This is almost a live message. That is to say, I am recording it while I am driving to church on Christmas Eve morning, 2023.
I'm thinking today of Mary's response to the angel when she's told that she is about to have a child,
and that it will be a child not born to her from Joseph, and that God will father that child, and that amazing things will happen to her.
And she says back to him, after a moment's hesitation perhaps, but she says back to him,
Behold, the bond servant of the Lord, or maid servant of the Lord, let it be done unto me as you have said.
And I'm thinking that that ought to be our response to God, whatever it is that we're going through.
In fact, if we would learn to respond that way, I think we would go through things with more grace and more peace.
She would lose virtually everything, all her treasures in life, even her virginity and the society that she was in.
She would lose everything, and she would lose it all for God, and then God would do an amazing thing through her,
and really through Jesus would be born of her to save the world from their sins.
And he would eventually break her heart as she saw her son hang on the cross to pay for sins.
It would be a tough journey, but she said to God, Lord, behold your maid servant, do as you have said.
This Christmas Eve, be grateful for all the blessings you have, and know that we're praying for you in the midst of your hardships.
I know some of you are in the hospital, some of you are sick, some of you are hurting, relationship difficulties, job difficulties, finance difficulties.
God bless you all. In Jesus' name, Amen.