Christmas Sermon: Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2: 11-14; Luke 2: 1-19

“But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart,” from Luke 2: 19. I often wonder what Mary was pondering in her heart, and what thoughts were going through her head. If we look at a definition of “ponder,” the dictionaries say essentially that it means to think carefully or to think long and hard about something before coming to a decision or reaching a conclusion. I imagine in Mary’s heart she pondered the angel, her words of how this could be, the power and presence of the Holy Spirit in her life.

I wonder if she pondered the depth and power of the evil that would rise against her and soon crucify her child born of the Holy One. I wonder if she pondered the pain and suffering she would experience as a mother. I wonder if a mooing cow or nosy sheep interrupted her thoughts in the stable. And most of all I wonder if she came to a conclusion or if the pondering never stopped.

We, too, are given a lot to ponder in our hearts about the birth of Christ, especially from these scriptures for today. For instance, we can ponder on the words of Titus 2:11, “for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all.” That grace of God has appeared to all of us, brings us light and hope, and salvation in our lives. It’s grand and expansive welcome, this grace of God. I know we hear a lot about narrow the gate, but also wide is the welcome. Titus’s words say to all of humankind. Don’t be choosy where God has spoken and said that grace has appeared unto all.

We see this idea reflected even in the manger scene as told in Luke 2. There were shepherds who lived out in the fields and made their living simply by tending their herds. There were wisemen or kings, as the old song says, who came later on at epiphany to worship the Christ Child. There were angels watching. Joseph and Mary both poor and humble people from a outlier city considered rural and unimportant were present before the holy child. For goodness sakes, there were even barn animals in the stable. Everyone and everything was symbolically present for the birth of the holy child born to bring grace and salvation to the world.

Titus 2:13 also tells us about “looking for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.” All of these diverse people were called to the manger, but they had to choose to come. The shepherds had to choose to leave their flocks by night. The Magi had to choose to follow a star to something miraculous in the prophecies. Joseph and Mary had to trust to come to Bethlehem even as the trip was dangerous and long. All came looking for this blessed hope born in a manger.

And so, we see that God brought hope to earth, and in this hope Christ teaches us to live in peace with one another, to find joy in the most dismal of circumstances, and to welcome others with the same unconditional love which God gives us. I wonder if Mary pondered all these things—if she considered that as a person who was still held by the power of sin that she birthed a child who was perfect and holy and would bring grace and salvation even to her.

The questions for us, then, is do we still ponder in our hearts about following Christ? Do we still gather ourselves up like the shepherds and Magi and hasten to the manger and become moved by the Savior of the world? Do we trust like Mary? Do we obey like Joseph? Do we welcome all with the same grace of God as told to us in Titus 2?

Or if I may, let me challenge you a bit more, do we speak out against oppression and evil in this world? I’m not talking about going full-blown “John the Baptist,” but in small ways telling a friend not to use a foul name for someone. Telling someone making a certain joke is not funny. Telling someone to speak about and treat others with the dignity and respect that should be available to all of God’s creation.

I have a bit of a humbling story on my own self in this case. When I was in my early 20s it was popular to use the term “retarded” for something bad or negative. And one time, being young and dumb, I used the phrase, “That’s retarded.” A good friend of mine, standing next to me, whirled around and said, “My uncle lives with Down’s Syndrome. Don’t you ever, ever, use that phrase like that again. You need to apologize.” She stood up and protected her vulnerable uncle. She convicted me and offered grace all in the same instance, and I work now protecting vulnerable adults both as a job and as a ministry. That conviction and grace worked through me.

So, may we all ponder in our heart like Mary did. May we think carefully and critically. But be careful! Don’t stop at just pondering, for pondering in one’s heart demands that a conclusion be reached. Accept that hope of Christ’s holy light and the grace that leads to salvation. Be changed in the power of Christ to live at peace with one another, to find unexplainable joy even as the evil and darkness rage about you, and to find a love which invites all to a relationship with God and God’s people and which welcomes those who are lost and broken in this life. Take a moment and let us ponder in our hearts, then let us prepare the rest of our lives to live it. Merry Christmas and Amen.

Worship Video: https://www.facebook.com/fccmacon/videos/1052275628623327/?notif_id=1608481431297602&notif_t=page_post_reaction&ref=notif