God is able.: Thoughts on Christmas

Friday, November 23, 2012

Thoughts on Christmas

As Christmas is approaching, it is the time of year that we read the Christmas Story. You know the one I mean, Luke chapter 2. I was wondering where to read next in the Bible and my husband suggested I read Luke. I dove into chapter one and as I read about Mary, I was just amazed at her reponse to the angel's message to her. We have this Godly, Jewish, young teenage girl who is engaged to be married to a Godly Jewish man and God tells her she will become pregnant. Think of the shame that she will experience in her culture at that time. What will her fiance think when she tells him she is still a virgin, but she is pregnant. 'Don't worry Joseph, it is the son of God.' As the angel is telling her that the Spirit of God will come upon her and she will be carrying God in the flesh, as a baby, what is going through her head? I can only imagine she is thinking about how crazy it sounds to her and how she knows people will respond to finding out her 'condition'. But what is her response to the angel? Have you ever seen such humility and willingness in a young woman? She said, "I am the Lord's servant. May everything you have said about me come true." God knew her well, obviously, her response is challenging to my own heart. I know I am not that humble. Could I really be that willing to do whatever God would ask of me? I hope that I would respond to anything God would ask me to do in the same, humble and willing way that Mary did.

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Ephesians 4.1-16

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men." (What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.