There were only two wise men, and they were twins.
Traveling afar meant walking from the
back church pew down to the front. That’s pretty good since these wise men are
only in the first grade. Of course, they have traveled farther. Another forty-feet
led straight to the bathroom. Nevertheless, even with their traveling freedom,
the wise men were not joyful.
Ahhh…the children’s Christmas play practice is in full
swing. The first night of practice went well. “Joseph,” a redheaded
second-grader, proudly escorted his older and much taller “Mary.” Giggles
trickled through the room, mine included. I’m not sure Mary likes her
prearranged marriage with little Zachaeus but she’s a good sport. I told my son
(a.k.a. Zach, Zachaeus, Joseph) he could wear boots. He firmly responded, “I’m
plenty tall enough, thank you very much.” At least “Joseph” is confident.
The shepherds were small and quiet. The angel did not
terrify them. It was hearing instructions to walk the aisles and shout, “Jesus
is born! Jesus is born!” They practiced sharing the good news. One whispered
it. One mouthed the words and the other used mental telepathy.
It was during the five-minute break when the wise men expressed
their concerns to the director.
“We want to
tell people that Jesus is born,” they cried. Apparently, delivering gifts to
the Christ child was not enough.
The shy shepherds quickly agreed to exchange places
with the wise men. Excited about the beautiful gifts they will silently offer
Jesus.
After the break, the children practiced their new parts.
The twin wise men gleefully became shepherds. They raised their eyebrows with
anticipation and repeatedly asked,
“When can we say it?”
“Is it time to go to tell the people?”
Finally, the time arrived when the two newly ordained shepherds
skipped down the aisles of the church. They loudly proclaimed,
“Jesus is born! Jesus is born! Jesus is born!”
Their toothy grins brought smiles, even to the tired
parents sitting in the back. They exuded joy, pure joy.
How about you? Whom do you identify with?
Mary? She had surprises in her life. Some were
wonderful. Some were disappointing, some sad. Ultimately, she trusted God with
the details Do you have faith God is in control, even when you don’t comprehend
everything?
Joseph? He had surprises too. He wrestled with
decisions. He loved God and he loved Mary. Even when he didn’t understand, he
stayed by Mary’s side. He trusted and obeyed God. Are you obedient to God, even
when it’s difficult?
Perhaps you’re similar to the wise men. You search for
Jesus daily, seeking to worship Him. You joyfully give the gifts you have to
offer. Standing firm in your beliefs, you defend Christ.
Or are you like a poor, quiet shepherd? Do you look at the
gifts of others and wish you had more to offer? The angels spoke first to the humble in
spirit. The shepherds gave their time. They left their work to offer the Lord
their adoration. Experiencing God’s love, they presented their service. They
spread the good news to others. Not all may have shouted it, but they sure
did share it. They were authentic and people were amazed at what they heard.
Let’s be obedient like Mary and Joseph, trusting God in
all things. Like the kings, let’s freely give and be bold for Christ. But let’s
leave our crowns at the manger and run barefoot through the hills like the
shepherds. Eagerly sharing how our lives changed after meeting Jesus. Spread
joy, pure joy.
