Ready or Not Luke 2:1-7
Here we are, Sunday morning. Sunday comes every seven days. And it’s expected that I have a somewhat meaningful message to deliver, whether I’ve had time this week to prepare or not. Sometimes the events of the week leave me little time to write a sermon. And much like Sundays, December 25TH, Christmas, comes at the same time each year whether we’re ready for it or not.
Like I get busy some weeks, we can cram some much into a short season; sending cards, buying and wrapping gifts, decorating, cooking; time can get away from us. But we get help don’t we; stores are open later, we can buy pies and other foods pre-made, even trees today come pre decorated. Amazingly, time is made for our outward observation of Christmas.
And as our society makes more time for us to prepare, somehow, we fill it all up and still feel rushed. And in all the time we spend rushing around preparing for Christmas, do we take even a little time each day and set it aside for Jesus?
I understand this because I am in the same boat. But what if Joseph said, “I don’t care what Augustus wants, I have a lot of cabinets to build, I don’t have time to travel to Bethlehem for a census.” For that matter, what if God said, “I’m running the entire universe, I don’t have time to waste on those people on earth. I don’t have time to send my Son.” And what of Mary, did she say, “No, find someone else, I’m about to get married. I have to start a home. I’m embarking on a new life with new responsibilities and obligations. I don’t have time to have a baby.”
Our readings verse 6, “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born.” Galatians 4:4, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son…” In these two verses is the entirety of the theology of the incarnation. The baby, born of a woman, Mary; this baby, God’s Son; this baby is totally human and yet this baby is totally divine. For today, however, I want to look at these two verses in relation to a word in both, time. Christmas is about our God who made time for us. It’s about our God who came at the right time for us.
Verse 7, “and she gave birth to her first born, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room available for them.”
Our tradition says Mary and Joseph went to an Inn, but the innkeeper said he had no rooms. This man reminds me of many in today’s world. This man had rooms to clean, food to prepare, guests to entertain. He wasn’t unsympathetic, he wasn’t being mean. He was just busy, too busy to see what was happening right in front of him. Today we can get so busy decorating, shopping, preparing; we can get so busy with the commotion of Christmas we miss Christ, even though he’s right in front of us.
How about Herod? He was king and did all he could do to continue in that capacity. Herod was king and he wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone supplant him.
And today? Christmas is a time of lights and carols, and trees, but the greater message of God on earth, it’s this message is pushed aside. Even the brightness of the Christmas season cannot make everyone see Jesus is King. Too many throughout time see themselves as the center of their lives. To them, faithfulness to anyone else, including God, is simply unthinkable.
What about the Pharisees? Think how they studied scripture. They knew very well what the Prophet’s said about the coming of the Messiah. The Magi saw the star rise, those leaders in Jerusalem must have seen it too. And yet only the Magi and the shepherds came.
One could make the argument that God prevented these in Jerusalem from seeing the star, however, the magi approached Herod and the chief priests and none of these theological experts bothered to travel the five miles to Bethlehem to see for themselves if the Messiah had been born. Why? Why didn’t they have time for Jesus? Simply, they didn’t have time for the savior because they felt they didn’t need him. They had all the facts about the Messiah, but they were self-righteous. They believed they were already doing everything God asked of them.
What about now? Jesus came to the world for people with the problem of sin and were able to see it. Indifferent and self-righteous people ignore their sin, and they ignore Jesus. These people don’t see or care about the solution because they don’t see or care about the problem.
There’s a story about a man who asked his friend, “I heard there’s two major problems in America today, ignorance and apathy. What do you think?” The friend replied, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”
In Jesus time, the religious leaders saw themselves above the people, they saw themselves as perfect and blameless. Today, I think we should beware of any religious leader who says they have it all figured out, any leader who says, “my way is the only right way,” Beware any leader who thinks they are above those they minister to. If you go to a minister with something heavy on your mind, if you go to a minster because of a sin that is crushing you, and that minister makes you feel worse leaving than when you got there, find another minister. A minister is not there to condemn you. He or she is there to ease your soul and lead you back to Christ through scripture, through love, through understanding, and with God’s help.
And the last group of people I want to look to are those people in Bethlehem. They saw the star, heard of the baby, and wanted to check it out. But they never got around to it. These are the procrastinators. There are procrastinators in every generation. They’ve heard the gospel but don’t see the urgency.
There’s a legend that says Satan asked his demons how to convince people not to turn to Jesus. One said, “Tell them there’s no heaven.” “No,” said Satan, “That won’t work.” Another said, “Tell them there’s no hell.” Again, Satan said, “No, that won’t work.” The third demon said, “Tell them there’s plenty of time, there’s no hurry, tomorrow’s good.” That demon’s message is still at work among men.
We are celebrating Christmas this week, the day Jesus came into the world he created to a people many of whom have no time for him. I say make time. Don’t procrastinate. Accept Christ and turn to him because time is limited. Our ability to accept Christ ends when our lives do, and no one knows when that will be.
Don’t be the innkeeper. Don’t let the fervor of the Christmas season prevent you from seeing Christ is right in front of you.
And I ask you to remember, many saw the star, but few came to see Jesus. Don’t be like the many who celebrate Christmas, but don’t celebrate Christ. Be the Magi and seek him out, at Christmas, and all the year.
Amen
And Merry Christmas.