scene in their front yard. All of them were carrying out the little statues to put in the nativity scene. Finally everything was in place - Mary & Joseph & the manger & the baby, & angels & shepherds & all the barnyard animals.
Then little Scott came out carrying one of his favorite toys, the figure of the fierce Tyrannosaurus Rex, king of the dinosaurs. It was one of those plastic figures that you inflate, & in comparison to the other figures it was an enormous thing, towering over them all, & certainly not something to have in a nativity scene.
The Dad said, "I tried to tell him, ‘Scott, you have to take that back because it doesn’t belong there. Dinosaurs existed thousands of years before the baby Jesus, & it just doesn’t belong in a nativity scene.’"
But little Scott insisted, so they finally put it there behind all the other figures - a fierce dinosaur hovering over the manger & everything else.
Then he said, "As we stood back & looked at it, we realized that maybe that dinosaur says more than we realized. For over each of us there is this menacing character that threatens to rob us of all our joy & peace & cheer."
"But Christmas reminds us that the baby in the manger is stronger than all the dinosaurs in your life or mine. And God has given us the victory through the gift of His Son."
II Difficult Assignment
a. For Mary
-Engaged to be married
-Angel announces a change of plans - the assignment (Carry God’s Son)
-Her family and friends - Could any of them believe her? Would you?
-Would Joseph? NO -Was going to divorce her
-She went away to Elizabeth’s -to get out of town -away from Joseph and family.
-She was stigmatized as an immoral woman
-Yet, She submits to God’s assignment
b. For Joseph
-Love Mary and dreamed of marriage and first night together
-No doubt family and friends approved and praised him for his choice of a bride
-the house was ready- plans were made for the wedding- Engagement set
-She drops the bomb -“I’m pregnant -but not unfaithful -It’s God’s fault
-His whole world crumbles, -Dreams gone - Divorce imminent - What will family and friends say now? I’ll be laughing stock.
-Will I be blamed by society or her? Or both?
-God intervenes -Gives a Dream -“It’s true what she says” - Marry her.
-Maybe harder than divorce - Everyone will think bad of me, or both of us.
-He obeys anyway.
A missionary had arrived in a small Chinese town. After she arrived, she soon noticed that a gang of bandits had just destroyed the little town and everything in it. Then a native Christian, showed the missionary the ruins of his home; a burnt roof and structure, and furniture, all turned to ashes. Then, what appeared to be the last straw, the native Christian pointed to his hymnbook and Bible. He said, “They even burned my Bible and hymnbook!” And from the ruins, the native picked a single page of his Chinese hymnbook, the only thing to escape the flames! The missionary took up the piece of paper and it read “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!” What an apparent mockery, a note of joy in the midst of total destruction. But the missionary went on to say, that if you could have gone to the little chapel and seen the light on the faces of those native Christians, that evening. Those who had lost nearly everything were speaking of the home that Jesus has prepared for those who love Him. “Yes”, the missionary claimed, “There is joy to the world, but only because the Lord is come!”
III Difficult Birth
a. She is already nearly 9 monthes pregnant - Taxation decreed - Travel long on a donkey
Becky and Courtney
b. No room when they arrive
c. Stinky barn offered - smell of manure - not sanitary
d. She delivers there- wraps in rags - Away from home -and midwives
Kids in Springfield hos. with roto virus
e. They entertain company (Shepherds) in the barn
f. They stay around town for a while
g. Wisemen come to a house a while later
Christmas can still arrive when you least expect it, sometimes in the most unexpected manner. Dr. James Dobson relates a story of an elderly woman named Stella Thornhope who was struggling with her first Christmas alone. Her husband had died just a few months prior through a slow developing cancer. Now, several days before Christmas, she was almost snowed in by a brutal weather system. She felt terribly alone——so much so she decided she was not going to decorate for Christmas.
Late that afternoon the doorbell rang, and there was a delivery boy with a box. He said, "Mrs. Thornhope?" She nodded. He said, "Would you sign here?" She invited him to step inside and closed the door to get away from the cold. She signed the paper and said, "What’s in the box?" The young man laughed and opened up the flap, and inside was a little puppy, a golden Labrador Retriever. The delivery boy picked up the squirming pup and explained, "This is for you, Ma’am. He’s six weeks old, completely housebroken." The young puppy began to wiggle in happiness at being released from captivity.
"Who sent this?" Mrs. Thornhope asked.
The young man set the animal down and handed her an envelope and said, "It’s all explained here in this envelope, Ma’am. The dog was bought last July while its mother was still pregnant. It was meant to be a Christmas gift to you." The young man then handed her a book, How to Care for Your Labrador Retriever.
In desperation she again asked, "Who sent me this puppy?"
As the young man turned to leave, he said, "Your husband, Ma’am. Merry Christmas."
She opened up the letter from her husband. He had written it three weeks before he died and left it with the kennel owners to be delivered with the puppy as his last Christmas gift to her. The letter was full of love and encouragement and admonishments to be strong. He vowed that he was waiting for the day when she would join him. He had sent her this young animal to keep her company until then.
She wiped away the tears, put the letter down, and then remembering the puppy at her feet, she picked up that golden furry ball and held it to her neck. Then she looked out the window at the lights that outlined the neighbor’s house, and she heard from the radio in the kitchen the strains of "Joy to the World, the Lord has Come." Suddenly Stella felt the most amazing sensation of peace washing over her. Her heart felt a joy and a wonder greater than the grief and loneliness.
"Little fella," she said to the dog, "It’s just you and me. But you know what? There’s a box down in the basement I’ll bet you’d like. It’s got a little Christmas tree in it and some decorations and some lights that are going to impress you. And there’s a manger scene down there. Let’s go get it."
God has a way of sending a signal of light to remind us life is stronger than death. Light is more powerful than darkness. God is more powerful than Satan. Good will overcome evil.
"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light," the prophet said. "On those living in the land of the shadow of death, a light has dawned" (Matthew 4:16).
IV Difficult Flight out of the Country
a. Wise men tell of Herod’s word and of dream they had.
B. Joseph has dream saying “Flee the country” like a crimnal
c. No house, family, friends, Job
d. Wisemen’s gifts all they had after taxes?
E. Yet they obey God. Do you see a pattern. Difficult but they obey.
Conclusion: The good news of that night was not drowned out by the troubles they faced. It gave meaning, purpose, and joy to their troubled lives. God had come to live with them, and to help his people.
A woman by the name of Sandy Willey related a Christmas story that occurred during World War II. A woman named Anne took her two little children to Texas to be with her parents because her husband was stationed in Europe. And they prepared for Christmas and got the tree up and all the gifts bought and were enjoying the joy of Christmas, almost putting aside the worry of the war. When one week before Christmas they got that dreaded knock on the door and the terrible telegram greeting. And the mother had to tell the children that “daddy wouldn’t be coming for Christmas ever.” And then Anne went up to her room to weep alone. And grandma and grandpa debated about what to do and finally they decided to take down the Christmas tree and the decorations and put the presents away. When Anne came out of the room and saw the empty spot she said, “Mother what have you done.” And her mother said, “Your so broken hearted, your father and I talked and decided this is no time for Christmas.” And Anne said, “Oh, no mother, bring the tree back, Christmas was made for times such as these.”
And maybe there is some discouragement in your life right now. But Jesus Christ is the source of hope, you cling to him. He came to this world to be your light in the darkness. Christmas is made for times such as these.
