“Talk to the Animals”
Matthew 2: 1-12 Ephesians 3: 1-12
There was this donkey that was living a very normal donkey life. He was well taken care of and often just laid around until his master needed him to do some chores such as gathering fire wood or an occasional trip to town to get some supplies.
He was a happy and content little donkey and his name was Jamie.
Now one day there was all this commotion going on and the next thing Jamie knew was he was loaded up with provisions and apparently going on a trip. He was excited for a few minutes until his master Joseph placed another load which was a very pregnant woman on his back.
He had no idea where they were headed but onward they went.
Come to find out later that his master Joseph said that it was 70 miles to where they were going.
No Jamie had never traveled over 4 miles at the most and without this big load on his back.
They traveled by day and rested by night and after 4 days of traveling they made it to this tiny town of Bethlehem.
Boy Jamie thought now I can get some much needed rest and maybe get a good meal.
But Oh no, every place in town was booked up and people were running around everywhere, and Joseph could not find a place to stay.
Then wouldn’t you know it this very pregnant lady starts to scream and moan and yelled its coming.
Bout scared the pants off me if I had pants.
Someone said hey there a place in the barn you can stay and get out of the weather.
I thought to myself things are starting to look up, cause I was born in a barn and I know they have hay there.
Well we get to the barn which was more a cave than anything and then the lady screams louder and the next thing I know is I hear a baby cry, oh great another passenger.\
And to top it off they placed the baby in the feed box. Well there goes my dinner.
Well after all the commotion was over my master did bring me some grain and told me I had to sleep outside.
Oh well, it was a nice night anyway.
Just as I was about to get some much needed sleep, wouldn’t you know it I hear a bunch of sheep coming in our direction,
Well I’m not sharing my grain with them, they will have to find their own.
I noticed that the shepherds came closer and closer, then they all went into the barn and they knelt down at my feed box. And were all laughing and praying. I though to myself have you never see a baby before.
Well they all left and took those smelly sheep with them. I probably should not have eaten all the grain up.
Then in the morning someone came and told my master that they had a house they could stay at and Joseph took his wife and baby and moved into a house. I don’t know if I want to eat in that feed box now.
Life was pretty good now it has been a couple of years and I’m really starting to gain weight.
Should not have eaten all that grain up at once. The sheep made me do it.
I was sitting outside the barn one night it was clear and bright and this big old star kept shining almost like daylight over that house.
I was tied up by the barn when I looked and saw a whole caravan of camels coming towards the house.
It looked like some sort of circus or something. Then the caravan stopped where we were, and the camels bent down and men got off and headed toward the house and I had no way of letting my master know that something was up.
The only thing I could think of was yelling as loud as I could, He Haw, He haw.
That did the trick, Joseph came out and had a stunned look on his face but he let the strangers in.
I broke loose from my post and went to the window to see what was going on.
Needless to say I was confused. These guys knelt down to the little boy and paid him homage, just like those shepherds did a few years ago those guys with the smelly sheep.
They placed gifts at his feet and blessed him and his mother.
Then one of those nosy camels came up to me and said, hey what are you doing?
I was taken back a little because these guys were huge.
The camel came and introduced himself, he said my name is Clyde, this is my sister Claudette, and over there is my brother Harper.
Nice to meet you “I said” but where did you guys come from.
We came from a long way off, well so did I brother and it was no picnic. I traveled 70 miles to get here with a load of stuff and a big pregnant woman to boot.
Oh Jamie, that’s nothing we have been on the road for almost a year and a half and we are loaded down with tents, food, water and gifts they brought for the little boy.
Jamie said “Well how in the world did you find us?”
We followed that big bright star up there until it came to rest right over this house.
It wasn’t easy, we stopped of at the palace 3 miles back and this guy with a crown on his head who seemed a little scary told us to go find this child and then go back and tell him where he is.
Our masters were not particularly pleased with that notion.
Ok Clyde lets go back over to that window and see what’s up.
And Jamie Clyde, Claudette, and Harper all went to the window and listened in.
The first wise man said “I bring you gold to worship the king“.
The second said “ I bring you Frankincense it is very costly perfume”.
The third said, “I bring you Myrrh a costly and bitter perfume”
Jamie said they should have brought some grain too.
Clyde said “Hush, and listen.”
The wise men to Joseph to leave this place for they feared the king.
Then they were getting ready to leave, and Clyde told Jamie well my friend I hope to see you again someday.
And Clyde, Claudette, and Harper were mounted up and were heading off in a different direction.
Jamie had to think about what had just happened and went to the window again to see if everything was OK.
Just as he was going to the window and angel walked by Jamie and the angel said be very quiet I need to talk to Joseph.
Jamie was very quiet when the angel went to Joseph while he was sleeping and bent down and whispered in his ear. “Joseph get up now take your wife and son and flee to Egypt and stay there until I send for you.
Joseph ran out of the house grabbed Jamie, loaded him up again and this time he loaded up Mary and this little boy Jesus and began the trip to Egypt.
Jamie said “ I was hoping to settle down here and now on the road again, but this time it was to save the life of my family.”
I will have a great story to tell my children and grandchildren, if I ever live through this. My feet are tired.
Amen, and amen.
