Friday, December 28, 2007

Will We Choose Jesus After Christmas?

By the age of twelve, both of my parents had died. Fortunately, I have two older sisters, both of whom were willing to take me in. I settled into life with one of them, Judy and her husband, Charles. I was not adopted, but to some degree that is what happened. There is a deep and abiding love when you adopt someone.
That had to be the way Joseph, the father of Jesus, felt. He knew the child was not his, yet he became the boy’s father. In the biblical account of Matthew 1:18-25, we find that Joseph is perplexed about how to handle his situation. At first he decides to divorce Mary. In those days, Jewish marriages had three stages. First, the families would have agreed to the marriage. Second, the marriage would have been made public (this is the stage Joseph and Mary are in at this point in the story). And finally, the marriage would have been completed with a ceremony. The text says, “Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly” Had Joseph made a fuss, Mary might well have been accused of adultery and stoned to death. Even if he felt betrayed, he still cared enough for her to dismiss her quietly. It is likely that he would have continued through with the marriage and later gotten a divorce paper from a Pharisee or Sadducee as the Law required.
But God knew Joseph and wanted him to be Jesus’ earthly father. God sent an angel to tell Joseph about the miraculous birth and that Mary had been faithful to him. Would Joseph listen to his dream about the angel or would he do as he had planned. The Bible says, “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.” Joseph did not hesitate. He listened to the angel and was obedient.
At our church, we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas holiday celebration. It was festive and joyful as we sang Christmas songs, watched kids dress in bathrobes and sheets to reenact the birth of Jesus, and filled the sanctuary with light as we lit each other’s Christmas Eve candle. But… now what???
Just like Joseph, we must move forward. As any parent knows… having the baby is only the beginning of the work. Now comes the dirty diapers, feedings at 3 a.m., and overall care of the child. So too, the church, the body of Christ, must be cared for. There is worship to plan, education events for kids and adults, fellowship dinners, maintenance to do and so many other things that are not glamorous or always fun… but needed. I think about those who only attend at Christmas and Easter and I guess they don’t really get it. Caring for the Christ child isn’t simply done at His birth or the event of His death. It is a year round, life-long, commitment. Not one of drudgery, but a commitment of thankfulness for the new life and the joy that Christ brings. Our love for Him is slight compared to His love for us. Will you take Jesus into your home after Christmas?Will you love Him and care for Him? I pray that you will.

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