The Work of Christmas
When the song of the angels is stilled.
When the star in the sky is gone.
When the kings and princes are home.
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins.
Howard Thurman
There are a lot of characters in the Christmas story. The play has a big cast: it has lead roles, a couple of villains, and a large ensemble, and in these last few weeks, we have encountered them all.
What is so interesting to me is that each one of them had their own individual and unique experience. Elizabeth, who was well past child-bearing age, was surprised by joy when told by the angel that she would bear a son. Zachariah, her husband, was temporarily struck dumb when he doubted that this was possible, only to have his voice restored after the birth of his son, as he named him “John” not the traditional family name. Mary questioned the angel who told her that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. She didn’t say “yes” right away but asked questions. She needed more information before she could give a wholehearted “fiat” to what God was asking of her. The Scriptures tell us that the shepherds were “sore afraid” when a heavenly host appeared to them, and the magi followed a previously unidentified star, not really understanding why, or where it would lead them, but somehow compelled to follow.
Today’s Gospel has an unlikely hero and not one but two villains, and once again in this Christmas drama, angels appear, and dreams play an important part too. According to mainstream Christian thinking, angels are wholly spiritual beings believed to act as agents or messengers of God, often represented in art in human form with wings and white robes. We have no way to determine how these individuals experienced the presence of angels except that their experiences were powerful, unmistakable, and delivered a clear message.
Today’s Gospel turns our attention to Joseph: a carpenter by trade, betrothed to Mary and anticipating, no doubt, a straightforward and uncomplicated life. All that changed when an Angel first appeared to him and told him that he was to continue with his plan to marry Mary and build a life with her, that she was to be the mother of God, and he, Joseph was to be her protector. No doubt bewildered and afraid, Joseph had not been having an easy time of it either. They had had a challenging journey to Bethlehem, hadn’t been able to find suitable accommodation, after the birth of Jesus, they had a steady stream of visitors, and now Joseph has another dream! In this one he is told by an angel that Herod is determined to find Jesus and kill him. Joseph and Mary must not return home but flee to Egypt where they will be safer. So, they do this, thus becoming refugees, and they stay there until Herod dies. At this point, Joseph has another dream directing him to take his family to Israel, but before he can do this, he is warned in yet another dream that Herod’s son, Archelaus, is every bit as evil as his father, and so Joseph, Mary and Jesus go instead to Galilee and make their home in Nazareth, thus fulfilling the Scripture that states that the son of God would be a Nazarene. There is a lot going on here, and Joseph’s role is central to the safety of Mary and Jesus, and to the fulfillment of the Scripture.
All this is to say that God interacts with us, often through dreams, through angels, through other people. The birth of Jesus is just the beginning of the work of Christmas that we are all called to participate in. The shepherds return to their flocks, the magi begin their long journey home by another way, because they too are in danger. The innkeeper goes back to innkeeping after the amazing event that has taken place. And Joseph, Mary and Jesus flee to Egypt,
And what about us? The twelve days of Christmas conclude with the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th. We will take down our trees and lights, and the decorations will be put away until next year but the work of Christmas has just begun and the second half of Howard Thurman’s poem tells us what that work is:
To find the lost
To heal the broken
To feed the hungry
To release the prisoner
To rebuild the nations
To bring peace among others
To make music in the heart,
Amen.