Christmas Thoughts, Part Three

The circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, God’s Son, show us that God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise.  (I Corinthians 1:27) His Kingdom is not of this world.

Consider the reality of what Joseph and Mary experienced at the birth of Jesus:

·         They were under oppressive Roman rule with heavy taxes

·         Mary had to travel with Joseph to be taxed; there were no airplanes, luxury cars, trains or public transportation.  Mary had a long, bumpy ride on the boney back of donkey, plodding along mile after mile after mile.  It's likely Joseph had a donkey too.  Did they get rained on?  Were they hot or cold?

·         There were no phones, no computers, no Census Bureau that mailed a census questionnaire to their home, no H&R Block and no IRS to collect their taxes.  It was a person to person transaction.

·         Mary and Joseph were far away from home, and she was totally dependent on God and the husband he'd given her.

·         There was no place to stay because all the inns were full.  There was no comfortable Hilton Hotel, and for all practical purposes, they were homeless.

·         No sterile hospital welcomed Mary as she went into labor.  She didn’t have the aid and comfort of a mother or a midwife to attend to her needs.  But God himself helped her; he attended his own Son’s birth!  I believe Psalm 22:9-10 talks about this: “Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother’s breast.  From birth I was cast upon you; from my mother’s womb you have been my God.”

·         I wonder if Joseph felt inadequate as a man when he couldn’t provide Mary with decent sleeping accommodations.  I wonder if he was terrified at the thought of having to attend to the birth process himself.  Did he feel faint at the sight of blood?  Did he feel helpless in knowing what to do?  

·         Jesus was born in a smelly, unsanitary stable, and Joseph certainly couldn’t boil any water in that stable!  Jesus’ birth came in the lowliest possible way. 

·         There were no baby showers with relatives, friends and well-wishers, no party food or celebration, and no gifts of fine clothing.  But God saw to it that the Wise Men brought Him valuable gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

·         No birth announcements were sent to relatives, yet God announced it from the heavens through the lowest caste of society.

·         Shepherds were at their post, guarding their sheep from wolves and predators in a field at night when an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the brightness of heaven’s presence lit up the entire area around them, and they were terrified by the supernatural occurrence.  Here again, as to Mary, the angel spoke peace to them. “Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.  This will be a sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (KJV)

·         In entrusting His message to lowly shepherds, God elevated them to a place of honor. 

·         God provided a lavish display of heaven’s joy as a great host of angels filled the sky, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”  His Kingdom had made its entrance into the earth with the birth of Jesus, and He was no longer angry with sinful humanity.  His Son would be the sacrifice for their sins.  He considered it done, even before full payment was made. 

·         Those shepherds believed the message from heaven, and were so overjoyed at the good news that they left their sheep and hurried off to Bethlehem to see what had happened.  In leaving their sheep, it shows they trusted God to keep their flock safe while they were gone.  They found Mary and Joseph and the baby lying in the manger, just as the angel had said. 

·         The shepherds became evangelists as they spread the angel’s message about this baby, and everyone was amazed by what they heard.  The shepherds didn’t embellish the message by adding to it, and didn’t leave anything out for fear of offending some.  (I think of Peter in Acts 4:20 where he said, “We cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.”) 

·         It occurs to me that the humble, simple folk are the ones who can more easily believe God and act on His word.  The intellectual types who rely on human reasoning and what people think have a hard time humbling themselves to accept God’s word.   

I’m fascinated by the statement, “But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  (Luke 2:19)  I can imagine as she and Joseph left Bethlehem and made the long trek back home, Mary pondered the enormity of what had happened. But she didn’t talk about it.  She didn’t try to prove her virginity when she got pregnant, and she didn’t tell folks back home what had transpired in Bethlehem.  Sometimes one shouldn’t try to explain the things of God to those of carnal mind. There is great virtue in keeping quiet about some things.  We needn’t say everything we know, or try to prove our innocence and the justice of our cause.  We are to live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.  (Micah 6:8)

I can’t help but believe that Joseph was impressed with Mary’s character and her faith in God, and that she indeed was a wife to be trusted.  I think of Proverbs 31:10 – 11:  “A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies.  Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.  She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.” 

God provided for his Son; Jesus was warm and fed, and God saw to it that his Son had godly parents to raise him to become the Savior of the world.  He’d be the One who would take the punishment we deserved when He died on a Roman cross thirty-three years later.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.”  John 3:16-18

Receive the Gift of Christmas from God to you; He loves you so very much!

*All scriptures are from the NIV translation unless otherwise noted. 

