You
will probably not be surprised to learn that as a kid—I had my own nativity
set. Every Christmas I would lovingly
set it up in my bedroom next to my small,
Charlie Brown looking Christmas tree.
You will also probably not be surprised to
find out I would play with said Nativity set—the wise men would come across the desert to visit the baby Jesus-the
donkey would he-haw and awaken the baby -Mary would try to “shoosh” the donkey
and the shepherds followed the star and were amazed.
My
parents also had a nativity set, but I was not allowed to play with it was
porcelain or ceramic and easily broken by young hands.
One
of the differences between the two sets is that they actually had a stable-not that
different than the stable right down there and they had straw to put on the
floor of the stable.
I
didn’t have a stable and I certainly didn’t get straw for my bedroom.
The
story of birth of Jesus as it has been passed to us and popularized in
paintings, and song and in our minds-eye took place in a stable. The pageant our children did last Sunday
dramatized a compassionate innkeeper offering up his stable because he felt bad
for the pregnant woman because his inn was full.
That’s
how we’ve come to believe the birth of Jesus took place—but what if we have
that little bit of the story not quite right?
Let’s
take a look at the story for a minute.
Remember the story begins with Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem
because the Roman leadership wanted to take a census-- so
folks were told to return to ancestral lands to be counted.
Now
what we know about hospitality at the time was that Joseph would not have had
any trouble finding lodging even at a distant relatives house. All he would have to do is knock on the door
and announce his lineage---I am the son
of so and so who’s the son of so and so who’s the son of so and so and his
relatives would have been compelled to offer him three square meals and a bed.
Now
I know some of you thinking ---But what
about the line—there was no room at the inn—Ian Paul, theologian and professor
at the University of Nottingham asserts—that
rather than translating the greek word kataluma to inn it might be better translated to
guestroom—there was no room in the guest room.[1] Sorry
for blowing that up.
In those times the houses would have one large living area where a family would
reside and another area where they would house guests and a third area on the
lower level where the animals would live.
Hence Jesus being laid in a feeding trough/manger.
So
when Joseph arrived—the guestroom was full because there were a lot of other
relatives in town for the census-- but
that wouldn’t have mattered because in that day, in that culture, you made room
for your family-- his relative would
have made room and Jesus was probably born not out in the stable or in the
guest room away from everyone, but in the midst of 2nd cousin once
removed- Thomas and great uncle Billy
and his wife sally and his daughter bobby jo and probably when they needed a
place to stash the newborn somewhere—they wrapped him and put him in a feed
trough maybe on the lower level.
What
difference does it make you might ask?
Jesus born out in a stable by himself or among the throngs of family and
friends.
Folks,
we believe that Christmas is that moment long ago when God stepped out of
heaven and became a person -- Eugene Peterson in his paraphrase of the Bible,
The message says that incarnation—Christmas is about God moving into to the
neighborhood.
I’ve
heard others say that the incarnation—is when God pitched his tent in our
midst.
Jesus born into an overcrowded house among
family reminds us that God in Jesus plants himself firmly and squarely in our
lives and in our world--- we are reminded that God doesn’t reside in some distant corner
of the universe, but that he steps right into our lives and pitches his tent
with us.
And
that is why this day is so joyous-why we sing Joy to the world the Lord has come—Jesus
has pitched his tent, he’s moved into the neighborhood.
Xmas
reminds us that Jesus has pitched a tent in the midst of our sadness and
disappointments—he not removed from the trials and travails- becomes a shoulder to cry—he calls out to us
saying, “come to me all who are heavy laden and I will refresh you.”
He
is light in the midst of our darkness.
Xmas
reminds us and we rejoice that Jesus has pitched his tent in the midst of our squabbles and in the midst of our wars-- he becomes our prince of peace and challenges
us to be peacemakers-to turn the other cheek- to love enemies and pray for
those who persecute us.
Xmas
reminds us and we rejoice that Jesus has pitched his tent in the midst of our
happiness and good fortunes and invites us to share our happiness and good
fortune with those who maybe have had a bad break.
Xmas
is a reminder that Jesus has pitched his tent in the world—bringing the kingdom
of God from the doorstep of heaven to our very doorstep—he invites us into that kingdom
where the blind see, the lame walk, the poor have good news brought to them.
Barbara
Brown Taylor an Episcopal priest said in a Christmas sermon many years ago——“Any
one of us who have prayed to be transported into God’s presence this Christmas
will get our wish—only not, perhaps in the way we thought. None of heaven’s
escalators are going up tonight.” She said. “Everybody up there is coming down tonight—right here, right into our
own Bethlehem, bringing us the God who has decided to make his home in our
arms.” [2]
God
has pitched his tent in our lives and that means God is with us and that makes all the
difference.
Merry Christmas.
AMEN
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