The First Noel
Musings on the ride home for Christmas Vacation 2009
As we drove down the interstate listening to Christmas
carols I thought about the very first Noel.
The night of Christ’s birth, and inquisitive as I am I had some
questions pop into my mind. One day when we see each other face to face,
perhaps I will ask you, but for right now, I will just write them down….
Was it a night like tonight, the night You were born? Was there a biting, stinging wind that burned
your soft skin, or was it warm and calm?
Was it clear, like in the song or was it rainy and cold and foggy? Were there stars out or were there wispy
little clouds hanging low over the damp landscape, covering all but the
brightest which was right over the place where you were born?
Some people say that you were not born at Christmastime,
that this could NOT be the time of your birth.
Some think you came in the spring or late in the summer because the
shepherds were out that night. It seems
to make sense to me that You would have born on a warm night- because who would
want to be born on a cold and rainy night? But, then again, you never did take
the easy road, so a cold, damp December night might have been the time after
all.
I imagine your mother was scared but her fear was overpowered
by her desire to meet the child she had carried for so long. To find out about the One she had felt
kicking and moving inside her; I think she must have been inundated by doubts
and questions and fears, like any mother right before the big day.
Did she wonder if she would be a good mother? Did she ask herself why the Father picked
her? What could she offer you? Surely The Father could have found someone wiser
or certainly wealthier, someone who could provide for you better than she? Did she need to be reminded that the Father
does not make mistakes, and that He chose her and she was exactly what He
wanted? Did the Father remind her that you
had looked throughout the pages of time and from all the mothers that ever were
and you had chosen her? How you must
have loved her, to entrust into her care the most precious gift that Heaven
could give!
Back home, they had scoffed at her and called her names
behind her back, others had the gall to say them to her face. Some pretended
that she didn’t exist while still more were outright mean. Did that hurt her or did she hold her head
high with the knowledge that what had been done was done by God? It must have
bothered her some, but more than that it must have bothered her to think that
they would be equally as unkind to you when You came. The very thought must have made her stomach
tie itself in knots.
And then there was Joseph.
No one talks about him. He’s
turned into a nonentity, just a figure placed in the Crèche, a secondary character
compared to the mother and the child. We
overlook Joseph, but I imagine him overwhelmed with emotion and plagued by
doubts, just as she was, perhaps even more.
I think more than the natural doubts and fears that any father has right
before the child comes, he must have heard the deceiver whisper in to his ear
thousands of times that she was lying and he was a fool for believing her. Did
he feel like a ship swept about on the ocean tossed by the wind and waves? Was he hanging on for dear life, waiting for
the arrival of the One who could calm his storm? Did he feel weighed down by
the awesome responsibility of caring for this special child? Any father feels that way about his child, but
this was not his child and this was no ordinary child!
He was a good man; we can see that from the scriptures. There
must have been something special about him just as there was about Mary. Was he strong and kind and loving? Did he put
others first, just as you did? He must
have been strong and honorable because the Father would not have chosen him if
he was not capable of protecting and caring for this little family. Was he full of faith or did he battle doubt
and fear? Did he ever ask the Father
what He was thinking choosing him?
Was there a woman who helped Mary with the birth or was it
only Joseph alone? Did he run for help
or stay and hold her hand? Did they
wonder how they could be the parents of the Messiah? About the time that you came and they were
huddled in that little grotto with the smell of animals all around; did they
wonder what on earth was going on? They
were having a baby in a stable of all places and they didn’t even have a clean
place to lay you down! Did Joseph feel
like a total utter failure for not being able to provide even a decent room for
you to be born in? Or were they just
thankful they had shelter, and they were not out in the open? Did they push
their doubts and fears aside and do the best they could with what they had?
Was he scared beyond his ability to put into words while his
wife screamed in pain and worked to give birth?
