Eucharistic Readings for Christmas Day
Isaiah 9:2 to 7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11 to 14; Luke 2:1-20:
“While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:6 – 7)
(Edited and republished from Christmas Day of 2019)
No room at the inn, BALDERDASH! I would like to think that you or I would have given up our room for a pregnant woman, any pregnant woman or at least shared it, if we only knew about her. We are not unique in this regard. There have always been compassionate people like us in the world. But we have to know about the need of the pregnant woman. No, I think this lack of compassion rests clearly on the managers of the inn. They didn’t want to upset the paying guests, This lack of compassion is more accurately termed “inconsiderate.”
There would have been room in the inn for Herod; there would have been room for Caesar, today there would be room for the Governor, there would be room for the President. But there was a lack of compassion for this pregnant girl on the part of management.
Jesus is born in Bethlehem at the corner of Ignorance and Inconsiderate. In Dickens “A Christmas Carol” the ghost of Christmas Present shows two children whose names are “Ignorance” and “Want.” The ghost additionally says; “beware of them both but more especially of Ignorance.” I’m thinking ignorance can be fixed with some good teaching and preaching. That is what Jesus came to do, to inform the ignorant among us. This has always benefited and changed me.
Do you think that when ignorance is informed, such a one will become more considerate? There are some examples in the life of Jesus. In chapter 3 of the Gospel of John Jesus meets Nicodemus in darkness (pun intended), and explains how one must be born again from above to be saved. Later, in chapter 19 of the same Gospel, after Jesus has died and was taken down from the cross, Nicodemus brings fragrances to anoint the body. He changed from being inconsiderate to being very compassionate through being informed and taught, and was brought out of his darkness.
This baby Jesus born this day teaches us and brings us out of our darkness also. Jesus informs us so that we too may be open to those who need our help, or shared use of our room in the inn. In this way we too are saved. Our being saved has as much to do with the birth of Jesus as it does his Resurrection from the dead. Merry Christmas
As we listen to what the Spirit is saying to us, let us live to love, to serve, and to teach, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John
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