Monday
Luke 2.14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to all in whom God delights.”
Lord George McLeod, the minister who instigated the renovation of Iona Abbey mid-20th Century, famously called the churches to become communities that brought “Glory to God in the High St.” Christmas only brings light to the world when those who worship the Christ-child, also worship the Crucified Christ and the Risen Lord. Bethlehem, Calvary and a Garden with a tomb, which was empty; these are the places where peace on earth is made. This Christmas Day we give glory to God, and promise to proclaim, embody and work for peace and goodwill amongst all peoples.
Tuesday
Matthew 2.1-2 “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem, and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
Epiphany comes in the Church year 12 days after Christmas. In Matthew, the Magi appear as the first significant event after Jesus is born. So it became part of the Christmas story. These three travellers were not Jews, they were Gentiles, a sign that Matthew’s Gospel is about the spread of the good news far beyond the boundaries of Israel. The Great Commission to go preach to all nations had its origin here.
Wednesday
Matthew 2.10-11. “When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.”
Every nativity play has the three Magi, usually with tin foil crowns and robed in curtains! How does the wide world respond to the birth of the Messiah? Shepherds wondered, Mary pondered, Joseph did as he was told, Herod trembled – only the Magi worshipped. Post-Christmas there can be a flatness, a sense of anti-climax. At which point maybe we keep on singing, “O come let us adore him, Christ the Lord.”
Thursday
Luke 2.19 “But Mary treasured up all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”
These are two important words. To treasure experiences that change our lives, is to acknowledge God’s blessings and providence. To ponder them, is to take time to understand, to be grateful, to adjust in heart and mind to what God has done, and is doing, in our lives. Post-Christmas is a good time to treasure and ponder what our year has been like; a time to look for God’s fingerprints all over our story, and to “bless the hand that guided, and bless the heart that planned.”
Friday
Luke 2.20 “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they were told.”
Back to work as usual. Even though they had just witnessed the most unusual sight the world could ever see. A poet later described it all like this:
“Welcome, all wonders in one sight! Eternity shut in a span,
Summer in winter, day in night, heaven in earth, and God in man!
Great little One, whose all-embracing birth
Lifts earth to Heaven, stoops Heaven to earth.”
(Richard Crashaw, from ‘On the Nativity of Our Lord.”
Saturday
John 1.9 “The true light that gives light to every person, was coming into the world.”
John 1.1-14 is John’s Christmas story, or as near as he ever comes to it. He shares the astonishment of that other poet, and “welcomes all wonders in one sight.” In a world of darkness, like ours today, Jesus is the Light of the world. The darkness of hate and mistrust, of cruelty and violence, of greed and deceit, of sin and guilt; that darkness in its totality and diversity, is defeated by the Light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not, cannot, overcome it. Post-Christmas, ponder that.
Sunday
John 1.14. “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
This is as good a description of the hidden meaning of Jesus birth as you will ever find. It took Jesus' ministry, teaching, death, resurrection and ascension for the church to begin to grasp what Paul called the mystery of the ages. “For in him all the fullness of God c hose to dwell…” Once we’ve told the Nativity story, beautiful in its humanity and ordinariness, we then tiptoe to the brink of mystery, “God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself.” Jesus, Immanuel – God with us, full of grace and truth. Aye, post-Christmas treasure that, and ponder these things in your heart.
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