Christmas Eve December 24, 2009 Luke 2: 1-20
Grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father and from our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray: Gracious Christ, babe at Bethlehem, who is also Lord of lords and king of kings, enable us to praise you, not only with our lips in songs of praise, but also with our lives in deeds of love and mercy. May you find room in our hearts, not just this joyous night, but through the days and years that lie ahead. For to you belongs the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
According to Luke’s, inspired Christmas story,
The first hint revealed, of God’s redeeming glory,
‘Twas when an angel told Mary, she would give birth,
To God’s very Son, who’d make his advent to earth.
But since Mary was a virgin, still in her teens,
She was puzzled, and questioned, to know by what means,
God hoped to accomplish, his Son’s incarnation,
In light of her current, marital situation.
But although Gabriel told her, she shouldn’t fear,
Mary knew that God’s Law, was specifically clear,
For to become pregnant, before her marriage feast,
Would bring great shame upon her, at the very least.
For in those day, there was a sense of piety,
Embraced by near all, who lived in society,
Upholding marriage to be, God’s sacred estate,
For the begetting of Children, to one’s own mate.
Thus, when Mary discovered, that she was with child,
We can assume that Joseph, became rather riled,
When she came to him, with the humble admission,
That his betrothed was in, a pregnant condition.
For what was he to think, of Mary’s strange story,
That she had been chosen, to receive God’s Glory,
By conceiving a child, though no man she had known –
‘Twas God’s will for her life, through no fault of her own.
Thus Joseph assumed, Mary chose to denigrate,
The fidelity he placed, in his future mate,
So in order to save, the honor of his name,
He planned a quiet divorce, to save them from shame.
But again God acted, through a cognitive dream,
Telling Joseph that he, should honor and esteem,
His love for his betrothed, to take her as his wife,
To cherish and respect her, the rest of his life.
Again as a result, of God’s intervention,
Joseph set aside, society’s convention,
And Followed the direction, God did provide,
By quickly taking Mary, to be his cherished bride.
Thus, each of this young couple, was led to embrace,
Beginning their marriage, by trusting in God’s grace,
To lead them through, these early turmoil’s of life,
To calm their anxieties, and to soothe their strife.
So Joseph, a carpenter, worked hard to provide,
A new house, in which, the two of them might reside,
In the small town of Nazareth, in Galilee,
While planning for fatherhood, with expectant glee.
But when the birth of Mary’s child, seemed close at hand,
Joseph received word, of the Emperor’s demand,
That all who lived, under Roman occupation,
Must personally enroll, for new taxation.
The decree also stated, he had to return,
To the town of his birth, which increased his concern,
Since the census insisted, he must take his wife,
Who was at full term, about to bring forth, new life.
Once again this couple, had to trust in God’s grace,
To see them through this ordeal, that they had to face,
As the trip to Bethlehem, traversed rugged land,
O’er narrow mountain roads, and across desert sand.
And again their trust, in God’s providence proved right,
As they safely entered Bethlehem, late one night,
Hoping to find the warmth, and comfort of a room,
To provide needed rest, for this young bride and groom.
But unfortunately, their hope would not be met,
As the rooms in the inn, had already been let,
Yet the innkeeper offered, a place they could stay,
If they were willing to make, a bed out of hay.
Joseph accepted his offer, there to abide:
Straightened the hay, a bed for Mary to provide;
Secured their donkey, with a loose fitting tether;
Closed the stable door, to the cold winter weather.
Then he trimmed the lantern, safely hung from a beam;
Made bands of cloth from his cloak, undoing each seam;
Fixed a cradle from a feed trough, raised on a stand,
Then supported his young bride, by holding her hand.
Yes, ‘twas there in that stable, that Jesus was born,
His fragile body wrapped warm, in clothes that were torn,
Then laid in a manger, on a fresh bed of hay,
To sleep through the cold night, till the sun warmed the day.
Yet, though their accommodations, were rather crude,
It did not give this young couple, reason to brood,
For to behold this child, their hearts filled with delight,
Knowing that he would bring, God’s salvation to light.
And after that long night, in which Mary gave birth,
To God’s only Son, who made his advent to earth,
I believe that this family, did what was best,
By taking some time, enjoying much needed rest.
Before seeing the census taker, sent by Rome,
And starting on their arduous, journey back home,
Mary and Joseph, wisely spent some extra time,
Basking in the limelight, of parental sublime,
Finally, Joseph brought their visit to a close,
As he secured for Mary, some newly sewn clothes,
That she might look decent, before Rome’s magistrate,
Who came to carry out, the Emperor’s mandate.
But when they stood before him, the officer said,
“Name and residence please,” without lifting his head,
From the forms that were sprawled, beneath a quill in hand,
To fill in the blanks, according to his command.
The officer then said, “And the name of your wife,
Who I see has just recently, brought forth new life?”
Asked with no consideration, for their welfare,
Or concern for this couple, as if not to care.
And when Mary had given, her information,
The officer then asked, without hesitation,
“What’s the kid’s name, so that my records are complete,
That the next in line, this process I can repeat.”
‘Twas then that Joseph said, without hesitation,
“You must give to me, undivided attention,
For the name we’ve given this child, can not contain,
The scope of his life, for which our God did ordain.”
The first and official name, that this couple gave,
Was “Jesus,” which means, that his people God would save,
Through the life this child, would live in relationship
With our Creator, whose world was his authorship.
Then they reported, this child was destined to be,
The promised Messiah, that Israel hoped to see,
Or in Greek, “the Christ,” whom Israel longed to behold,
The one who would enable, God’s grace to unfold.
Yet again, they said, he’d be known as “Prince of Peace,”
Teaching love of neighbor, that hostilities cease,
To treat one another, as sister or brother,
So we might live in harmony, with each other.
Again he will be known, as “Son of Righteousness,”
Urging that each of us, treat others with fairness,
In the dealings we conduct, each and every day,
That justice for everyone, might become our sway.
Thus, some will refer to him, as a “Holy Light,”
To illumine the darkness, of our earthly plight,
As we fail to embrace, God’s defining precepts,
Substituting instead, our own human concepts.
Still others, “Lord,” would be the title that they give,
To this child of God, who came among us to live,
That God’s sovereignty, as the Creator of the earth,
Be afforded this child, to whom Mary gave birth.
Leading others to soon, refer to him as “King,”
That he might, through his Lordship, obedience bring,
Yielding our hearts to his will, that we might be one,
In honoring this child, as God’s incarnate Son.
Now we come to another name, given this boy,
Bringing to Mary and Joseph, such peace and joy,
Which enabled them, to through their struggles embrace,
That this child was preordained, to bring forth God’s grace.
“Emmanuel,” is the name, which means “God’s presence,”
Has come to dwell in the form, of human existence,
Not by ordinary means of procreation,
But by God’s Spirit, involved in his conception.
Well, I have taken much, poetic liberty,
In the hope that everyone here, might come to see,
That the child whose birth, we mark by dim candlelight,
Deserves to be honored, and worshiped on this night.
For as Mary and Joseph, came to understand,
That through this event, by yielding to God’s command,
They discovered the power, of God’s saving grace,
come among us to redeem, the whole human race.
For tonight we just begin, to tell the story,
Which this infant child, would reveal in full glory
Through his life and teachings, that we all might behold,
The extent of God’s love, that through him would unfold.
‘Tis my wish for you, this Christmas two-thousand-nine
That you might, through this poetic sermon of mine,
Open your heart, to the grace this child did give,
So we might with him, in God’s kingdom ever live.
Amen.
