Why "Merry Christmas?"

For the past week or so I have been concentrating on Luke’s Christmas narrative between Gabriel and Mary. Visiting a well-worn pericope and meditating on it allowing the Lord to take my thoughts wherever He  may lead, is a beneficial practice. (Note--I am not implying present day inspiration of the infallible type.) 

The angel Gabriel makes a rather startling visit to Mary with words from which one could fill the pages of a book.  The heavenly messenger announces to her, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you."  (Luke 1:28)  Like I said, well know, well-worn, ho hum, a little yawn perhaps, but let’s get on to the good stuff right? But let’s pause.  A unique and peculiar favor was set upon the adolescent by the singular, unilateral decision/action on the part of the Almighty.  The result; she was “highly favored.” 

Gabriel’s words to Mary, though I have read them innumerable times, resounded, “Immanuel—God With Us.” How had I never seen this before? Mary wasn’t just special, she wasn’t just favored, she was “highly favored” not because of anything Mary brought to the table, but because God was with her.  Mary’s favor wasn’t defined only by the fact that she was a unique vessel used by the Creator to bring a baby into the world for our sake, but the very presence of God in an abiding way was her favor. Now let’s go back several centuries.

When Israel was facing certain destruction from their enemies, the prophet Isaiah gives prophetic utterance to assure them their doom is not on the horizon and gives them Divine reassurance.  The prophet speaks:  ""Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."  (Isaiah 7:14)

IN THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE DAY, a sign coming hundreds of years later wasn’t going to assuage terrible fear and shaking knees.  God’s people needed to know NOW that God was in fact with them, God was on their side. And so Mahershalalhashbaz (no I didn’t just fall on my keyboard) is born fulfilling the words and conditions of the prophetic encouragement thus giving God’s people tangible proof that He was indeed with them taking up their cause.

Back to Mary’s day:  The virgin is told she is highly favored because God is with her and in His being with her God would come to Earth--God in the flesh—“Immanuel, God With Us”—making all who embrace Him “highly favored” for God is with us as well.  

And that is why we say, “Merry Christmas!”

Emmanuel and The Patience of Job???

I am not sure why I was thinking about Job this morning. Perhaps it’s because my new "hobby" is learning the intricacies about all things horological. Say what? Horology is the study of watches or time keeping to be more general. So I have already spent untold hours watching youtube lessons, all manner of videos, blogs, chat rooms, and hands on trial and error for the most part dismantling these intricate pieces of mechanical engineering with a success rate--thus far--of around, uh ZERO. 

People who know me pretty well are stupefied to learn of my new past-time since it requires inordinate amounts of patience. Apparently that’s not the first quality that comes to mind with people who know me. Still it is not uncommon for me to spend 1-2 hours simply trying to replace one, that’s 1eensy beensy screw the size of a grain of salt (if that) and as much time trying to figure out where a particular part goes back. But I guess I would say this is not evidence of patience as much as it is a bull-headed perseverance to master something that is intriguing and rather esoteric.

So my mind wondered to Job and the phrase in my head I have heard many times in many contexts is, “That person has “The patience of Job.” But I thought, "Ya know for as much as I like the book of Job and know it pretty well, I don't believe I ever conferred "patience" to Job as a prominent quality.  I mean, Job repeatedly would "lose it" with his unhelpful friends and their less than sensitive counsel. And then Job really pops a cork when he has about all he can take with the crappy counsel of his pat-answer-peeps and runs his head endlessly into the wall of silence as the Almighty remains mute.

I can sympathize with Job's frustration and I admire his fortitude in persevering even in the absence of answers especially from His heavenly Father. But I wouldn’t call it patience. Endurance probably, stamina no doubt, and resolute passion for sure. But patience?  I'll tell you where we see patience.  We see it in the Creator of the universe as He quietly bides his time listening to every ignorant utterance blurted heavenward. Four chapters records Job's tirade as he gives the God of heaven and Earth a piece of his mind. Finally, God clears His throat, and I see Job's eyes bulging with his mouth agape.  "Uhhhhm what was that?" And he tries to swallow a hard lump forming in his throat.  Then the Lord speaks; not with answers but with questions!  A never ending-list which spans the depths of the oceans, the mysteries of the world, and the miracles of creation. And Job is shaken to his core.  "There is one Creator, and billions of particles of creation of which I am one. What was I thinking raising my voice to Him?" 

So the patience of Job?  Nah. Rather the patience of the Holy One who lets us snit and fume and rant, and rail yet He permits it, and even, in His time, gives us a peek.  A peek which may not be the clue we were hoping for explaining hard things, but the sobering realization that His ways are NOT our ways, nor are our ways His ways. And while the whole earth may shake and tremble under our feet, He is the Rock that never moves, never tilts, never collapses not even under the weight of our hubris and pride. Oh the glory of God come in the flesh. To God be the glory!