© 2013 Elaine Beachy

    

Christmas Thoughts, Part Two

Matthew 1:18-25 gives us Joseph’s side of the Christmas story.  In my imagination, it may have gone something like this: 

Joseph finished the table and placed it in the kitchen.  He’d made four matching chairs, and if he did say so himself, the set was a thing of beauty – a wonderful gift for his betrothed.  The polished wood shone from the expert care and skill his hands had given the pieces.  He’d see Mary tonight and show her what he’d made for their home.  Soon he’d bring her home as his wife!

As he made his way to Mary’s home after dinner, he reflected on his bride-to-be.  The past several months since she’d returned home from a three-month vacation to Elizabeth’s home in Judea, Mary seemed different; he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.  She had a glow about her and seemed – well, older somehow. Though he’d never considered her a truly beautiful girl, he was taken with the change in her looks, and thought her lovelier than before.  He thanked God for this blessing of getting such a beautiful bride, especially at his age.  He’d always liked her quiet shyness and the fact that she didn’t giggle like other girls her age.  The arranged marriage would be a good one.

Joseph knocked on the door, and Mary opened it.  Their eyes met as she invited him in.

“I’ve come to take you to see what I’ve made for our home,” Joseph said.  As Mary moved across the room to a sitting area, he noticed her shape was different – she must have put on weight or something.  He tried not to stare, but Mary caught his look. 

As they sat down on a bench, Mary folded her hands tightly in her lap and looked away from him. 

Could it be?  Could the gossip around town be true after all?  His Mary?  Had she played the harlot while she was away in Judea?  Shock and disbelief were followed by anger, and then more shock and disbelief.  Surely he must be mistaken.  But there was no getting around it -- they had to talk about it.

Joseph stood, and Mary looked up at him.  She was silent.  He ran his hands through his hair, and his jaw clenched.  He closed his eyes tightly and took a deep breath before he spoke.  So the whispers and veiled comments by customers in his carpenter shop were true after all.  He never would have believed it.  Despair gripped his soul.

“Mary, what am I to think?  Who is it?  Who’s the father?”  Joseph restrained his anger, but his heart constricted as he spoke softly. 

“It’s not what you think, Joseph,” Mary began. “An angel of the Lord came to me and said I was going to give birth to the Son of God – our Messiah.  Then I went to Elizabeth’s house because the angel told me she had conceived a child in her old age, and was six months along.  While I was there, she gave birth to a son they named John.”

“Do you expect me to believe that story, Mary?”  Anger and disbelief rose inside him. 

The unfamiliar anger in Joseph took her by surprise.  “But it’s true, Joseph.  Elizabeth prophesied by the power of the Holy Spirit about the child I’m carrying – God’s Son,” Mary pleaded.  “She confirmed the angel’s message to me.”

Did he really know Mary?  Was she given to making up outrageous stories such as this?  He sat down, then stood up again, and paced the floor. 

“I have to go, Mary.  I need time to think about what I’m going to do,” Joseph said.  He felt her eyes follow him as he strode across the room and let himself out. 

“Dear God, what am I going to do?  What has happened to my sweet Mary?  Please help me!” Joseph pleaded in prayer as he walked home.  He opened the door to his home and saw the beautiful furniture he’d made for Mary.  It seemed to mock him.  He could never bring Mary home as his wife: what would the neighbors think?  They’d think he was the father and that they had…  He willed the shameful thought away.

Over the next few days, he threw himself into his work and found it hard to sleep because of troubling thoughts.  What would he do about Mary? She was young and foolish, but he had no wish to shame her by making a public example of her.  That wouldn’t be right.  He would divorce her quietly; that’s what he’d do. After all, divorce was allowed for unfaithfulness.  He’d get the papers drawn up tomorrow.

Joseph went to bed early and fell, exhausted, into a deep sleep.  Suddenly, he saw an angel of the Lord appear before him who said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

Joseph awoke with a start.  So Mary had been telling the truth!  He had judged her so harshly.  How must she be feeling?  He had to go see her that very day.  He’d bear the gossip and reproach along with her. He wouldn't care what the neighbors or the synagogue leaders thought.  He knew the truth: heaven had spoken! God would be faithful.  He was settled; he’d bring Mary to his home, but wouldn’t consummate their marriage until after God’s Son was born. 

Mary was sweeping the front porch as he approached her house.  His pace quickened, and his Mary stood still, waiting.  As he took her hands into his, the shining look in her eyes was reward enough.

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy

Christmas Thoughts, Part One

Did you ever wonder about Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the kind of person she must have been?  Was she ordinary or someone special?  We know she kept herself sexually pure, and was a virgin.  Was she in love with Joseph to whom she was engaged?  Was she pretty or did she consider herself homely and unattractive?  Did she feel “less than” her girl friends, if she had any?  Did she have an education?  How old was she when the angel Gabriel came to her and told her she would supernaturally conceive a child?

