Too Quiet
The Problem With Christmas - Part 5
Sunday, December 26, 2021
Luke 2:39-52
"The child grew up and became strong. He was filled with wisdom, and God's favor was on him. Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival. When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to their custom."
Luke 2:40-42
Listen to this week’s sermon here:
"Our baby is growing up so fast."
It's a common sentiment among new parents. All of the sudden she starts crawling or walking or he says his first word and we start to wonder where the time has gone. It's been said only half jokingly that we spend the first few years of a child's life teaching them to walk and talk and the next 16 or more years trying to get them to sit down and be quiet.
Luke records that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in the blink of an eye he is a twelve year old theological prodigy stumping the religious teachers with his amazing insights on the Holy Scriptures. And while we always like to paint Jesus in a perfect and innocent light, his response to mom that she should have known he would be in his "Father's House" could easily be taken as back talk and would certainly have gotten most kids in our century a pop on the mouth, or at the very least a long ride home with no tablet or cell phone.
Mary didn't understand, but she cherished every word in her heart.
It would have been easy for her to be frustrated, upset, even angry. But I think she is beginning to realize just how fast the time is passing by. Jesus may be the Son of God, but he's still her little baby boy. Of course she doesn't yet know about the unthinkable betrayal and death he would experience at such a young age, but there is no doubt her little boy is growing up and her days watching him run and play and work in the shop with dad and torment his younger siblings will all come to an end sooner than anybody is ever ready for.
I wonder if the same could be said for our time with the Baby Jesus at Christmas.
Has the season passed us by just a little too fast. As families travel home and decorations are put away and the numbers on our scales and our credit card statements go up, do we look back to see only a blur of color and light.
Has Advent and Christmas changed us in any way?
Has the season drawn us closer to Jesus?
Has it made us more like Jesus?
Has it made us more aware of God's presence among us?
Every year passes by faster than the year before, and every Christmas is over before we know it. Jesus grows up really fast and the manger feels like ancient history.
But I wonder if we, like Mary, though we may not fully understand, might take some time to cherish every word He has spoken in our hearts.