When The World Became Bigger

When the World Became Bigger

Christmas Eve 2020

Brad Bailey

Note: This message was developed for the year in which a pandemic effected all gathering. As such, and used for outdoor in-person gatherings. While there is initial reference to how people may feel “contained” due to the restrictions felt during that season, it can just as easily be applied to the common ways in which many may feel life’s forces to contain and control ... and measure life outwardly.

Intro

My added warm welcome to you in this unusual opportunity to gather in the brisk outdoors on this Christmas Eve.

I couldn’t help but think about all the ways in which our lives may feel more contained this year. For months we have felt the effects of our various worlds being contained ...whether in work, school, social life, travel, and so much of what we just go out and do in life. I imagine that many of us feel our world has become smaller.

So tonight, I want to invite us to consider how big our the world we live in really is...how big the world you know as your life...really is.

I believe God wants us to see that the event of the first Christmas brings a whole new dimension to the way we think about how big our personal lives really are.

I want to invite us to think about Mary...the earthly mother of Christ...and what is involved when heaven is brought to earth. Likely no more than 15 years old... God had communicated that she was now bearing a child... whom He had created in her... that would be the savior of the world. For Mary... a mystery had begun...the creator of the universe... was now within the intimate and fragile nature of her own body.

Nothing could be more powerful and profound...but also... nothing could be more perplexing. Because... nothing around her seemed to correlate with what was within her.

Imagine with me... how much was at work to control and contain her life....and define her life as small... cut off from any great hope by all the forces of this world.

There was the force of a governing empire.... notably the Roman Empire. Never has an empire so boldly believed that it was destined to rule over all. This empire had now taken control of the land of the Jewish people... and it put in place a local Jewish King to manage the people. But as one historian described... “everyone knew that Rome was the power behind the throne.” [1a]

Imagine how the world felt to Mary... as part of the Jewish people Mary was rooted in people being called out by the one true God and creator... and yet now a pagan empire ... the Roman Empire...has surrounded her life... and shown the power to contain and control her life... as a subject of their rule. Imagine the strange position she was in... as source of all creation has conceived a life within your womb... while you are surrounded by a human empire... whose message was so clear...the message was that you may live...but only as a subject who must show allegiance...and understand how little your place is in the world.

And then there was the power of all the circumstances that seemed to have stolen the hope of finding her significance in this world. As a young woman betrothed to be married...this was to finally be her time of being honored... a time when she was given a larger place in the community...but now that was suddenly all reversed. She was with child. It was the experience that every girl knew was usually blessed with smiles and honor. But no one would believe her...no one would understand what God was doing. All the eyes of communal pride now became the looks of disappointment. What would usually have been her time of communal fame... became that of communal shame. The hope of inclusion into communal honor... was one of exclusion. The future she had hoped for... just disappeared... and her world couldn’t get much smaller.

But it did... because Caesar, the ruler of Rome, had declared that everyone must return to their hometowns for a census... and her husband to be was from Bethlehem. Here she was... with the time coming near for this child to be born into the world... with hopes that at least her parents might be there to support her... but no...she will have to travel a hundred miles on foot and donkey... likely 7 or 8 days... sleeping outside where the nights are cold...and when she arrives... there really is no room. Quite literally her world would be reduced to a tiny stable.

Everything was making her world separated and small.

Maybe as you imagine what she felt... you can sense how there are forces that seek to contain and control your world... to isolate you... to make your world small. Maybe you believe that God has come to you in some way... and entered your world...but there are competing forces.