Online research revealed that her marriage was probably arranged.  Since it doesn’t mention her parents, I had to wonder if she was an orphan being raised by a relative much as Esther was raised by Mordecai in the Old Testament.  Were her caregivers eager to “marry her off” due to financial constraints?  Think how that would make you feel.  Some believe Joseph was likely a widower about thirty years old, and Mary was between the tender age of twelve and fourteen. 

I have read that every Jewish virgin hoped to be the mother of Israel’s Messiah, but perhaps Mary had given up that hope, given her lowly circumstances.  We read in Luke 1:48 that she considered herself to be of “lowly estate,” of poor standing in the culture of her day.  However, we know God delights to take what man considers the weak and “lesser” things of this world and give them special honor.  

Whatever her natural circumstances were, we can be fairly certain Mary knew Israel's history: how God delivered Israel from Egypt and all the signs and wonders He performed in their behalf.  I can imagine she longed for deliverance once again as she prayed about her beloved nation and the oppressive Roman rule her people endured.  Like Gideon in Judges 6, perhaps as she called out to God for deliverance, she wondered where all God’s miracles were and why God had seemingly abandoned them.

As I read Luke 1 and 2 recently, I could easily imagine young Mary praying for her nation and herself as she went about her work.  I imagine her in tears as she did the family laundry and washed the breakfast dishes as her mind also turned to wonder what marriage would be like.  Would she be a good wife?  Would she be able to have children?  Her relative Elizabeth was unable to have children all her life.  Did that curse run in her family? 

Just as easily, I can imagine she wiped her tears on her sleeve and bent to her tasks once again.  Suddenly she heard a knock at the door.  On opening it, she found a man who asked if he might come and rest a bit from his journey. Taught to be kind and hospitable, she invited him in and offered a seat.  I don’t think she realized he was an angel, because his appearance didn’t frighten her, but his words of greeting greatly troubled her: “Greetings, you who are highly favored!  The Lord is with you.” 

What was this?  The Lord was for her?  She was highly favored?  Really?   He had to have it all wrong – she was a low-class citizen, and a teenager too; surely he had to know that. What did he want from her?  The shock of his greeting unnerved her.  What kind of man just showed up at the door to pay attention to her?  Was he interfering with her engagement to Joseph?

The gravity of his next words must have convinced her he had a message from God: “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.” 

“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.  Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.  For nothing is impossible with God.”

I can imagine her shocked surprise at the startling news that Elizabeth was having a baby.  Old women don’t have babies.  Impossible!  This had to be God.

“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered.  “May it be to me as you have said.”  Then the angel left her.

I can imagine Mary’s head spinning with joy.  She, the lowly one, was to be the mother of the Son of God!  She had to go see Elizabeth.  Surely if anyone was to believe and understand what had just happened to her, it would be Elizabeth.

Mary packed her travel bags and hurried to Judea to visit her relative, and when Mary greeted her, the baby (John the Baptist) in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy.  Imagine that—babies can receive divine inspiration from God in the womb!  (Don't ever abort a baby; he/she is God's creation, no matter how he/she was conceived!)  Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied to Mary that she was indeed blessed because Mary believed that what the Lord said to her would be done.  

Mary responded by the power of the Holy Spirit, “My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant…” (Luke 1:46-48)  I like to think it was at this point that the Holy Spirit came on Mary, causing her to praise God and to conceive our Lord Jesus in her womb.  

Do you have circumstances in your life that seem impossible?  Believe that all God's promises in the Bible are for you.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you find God’s promises for you in His word and declare as Mary did, “May it be to me as You have said.”  I encourage you to give the Lord praise for who He is, and for what He has done for you, even as Mary did. (Luke 1:46-55)   I believe praise and thanksgiving in all things is the seedbed for God’s promises to take root.  Declaring what God does is powerful!  Remember the angel’s words: “For nothing is impossible with God.” 

It’s always darkest before the dawn.  Christmas is all about miracles and angels and the supernatural power of God invading our world.  God has not forgotten you; keep believing, not in Santa Claus, but in Jesus Christ, the One who came to us from heaven as a helpless little baby so as not to frighten us.  The One who walked our streets, got hungry and tired, faced every emotion, every temptation known to mankind, yet was without sin.  The One who is our Savior from the wrong path.  He knows how to help you by the power of the Holy Spirit.  He is not limited to our resources and way of doing things.  Who knows?  You may even entertain an angel unawares.  (Hebrews 13:2)             

A blessed Christmas to you, dear reader!

