- I would assume, that almost everybody here has one of these set up in there home. If you haven’t yet, you probably will at some point soon. Some have real ones, others have fake ones. It all depends on your family tradition. The tradition of my brother-in-laws is to not only get a real tree, but to get the biggest tree they can find. So when you go to their house, you feel like you have just walked into the middle of a forest. And not only do you have a tree in your house, but your probably starting to pile up gifts below the tree. Some of you put them out a little at a time, and others don’t put any out until Christmas morning.
- Growing up my parents would put some under the tree, just to tease us kids along. But, the big gifts, the ones we were really looking forwards to would be hidden away some where. At least, they thought it was hidden. But every year, when my parents were away from the house, I would go on a Scavenger hung, and I would find my gifts. Now, my parents thought they were being smart, and they would wrap them, just in case I found them out. But, what they didn’t realize is that I was a master at pulling the tape away, seeing what was inside, and resealing the tape without a trace of any mischief. So when Christmas rolled around, I already knew everything I was going to get. Which meant I had to work hard at acting surprised whenever I opened my gifts. But, my parents starting catching on, so they would hide my presents at the neighbors house.
- Well, for any child, and for any adult, an exciting part of the Christmas holiday is the gift-giving and the gift-receiving. To see those gifts under the tree, to know that some are for you, and some are from you, the anticipation of unwrapping that gift, and seeing what somebody got for you, the excitement of seeing someone unwrap a gift you bought, and seeing their expression of joy. It’s a wonderful part of Christmas.
- And almost all gifts given at Christmas are wrapped with beautiful paper, and perhaps a bow... like this gift. And we take pride in the presentation of the gift, knowing that it really is an expression of our love for the person we are giving it to. From a child’s gift bought at a school santa fair, to a spouse’s gift picked out with enduring love. The gift is a small token, a tiny expression of the love that motivates the giving of the gift. I guess you can say, the greatest gifts given, are the ones given with love.
- And so we read, about the gift given to the world on Christmas morning. Instead of giving it under a tree, it was given in a manger. Instead of a gift wrapped in paper, it was wrapped in cloth. Instead of a gift opened at home, it was a gift delivered in a strangers cave in Bethlehem.
- Listen anew to one of the most well known stories of human history... Matt 1:18-23
- What a gift? But, for Joseph and Mary, they were thinking it was a gift they would like to return, or at least exchange. I mean think about it, Joseph receives the shocking news that his wife is pregnant, and he is not the father... which makes Mary, well it makes Mary something he doesn’t want to marry. Sure the angel assures him that Mary is actually a virgin and all she said was true. But try telling that to the village people, try telling that to the people he worked with, socialized with, went to synogogue with. News travels fast in Ipava, and my guess is it traveled just as fast in Nazareth.
- And poor Mary, the last thing a 9 month pregnant woman wants to do is travel 70 miles to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey. And with a pregnant woman who has to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes it must have taken twice as long. And to make matters worse, when the labor pains kicked in, where would she deliver, but in a strange place, with animals surrounding her.
- The way this gift was wrapped, I think Mary and Joseph were ready for a refund. Ohhh, but when the gift was delivered, everything changed. When the gift finally came, when the baby was finally born... Joseph and Mary forgot about the donkey ride, they forgot about the gossips and talk behind their back, they didn’t even notice that their child would have to spend his first night in an animal feeding trough with cow dung not far off. The gift, which seemed so unexpected and unreasonable at first, now became invaluable.
- And what was the gift? Sure, it was Jesus, we’re smart enough to realize that. But, more than that, what was the gift that God gave to not only Joseph and Mary, but to the entire world. What was the gift God decided to give to the world 2000 years ago on the first Christmas morning when Jesus was born?
- Well it was a gift given in response to a feeling we all have sometimes. In fact I overheard a conversation just a few days ago between two ladies of our church whose names I’ll keep concealed. And one of the ladies was sharing some difficulties times she and her family had been going through. Some trying times that were weighing down on her. And in a moment of transparency and honesty, she exclaimed, "I feel like my life is in turmoil."
