“LET US GO OVER TO BETHLEHEM”

LUKE 2:1-20

2:1  In those days a decree went out from Ceasar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.

2  This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

3  And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city.

4  And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,

5  to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.

6  And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered.

7  And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling bands of cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

8  and in that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9  And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.

10  And the angel said to them, "Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will come to all the people;

11  for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

12  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger."

13  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

14  "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom he is pleased!"

15  When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us."

16  And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in the manger.

17  And when they saw it, they made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child;

18  and all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

19  But Mary kept all these things, pondering them in her heart.

20  And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

They were bored with life. I think that’s how some of the people felt on that holy night long ago. Take the shepherds for example. They were out in the fields doing what they had to do.  It wasn’t a glamorous job by any stretch of the imagination.  All you did was sit there in the cold and watch a bunch of sheep, hour after hour, day after day, week after week and month after month.  How’s that for excitement?

Then there was Joseph leading his wife and donkey on a tiresome journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem.  It wasn’t a journey that he wanted to make.  It was a journey that he was forced to make.  Everyone had to go to the town where they were born for the census that had been ordered by the emperor.  The census was ordered to make sure everyone paid their taxes.

When you come right down to it this is a story about taxes and boring jobs; a story about people going through the motions and trying to make sense of their lives; people trudging through the drudgery and wondering, “Is this all there is?  Something’s missing.”

The mood that night was probably similar to what a single mother felt one day.  According to the mother it was one of the worst days of her life.  It started off with the washing machine breaking down. Then the telephone kept ringing which didn’t help her headache.  If that wasn’t enough the mailman also showed up with a pile of bills which she didn’t have any money to pay.  Finally, as she lifted her fussy one-year-old into his highchair she lost it.  She leaned her head against the tray and began to cry.  At that point the mother said, “My son took the pacifier out of his mouth and stuck it in mine.”

Well, the answer to those questions won’t be found under the Christmas tree tomorrow morning.  The answer won’t be found by going out and looking for a new job. It won’t be found by moving into a bigger house. You also won’t find it by taking a vacation to some far away exotic place.

If you want a live with meaning you have to do what the shepherds did that night.  “Let us go over to Bethlehem,” they said, “and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

That’s what they did. The shepherds went over to Bethlehem and in doing that they went from being bored to being full of excitement and enthusiasm.  They returned to their fields glorifying and praising God for all that they had seen and heard.  That child in the stable gave them hope.  That child in the stable showed them that God’s love is real.  Suddenly everything made sense.  Suddenly life was worth living.

In a way this sacred story bring you face to face with an important question that you need to answer.   The question is simply this: Where is your life taking you?  Is it taking you over to Bethlehem or is it leading you away from Bethlehem?  Is it leading you closer to the child who came to dwell among us full of grace and truth or is leading you away from the child who was and is the light of the world?

That’s a really important question especially since we live in a society that is constantly finding new ways to lead us farther and farther away from Bethlehem. After all, we live in a society where you don’t call them Christmas trees anymore.  They’re holiday trees. We live in a society where you can’t say “Merry Christmas” because it might offend someone.  We live in a society where they play football games on Christmas even and the stores are open on Sunday morning. Yes, we live in a society that is constantly finding new ways to lead us away from Bethlehem.

That’s why it isn’t hard to understand what a little girl named Sachi was thinking one day when she surprised her parents. It happened shortly after they brought her new baby brother home from the hospital. Sachi kept asking them to let her spend a minute alone with the baby.  The parents hesitated though. They were afraid that Sachi might be jealous of the baby.  After a while it became obvious that she wasn’t.  So they agreed to let Sachi spend a minute alone with the baby.  Just to be safe though they kept the door open just a little so they could watch her.  What Sashi did amazed them.  Quietly, she walked over to the crib and put her face close to the baby’s face. Then she whispered, “Baby, tell me what God feels like.  I’m starting to forget.”  (Chicken Soup For the Soul, p.290)

Long ago another baby was born in a dark and dingy stable to help us remember what God feels like.  So, let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.  Let us go over tonight and tomorrow and the day after that and find the child who’s grace and truth makes life worth living.  Amen.

Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes

December 24, 2005