I want to tell you a story…

It takes place during the early 1800s in a small town in Upstate New York. It’s about a man, his wife and their four sons. The man was the owner of a small grocery store that kept his family quite busy. The summers in their town were warm but the winters were brutally cold. Because of this, the grocery store didn’t do very much business during the winter months. It seems that people would stock up on their supplies at the end of fall so they wouldn’t have to travel out in the frigid cold.

Because of his growing family and their increasing expenses, the father was forced to look for work elsewhere during those icy months. So, he did what many men in that area did at that time; he went to work at a lumberyard in the larger city some one hundred miles away. Because of the distance and since it was quite difficult to travel at that time, it made sense for him to live in the city over those months.

For the sake of his family, and for his own peace of mind, he promised to write to his wife each and every week. This he did. Every week he told them how much he loved them and missed them, and that he was saving up all the money he was making to bring back to them in a few months. When the winter was over, he came home and all was well. This pattern continued for a few years without a hitch. But then one year, there was a problem.

At first the letters came every week as usual. Then, strangely, there was one week with no letter. The family was worried but decided to be patient. Another week went by, and still no letter. Week after week turned into two agonizing years of waiting. Finally, the family assumed that either the father had died or else had left them for good to start a new life for himself.

At about that time, the eldest son came of age to go out on his own, and decided to look for and find out what had happened to his father. He looked throughout that big city but had no success. Some people he questioned said, “Yeah, I knew him, but I haven’t seen him in a long time.” Everywhere he searched he got the same answer. No one knew where he was. The discouraged son came home and told the news to his family. Without hope, the family did not know what to think.

Then one day they received a letter from the father! In it, he reassured them and said, “I love you and miss you, and I have a great surprise for you. But I can’t come to you now. I will, however, send someone who will instruct you on how you can come see me.” The confused family didn’t understand what was going on, but at least now they had hope that their family would again be restored. So, they waited to hear from that someone their father spoke of to tell them what they should do. They waited and waited and waited…

Unexpectedly, one of the son’s friends told the family that he knew how they could go and see their father. But the family all said, “What do you know? You’ve lived here with us all this time. How could you possibly know what to do?” But the friend kept insisting that he knew what they should do. Sadly, the family kept on ignoring his offers and decided to wait and wait and wait…

This month we celebrate the birth of a baby born in a stable. Like the father in our story, Christ’s Father told the rest of His family that there would one day be a way to see Him again. In His mercy and love, He promised to make a way for His family to be together.

But then there was a period of quiet. There was no message from God for years in the period between the Old Testament and the New. The people must have thought that God had died, or at least had left them for good and started a new life without them.

Then at last, Jesus the Messiah came. But it was not in a way that any of them expected Him to. That Baby who was born in a manger grew into a man. And just like the friend in the story, the people said of Jesus, “What do you know? You’ve lived here with us all this time. How could you possibly know what to do?”

Yes, Christ came in an unexpected way to an unexpectant people. How sad it is when people miss the truth that’s right under their nose.

There’s a soothing lyric in the carol “Silent Night” that says, “…sleep in Heavenly peace…” But sadly, many people have no peace tonight. Knowing Christ, however, will bring inexplicable peace. A peace not only about what happens when this life is over but peace in this life to know that everything is in the Hand of your Master and Friend – God Almighty, Himself.

Matthew 1:18-23 (NIV)
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”–which means, “God with us.”

Luke 2:6-12 (NIV)
6 …the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”