*All scriptures are from the NIV translation unless otherwise noted.

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

That pesky, negative self-image!  Why does it seem to follow us around?  Can you relate?  We know we do most things well, but when we forget something important or someone makes one negative comment about our efforts, appearance, cooking, children, etc, our spirits sink and we succumb to guilt, heap blame on ourselves, and wallow in misery for hours, or even days.  We have a difficult time seeing ourselves as worthy of love, unworthy of being loved or given grace even by God.  

It’s true we are not to brag on ourselves, for Scripture says, “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips,” (Proverbs 27:2) but as Christians, we should have a sanctified self-image and learn to receive compliments with humility. 

Our son Doug has done some studies on Japanese culture and language.  He told me that if someone is given a compliment in that culture, they quickly say, “It’s nothing – it’s nothing!”  And if you leave a tip in a restaurant in Japan, they are highly insulted because they interpret that to mean they haven’t done a good job in serving you.  They’ll think you want them to do more – that the service was bad.  

Recently a friend on Facebook addressed a comment to me: “Mom can never seem to be able to enjoy her own food.  She always frets about it, and is convinced it didn’t turn out good (though it’s always delicious!)  Is this an Amish thing, or is she just unique?”

Being raised Amish is a unique experience in that a lot of cultural importance is placed on growing food, harvesting and preserving food, as well as food preparation and hospitality. I think cooks mentally compare each other's cooking much like women tend to compare their physical appearance to others.

Perfectionist tendencies make us so self-critical. It's okay to not be perfect! The Lord knows I'm not, but I decided several years ago to like "me" anyway!  Sometimes cooking for others is a way we show love, and when the end product doesn't meet our own high standards and expectations, we subconsciously feel a loss of self-worth. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves.

This mother would graciously give kindness and grace to other cooks who thought their food was not good, and find something encouraging to say.  Why not treat herself as she would the other person?  Something to think about.

There are underlying reasons for our thinking processes, and if we know what they are, we can be conscious of them and ask the Lord’s help in changing them.  There are many experiences that shape our self-image as children and adults.

Sometimes a mom or dad thinks they are showing love to a son our daughter by continually pointing out their faults.  One such young man, when asked to describe his mother, said she was disapproving, demanding, impatient and unreasonable – hard to please.  He had become a driven perfectionist who felt he could never please God or be close to him.  Parents can criticize their children to the point of exasperating them, making them feel hopeless and like a failure.  Ephesians 6:4 reads, “Father’s, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” 

 

As you can see, what we experience as children affects our view of ourselves and, worst of all, our image of God—the only One who can change our self-image.  We must know how much He loves and accepts us in order for us to accept ourselves.     

When someone gives us a compliment, we should humbly say “Thank-you” instead of feeling embarrassed or confused about whether to accept or down-play the compliment lest we be perceived as prideful.  When someone gives me a compliment, and I negate it, am I not telling the other person her opinion is worthless?  How does that make her feel?  

Also, if you repeat negative things about yourself, you reinforce those recorded thoughts and beliefs, kind of like worn grooves in an old LP album.  Remember how it sounded when the needle got stuck?  Sometimes we can get stuck in bad thought patterns.

It seems we in the church have somehow been conditioned subconsciously to be negative.   We don’t give ourselves permission to think of ourselves in a positive light – the light of God.  Instead, we feel uncomfortable when someone says something nice to us.   

Romans 12:3 says to “not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment.”  That is not saying you shouldn’t think well of yourself.  If you don’t love yourself, how can you love your neighbor?

You don’t love yourself by focusing on your faults.  And you don’t love your neighbor by focusing on his, either.  If you’ve been driven to perfectionism because of circumstances in your life, please know it’s okay to give yourself a break for not doing things right all the time.  

I once read the comment, “I can’t afford to have any thoughts about me that God doesn’t have,” and I totally agree.  God loves us unconditionally because He has chosen to give us grace.  Freely you have received – freely give.  Ask the Holy Spirit to help you give grace to yourself and enjoy your life as you rest in Him.  Be of good cheer, and meditate on how much God loves you.  He is the God of all comfort, and oh, how we need to let Him change our self-image!

There’s a wonderful bookmark packed with scriptures titled “I am Father God’s Happy Thought!” available online at http://www.shilohplace.org/products/view/55 that I believe will help you know how God sees you through Jesus Christ.  I do have a limited number of them here at the house if you’d like me to mail you one.  You may e-mail me at elainesplace4@verizon.net to give me your mailing address.

God bless you, dear reader!

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*All Scripture references are from the NIV translation

Copyright © 2013 Elaine Beachy