Oh, how I wish we had a children’s Christmas pageant at JOY Lutheran Church, but we do not.  At least, not this year.  Still, I hope you had the chance to attend a Christmas pageant some place.  I remember fondly the Christmas pageants I directed and the Christmas pageants my children were in years past.  Like all good Christmas pageants, they told their simple version of Christ’s birth and, like all good Christmas pageants, someone forgot their line and one of the angel’s halos wouldn’t stay up, and someone stepped on the rope of the shepherd’s robe so the shepherd was delayed from coming on stage to say his lines, and the one of the Magi couldn’t find their gifts!  In other words, things were comically messy and imperfect.  But, I think, that’s what makes a Christmas pageant so special!

In 1223, Francis of Assisi created the first live nativity to be a visual aid for his midnight mass sermon.  St. Francis wanted to impress upon people that Jesus was born into poverty and simplicity.[1]  The baby Jesus was born in a barn and placed in the feed trough of a live animal.  He was not born into royalty with pomp or gold.  Rather, his birth was messy, inconvenient, simple and human.  That’s what St. Francis wanted to impress upon the people with his live nativity, or first Christmas pageant.  Jesus’ story is our story because it’s a human story.  It’s a story we can relate to.  When our children are reenacting the nativity, they are affirming Jesus was born into a real and imperfect, messy world.  Our world.  Jesus was human!  It’s easy to remember Jesus’ divinity 2000+ years later, but let’s also recall Jesus’ humanity.  This is God’s gift to us!

January 6 is Epiphany Day.  It is a Christian holiday celebrating the epiphany, or revelation, of God in Jesus Christ.  It is also called Three Kings Day since it primarily celebrates the visit of the Magi (or three kings) to the baby Jesus.  Here’s where I can tie the message back to the Christmas pageant.  Most nativity scenes and traditional Christmas pageants have the three wise men, or Magi, visiting the baby Jesus.  The Magi were not from Israel, so when they see the Christ child and understand that he is the Savior and King, this begins the revelation that Jesus came to save not only the Jews, but also the Gentiles.  Jesus is truly the light for the whole world.

Read Matthew 2:1-12, and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally!

Annie

Today’s Reading: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%202:1-12
 

[1] https://www.catholiccompany.com/getfed/story-francis-assisi-first-navity-scene/