Beginnings
Originally scheduled for December 23
Elementary school teachers of any experience
will tell you that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that
attracts a crowd of fifth grade girls quite like a newborn baby in a
stroller. The attraction is almost magnetic. Interestingly, most
adults think of this as a teachable moment, a chance to explain to
the girls just how much trouble a newborn baby can be. It doesn’t
seem to help very much.
The truth is that human beings love new
beginnings. It is a God-given fact that young girls see a newborn
baby as being absolutely precious. The natural view of a new human
being is one of hope; we see great things ahead and monumental
cuteness now.
Adults tend to view the arrival of a new baby
somewhat differently. As a practical point of fact we tend to have a
parallel to the Wise Men who attended Christ’s birth — we call it a
baby shower. While the Wise Men are the source of the custom of
giving gifts at Christmas, the practical matter of fact is that a
newborn baby needs a lot of things. The selection of baby gifts that
Mary received was fittingly different than what we would ordinarily
give. It might be reasonable to conclude however that there were no
fifth-graders involved; after all, Mary and Joseph were new in town
and they were living in a stable. It’s a humble way to start a life,
being born in a place away from family and friends. The birth of
Christ was the same as the birth of any of the rest of us — only
different.
So why do we celebrate the birth of Christ?
·
First, because it is the supreme
miracle of all time: the Incarnation. It is the time in which God,
the creator of all things and the rumor of the universe, became one
of us. His status as ruler was confirmed by the choir of angels and
the gifts of the Wise Men; his status as human being was confirmed
by a stable and shepherds.
·
Second, because it is the birth of
the supreme Person of humankind: the Christ. No other human being
has had nearly the influence on human thought and human action as
Jesus of Nazareth, the babe of Bethlehem.
·
Perhaps the greatest reason is this:
the birth in the manger is necessary for the supreme sacrifice of
the Cross. Mary was warned that a sword would pierce her heart. Were
it not for that sacrifice, Jesus of Nazareth would join the long
list of teachers of man — and no more.
So as you partake of Communion today, remember
that the babe in the manger became the man on the Cross. His shed
blood, his body are before you. Remember the sacrifice that makes
you clean.
