Clothesline - Edition 231

By Rev. Elizabeth L. Nelson, Pastor

December 25, 2024  

“What are you doing on Christmas?”

I’ve been asked that several times over the past week. I’m sure you have as well. I’m equally sure that nobody every asked Mary what she was doing on Christmas…little did she know what that day would bring to her as well as the entire world.

As I write this it’s Christmas Eve. Two thousand years ago Mary and Joseph were hoofing their way to Bethlehem with many other people. It’s no surprise that when they arrived, there were no rooms available. Too many people…not enough space. I’ve often wondered how Joseph handled that situation. Did he think he was failing Mary in her delicate condition? Or did he believe that God was still in control, that there would be some place for his weary Mary to rest.

God was indeed in control, but a stable…with animals…in the winter? Really, God? Yet, that night became the most glorious night in history. And that question…what are you doing on Christmas?...was acted out by a few humble shepherds who heard the message from a multitude of angels… “Unto you is born this day a Savior who is Christ the Lord…and you will find him wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And what did those shepherds do on the day that would come to be known as “Christmas”? They followed a star that brought them to the Savior of the world, lying in a manger.

As I think about it now, such a birthplace was exactly the way it had to be. The Savior of the world, stooping to the lowest place on earth, in order to raise us up to eternal life. He came in human form to bless our weak humanity. And he used ordinary people to unfold the story of salvation…the miraculous birth of the Son of God.

“What will you be doing on Christmas?”

Visiting family, friends, traveling? Those are great ideas. But make sure your first stop is at the manger…where the Savior of the World is waiting for you.