Dec. 1, 2013
I heard a story the other day where I was asked why
Mary & Joseph ended up in a stable when Jesus was born…. They had Obama Care... I know that was bad... but I couldn't resist...
Someone once said that there are four ages to life:
(1) when you believe in Santa Claus; (2) when you don't believe in Santa Claus;
(3) when you are Santa Claus; and (4) when you look like Santa Claus.
Prayer
We start the Advent season
with a new sermon series titled; “The Waiting Room. Advent is a time of waiting
and Christians have been waiting a long time for Jesus to make his way back to
earth. The Jews also have been waiting for an even longer time for the Messiah
to show up. I saw the idea for this series in one of our Lutheran resource
books and thought this would be a good way to look at the season of Advent.
I decided to tweak what they
presented and present this idea of waiting to that of Mary & Joseph being
pregnant and the waiting that often comes with pregnancy. So… instead of a
waiting room full of sick people as our image… we’ll be using the image of a
waiting room with pregnant women.
Well… Advent is the time when
the church prepares for the birth of Jesus… So… why not a series that focuses on waiting
for a baby to be born. Now… I have no idea how a woman waits for her baby to be
born, so I thought I would come from a guy’s perspective. So we start today
with that of….
Surprise”…. Were having a baby…
Over the next 3 weeks we will
look at Preparing… Expectations… and Scandal.
So… guys… do you remember
when your wives broke the news that they were going to have a baby to you? Were
you surprised? I couldn’t believe it… I was bouncing off the walls… I couldn’t
believe it. We wanted children, but we just didn’t think it would happen as
quickly as it did. So… Surprise!!!
Put yourself in Mary &
Joseph’s shoes… they’re engaged to be married… this means they’re not married
as of yet. Then Mary get a visit from an angel named Gabriel and he tells her
she has been blessed by God and will have a baby. Can you imagine the surprise…
then shock… she’s maybe 16 years old and you find out your pregnant… don’t be
afraid the angel tell her… RIGHT….I’m not sure how calm you could be.
Now I have to tell Joseph I’m
going to have a baby… when we haven’t been together… what’s Joseph going to
think… what are our friends going to think? She tells Joseph… Imagine his
surprise…. I’m sure he would initially be full of joy until his brain kicked
in….
Wait a
minute… how can this be? We haven’t…. well you know…
Mary what
aren’t you telling me… who have you been with?
Mary… what are
people going to think?
Then Joseph get a visit from
an angel telling him it’s going to be ok…. Get married… name the child Jesus.
Really Joseph… it’s going to
be OK… this really isn’t about you. Surprises… this seems like a strange way to
save the world.
How have you been Surprised
by God?
Matt… tells us Joseph was a
good man… the angel says to Mary, “you are truly blessed… the Lord is with
you.” We are left with the impression that these two were blameless and saints…
and above all others.
Perhaps they were… but they
are human just like you and I and while I would consider all of you good
people… we often feel otherwise. I know that I’m not perfect and that I do
things I shouldn’t and often regret.
How am I surprised by
God?.... That I am LOVED… and that we are LOVED… I believe that’s the surprise
for us and what this story is about…and Mary get’s it. Joseph comes around in
the end.
Mary says Vs 38… “I am the
Lord’s servant… Let it happen as you have said.”
I think women get this and
for us guys we come around as well. For guys… it’s not easy for us to feel
loved… at least deeply I think. We may go through some motions, but to
acknowledge that God loves us, leaves us humbled and surprised. I believe
Joseph felt this as well. And we are left surprised by it. That God would love
you and me so much that he would send his son to make that love known. And it
is this kind of love God wants to impress upon us.
As the Advent season
progresses and the waiting continues lets be open to the surprises God has for
us.
So… How have you been
surprised by God?
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