- My guess is she’s not alone this morning. If each one of us were that transparent and honest, we could all say that we know how that feels. We have all felt like our life was in turmoil. And maybe you feel that way this morning. And I don’t no why this is, but it always seems like the holidays, especially this holiday, causes this feeling of turmoil more than any other time of year. Ironic isn’t it... the season were we celebrate the coming of the Prince of Peace, is the season we experience the most turmoil, and stress, and pressure. It’s not supposed to be that way though!
- But, we all know that feeling, that feeling of turmoil. When the world seems to be crashing in on you, when things seem out of control, when the heartache is too much to bear, the addiction to hard to overcome, the sin to great to forgive. We all know that feeling of bitterness, of anger, of hostility towards other people, even family. We all know that sense of loss, of loneliness, of depression. We all have felt that crunch of worry... worry about our kids, about our money, about our future. We all have dealt with that illusion that says "too much to do, too little time." And that is an illusion you know! We all have suffered through that feeling of turmoil.
- Ultimately what we are asking in those moments, the question we are seeking an answer to so often is... where is God? Where is he in this world? Where is he on this earth? Where is God in my life? Where is he? That is the ultimate question. It’s a question that has been asked through the ages. The Israelites of the OT asked that question, and so the prophet Isaiah about 700 years before Christ was born assured them...
"The Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and you will call him Immanuel."
- And poor Joseph and Mary,they wondered where God was. In the midst of the confusion. In the midst of the rough journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem. In the midst of a strange place... they wondered I am sure to themselves... where is God?
- And now 2000 years later we are still asking the same question. Hoping to get an answer. Even those of us who are long time Christians wonder where he is? Even those who have never stepped foot in the church wonder where God is?
- You have probably never heard of the island of Molokai. Well, it’s located in the state of Hawaii. And it has quite a history. You have to go way back to the late 1800’s to understand its significance. You see, back then, there was no cure for the highly contagious and deadly disease called leprosy. A disease that would attack the extremities of the body, the ears, the toes, the nose, the fingers. A horrible dreadful disease which today is curable, But, it wasn’t back then.
- So, in order to keep the disease at bay. In order to keep it from spreading and creating an epidemic, the government would send lepers to a colony on the island of Molakai where they would be secluded and isolated from those who were not infected with the disease.
- Well, in 1873, there was a young, brave Catholic priest named Father Damien who volunteered to spend his life serving the people secluded on the island of Molokai. When he arrived, he was was startled to see people who were not only suffering physically, but socially, and emotionally, and spiritually. In the leper colony he saw extreme drunkenness, immorality, abuse, and an overall sense of hopelessness. What he saw were people who desparetly needed to know the answer to a question we all ask... where is God? They needed God’s presence in their life.
- And so, in 1873, Father Damien lived among the 700 lepers. Knowing the dangers, realizing the inevitable results of so much personal contact with a highly contagious disease. He built hospitals, clinics, and churches and built some 600 coffins. And the whole while he was giving them the answer to that question... where is God?
- And whenever a church service was held. He would stand up in front of the lepers, and he would warmly, and lovingly address them as "my dear brethren." But then one morning in 1885, at the age of 45, in a calm clear voice, instead of "my dear brethren," he began with, "My fellow lepers, I am one of you now."
- You see it was out of love that a humble priest became one of the them. Out of love he gave those lepers a gift that would change their life for all of eternity. He shared with them the answer to the ever present question... "Where is God?" And the only way he could give them the answer is by becoming one of them.
- And so it is with God. He wants all of us to be aware of the answer to that question. In the busyness of the holidays, in the rush of the shopping, in the midst of the despair and loneliness, in the middle of the turmoil we all face from time to time... God wants us all to be aware of the gift he has given the world. A gift he gave by becoming one of us. He became a human, he took on our sickness, our diseases, our sin. And he ultimately and eternally answered the question that plagues all of humanity. Where is God? God is with us. That is the gift of Christmas. A gift we can accept or refuse. The gift of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us.