There was nothing he could do, no way he could comfort her or help
her. Did he hold his breath and push
along with her when it was time? Then when you were at last in his hands,
wriggling and red and smeared with blood, was he overjoyed to hold you? Did he laugh out loud or was he so overcome
with emotion that he cried as you took your first breath? Could he imagine all that you were? Did they know that you were God on Earth or
was that knowledge hidden from them because it was too much to bear? Did he
kiss your little face, as he held you in his big, rough hands? Was he relieved that that part of their
journey had come to an end or was he even more apprehensive about what the outside
world would hold for you?
What did she feel when you were placed into her arms? Did she cry?
Of course she did, we all do. She
had waited her whole life to meet you, her firstborn son! To look upon that little face is every
woman’s dearest dream! She must have
been ecstatic to see you for the first time; she had waited so long to look
upon you-- but even more than that, all her people had waited for you for so
long! You were not only the fulfillment
of one mother’s dreams but the realization of the hopes and dreams of an entire
people as well! The Jews had suffered
greatly and had cried out and waited and longed for you, but when you came
there was no room for you.
Did your parents sleep at all that night or were they too
afraid to put you down? Did Your Earthly
father feel awkward holding you? Was he
frightened that he would hurt you or drop you? Was he afraid you would break? Did they rise at night and check on you to see
if you were still breathing? Were they scared to death that something would
happen to you? Did the Heavenly Father
laugh at their feeble attempts to protect you; not knowing that there were
hosts of Angels at the ready watching over you every second?
Your parents
couldn’t see them, but the shepherds did and it scared them speechless. I imagine that they weren’t very easily
scared or speechless, so to be scared speechless was a big deal. After all they spent most of their time
outdoors and there wasn’t much out there that they were afraid of perhaps
besides wolves or bears. They were such
a rowdy bunch that they were confined to the outer court of the Temple. They were loud and unruly and somewhat wild,
but when the messenger came they stood there and could not move. They stood there with their mouths open,
their hearts beating wildly or they fell to their knees, not knowing what else
to do. Surely they must have thought
they were dreaming but they couldn’t all be having the same dream—they had
never expected to see something like this!
Then the Heavenly Host had told them where to find the baby, the one who
would save us from our sins.
Did they leave right away, forgetting their sheep? Did they go straight to the stable or did
they stop and tell people along the way? If they did, then most everybody they
met would probably thought they were crazy or drunk or both, but the shepherds
didn’t care, they knew what they had seen so they found the stable where the
baby had been born.
Were they excited and boisterous, pushing and shoving to get
a glimpse of this One that the angels had announced to them or were they
fearful and penitent, bowing and worshiping the Messiah?
They told your parents about the Angels, and I think it must
have surprised Joseph a little, but Mary might have expected it. I think that your parents; like your
disciples who would come later, were amazed at almost everything you did! Every minute of your childhood must have been
an adventure, because never before had there been a child like you!
How the angels must have stood back in awe, and watched, almost
unbelieving! They could not imagine why you
would become one of us! You who were the
center of all things, the creator, the LORD MOST HIGH, how you could become
weak and small and entrust yourself into the hands of two inexperienced
youngsters barely old enough to care for themselves much less the King of Kings! How they must have marveled and loved you! How
they must have hovered over you and held you dear to their hearts! No wonder they told the shepherds that
night! The news was far too amazing to
keep to them alone!
Did the kingdom of darkness know of your arrival that night,
or did you come in beneath their radar? Were they, like almost everyone else
looking for a mighty man of God to step onto this Earth? Were they waiting for a Warrior King to do
battle with? Were they looking for
something big, not small? Did they even
notice that you were born? Was your
arrival a slight breeze or was it like a nuclear bomb? Did your coming affect
them at all or did it cause shockwaves throughout their kingdom? Were they indifferent or were they insane
with fear? In my own mind I think that
the minute that You took your first breath on this planet, they all KNEW and
TREMBLED! I believe that this whole
fallen creation GROANED when it FELT the unmistakable presence of its
CREATOR! The angels rejoiced like never before! Finally the King had come into this dirty
little world to set into motion the very first step in the redemption of all of
humanity! When you were born did they
know what You must suffer or were they completely horrified when the creation
beat and spat on and killed their Creator?
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