Sunday 25 December 2022

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS to all our readers from the 'A Word in Time' team and the Methodist Church.
May you have a happy and blessed day, and we thank you for your company and comments during  2022.

Psalm 110

Background

When Jesus was born, the Roman Emperor Augustus (the adopted son of Julius Caesar) was at the height of his power, having defeated his rivals in a bloody civil war. He turned the Roman republic into an empire proclaiming that he had brought justice and peace to the entire world. He demanded a census of his ‘worldwide’ kingdom as a mark of his unrivalled power. Men were to return to their birth town and so Joseph, a descendant of King David returned to Bethlehem,  which was an area close to Jerusalem where sheep were raised for sacrifice at the Temple.

Joseph was engaged but not yet married to Mary and Luke does not mention a problem with Mary being pregnant. For Luke, the important thing is that God’s true King is is born hidden away, unnoticed by the self-styled king of the world (the Roman Emperor). For Luke, the birth of Jesus is the beginning of a confrontation between the Kingdom of God in its apparent fragility and insignificance and an earthly human kingdom with its apparent supreme power. Augustus himself would never hear of Jesus. 

The word ‘inn’ has several meanings and was not necessarily a guest house (the traditional meaning). It is likely that Mary and Joseph would have slept on the ground floor of a house, whereas at that time people normally slept upstairs with the ground floor reserved for animals. But the passage does not mention animals, although a manger, a trough for feeding animals, is mentioned three times. 

The shepherds in verse 8 symbolise ordinary Jewish people. One of the names for Jesus would to be the ‘lamb of God’. The shepherds are told who Jesus is. The sign they are given is that they will find Jesus laid in a manger. They are given the message by angels who sing of God bringing peace to earth. 

The shepherds confirm the identity of Jesus (vs 17-18). Up to this point it has only been known to a few people around Mary and there is amazement all around. The rational mind is confounded by extraordinary happenings!

To Ponder:

• The manger is mentioned three times in this reading. Why do you think the image of the manger is used as a sign, and what meanings might it have for us today?
• Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart (v.19). What words are you treasuring and pondering in your heart this Christmas day? What longings and hopes are taking root in you?
• Why is the story of the shepherds important for us to ponder as we too are called to witness to the birth of Christ?

PrayerLoving God, who is closer to us than our own breath, may we ponder the miracle of your presence with us this Christmastide. Amen.