She held the words close, just the same as she snuggled the baby close. We hear her actions described as “ponder.” Mary “pondered” these things in her heart; as if she were pondering whether to take a Mylanta for her heartburn or not.
But, it was so much more than pondering. It was much deeper than simply thinking about what she had heard. She held the words of the shepherds so close it seemed as if she desired to be one with those words. And maybe she did. After-all, the words that promise something wonderful “for you” are the sort of words that can change your life.
It is one thing to say, “Jesus came to the world to save it.” We hold general theological proclamations such as that as dearly as we hold the words “I’m loving it” as you bite into a paper thin McDonald’s sandwich patty. But, some words do catch us and do have the power to shape us.
Therefore, it is quite another thing to say, “God decided to come to the world for you." “Jesus brought forgiveness for you.” “The body of Christ given for you.” These are words that we can cherish…and we do.
So, the promise of the angel that the shepherds excitedly recited to Mary, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you” she treasured these words and held them close. God had not only come to her, through her even, but also for her. God has not only come to the world, but has also come for you.
These words are a gift that you put into little box next to your heart. But, it is not the kind of box that you lock up to keep safe. In fact, you want to peek inside and enjoy the promise that the box contains.
It is like when the child of a soldier finds out his parent is coming home from oversees for Christmas. As that child, you would hold tight onto that sort of promise for all its worth. And, when you felt lonely, you would peek inside from time to time, refreshing your soul with the hope of seeing your parent once again. But, God’s promise is so much more than that.
It is like the girl on the sidelines of the dance floor who has no date, but heard from a friend that the guy she has a crush on is going to sweep her onto the dance floor. You would hold close that sort of promise, peeking in from time to time until he actually came and held out his hand. But, God’s promise is so much more than that.
The words that Mary holds close are the ones that promise that the very power that spoke us into existence is coming home, in the flesh, "for you"…to be with you.
Bill was your typical hard worker on the maintenance crew. He had a huge bushy beard, a couple teeth were missing, and he was able to fix anything with some putty and duct tape. He was a great guy. He would have a beer or two or three to support an ailing friend at their benefit which was always held at the bar. He was a guy’s guy.
One year I invited Bill to church on Christmas Eve. “Come on, it is a beautiful service in a great church with great people.”
Stroking his beard he replied, “Thank you very much, but I’m sure a guy like me doesn’t belong there.”
We were silent for a while, except for the sound of our paint scrapers: metal on wood. Then I decided to share something someone had once told me, “You know Bill…the shepherds were just cheap labor like us. No one cared about them. They weren’t welcome in the fine establishments of their time. But, God sent an angel just for them…just to tell them about the Savior of the world. Christmas Eve services are for people like us Bill.”
“For us you say?”
“For us. Even for you Bill.”
“Well, that was probably one of the best invitations I’ve ever heard,” Bill said with an honest smile.
For you.
Jesus does not wake up in the morning and put on some flesh just so he can come down and punish us or seek vengeance for the missteps we’ve all certainly taken throughout our lives. If he had intended that, he would have come as a mighty warrior or a heartless governor. Instead, he came as a baby. Someone we can hold close…someone who is for us…someone who is for you.
Those words seem awfully familiar: “for you.”
When we gather at the table we hear that the bread and the wine (and the forgiveness and the heavenly love that the wine and bread hold) are “for you.” "The body of Christ given for you.” "The blood of Christ shed for you.”
In a world full of darkness where we fear the future and often feel alone, we hold close these words, “for you” in a small box close to our hearts.
It is not locked because we need to open it up and take a look whenever the darkness appears to be too much. We open it and hear the words, “I have come for you” echoing out.
It is a promise to give us hope and give us confidence to take a step forward into the future, even if the future seems dark.
It is also the promise that binds us to one another because we all hold the same words close to our hearts.
Jesus is the joy of all people. He is God with us. He is love come close to each of us. He is the one who gives us hope. Heavenly joy and hope come to the world through Jesus. That means, Jesus also comes “for you,” and I tend to think that is a pretty good Christmas gift.
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