The Family Strife That Stole Christmas

Man, is it not easy to get lost in the world view of Christmas, the presents, traditions, the hustle and bustle. The busy malls, the bony music, and Mariah Carey music fill everywhere. I wonder if you can relate to this video because I believe that sometimes, even for us, we miss what Christmas is about. We got so used to the Christmas story. , the manger, the angels, Mary's vivistiation of the angel. The virgin birth, how she and Joseph walked to find a place to stay.

But we sometimes need to catch the story's finer details, and the birth of Jesus is way more intricate than what we are used to. And this is what we are looking at in the series, on how the Grinch stole certain aspects of our lives. Last week, Ryan spoke about persecution, and I was so happy to hear that I am not the only one who, when at a braai, can't make it awkward so quickly. You know Jesus turned water into wine? Well, we can do the opposite, turning beer into Coke Zero.

We all have family in some way, shape, and form, but the thing is, we do not get to choose them; yes, you choose your husband or wife, but you do not get to choose your siblings, mom or dad, the uncle we do not speak about, the cousins. But we all have them. You see, I think that has been happening over the last few years is that the devil has come for men with masculinity issues; we see it with women(what is a woman) and men in women's sports, but the devil is after something God created the most and is trying to destroy it while we are looking the other way.

There is a story in the bible where a family did not even have a chance of being a family because of strife. Now strife means angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.

You see, right at the beginning of the Christmas story, we see this: Luke 1:26-30 (HCSB) In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, "Rejoice, favoured woman! The Lord is with you." 29 But she was deeply troubled by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her: Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.

So Gabriel tells her hey, you going to have a son, and a child will be born. And Mary asks this question: Luke 1:34-35 (HCSB) Mary asked the angel, "How can this be since I have not been intimate with a man?" 35 The angel replied: "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.

So for us, this is like, yes, it makes sense, easy peasy lemon squeezy, but I want you to understand what is happening here. The Holy Spirit was not present like He is now. He was there only in instances, so for a human like Mary to first see an angel is a big thing, and now she will be pregnant, and no man will have touched her. Come on, what would you say if your friend or child said? Guess what, guys? I am pregnant by the Holy Spirit, not by my future husband. What would your reaction be? How would you respond?

Now, you need to understand the cultural perspective of what was happening this year and the implications of what could have happened. Jewish society was deeply rooted in Mosaic Law, which had clear stipulations regarding marital fidelity and sexual conduct. An engagement or betrothal was a binding agreement, and any sexual relations outside of this were considered a breach of this covenant.

The Cultural and Social implications were this.

In Jewish culture, betrothal (kiddushin) was almost as legally binding as marriage. It was a formal and public declaration of intent to marry. Breaking a wedding required a formal divorce process and carried significant stigma, especially for the woman.

Mary's pregnancy during the betrothal period would have been perceived as a grave violation of social and religious norms. It could be seen as an act of infidelity, bringing shame not only to Mary and Joseph but also to their families. The potential accusation of adultery was serious. Adultery was condemned in Jewish law and could lead to severe social ostracization.

This would already be created from the start. What the angel was asking here from Mary was already a massive undertaking for her. But I love Mary's response.