Matthew 2:1-2, 9-11
In a Christmas devotional, Brennan Manning makes the point that Jesus is for the shipwrecked.
From time to time I take the ferry from Ceuta to Algeciras. We drive our car onto the ferry and walk upstairs where we sit in comfortable chairs drinking a soda and eating a snack and reading a book. An hour later we arrive and drive off the ferry.
The last time I did this, we crossed in the darkness and I thought of those who cross the straits of Gibralter in overcrowded, leaky rubber rafts, trying to sneak their way into Spain. The seas are not always calm and big ships cannot see a small raft as they move through the water. For rubber rafts, it is a very dangerous crossing. I cross because it is a convenient way to get to Spain. Those who take the leaky, overcrowded rubber rafts do so because they are desperate.
I cross in convenience and comfort, but if the ferry were to have an accident and begin to sink in the middle of the straits, I would join the ranks of the desperate. In the dark waters of the straits, I would be desperate to find something to support me in the water.
Jesus is for the desperate and we see this in the birthplace of Jesus. Jesus was not born in elegance, luxury or even simple comfort. Jesus was born in a stable.
I had horses when I was a boy and I love stables. I love the smell of being in a stable with the bales of hay and straw and feed barrel and of course, the smell of the horses.
The stables I have known are constructed of wood and built to keep the wind and rain outside. There were racks where the saddles and bridles were hung and a corner where the hay and straw were stacked up.
Jesus was born in a stable, but not a stable like the ones I have known. Jesus was born in a cave cut out of a hillside. It was dark and damp, suitable perhaps for animals but certainly not for a baby.
Who goes to such a place for help? Only the shipwrecked are desperate enough to come. Those who live in comfort seek a clean hospital or the soft coach of a psychiatrist’s office when they need help. Those who live in comfort seek a sophisticated church with a wonderful choir, stimulating preacher and interesting people in the congregation with whom they can mingle. The wealthy seek another peek at their financial portfolio and make plans to go to their summer home for a break. The bored make another trip to the mall to buy more clothes.
Shipwrecked and desperate people come to Jesus. When you are in the open sea with the waves swelling around you, you flail your arms and are relieved to find a piece of wood to which you can cling. Finally you are washed ashore and make your way to the stable and make the stunning discovery that the plank you were clinging to was the salvation Jesus offers.
Notice some characteristics of the shipwrecked who come to Jesus.
The shipwrecked do not ask if they deserve to be helped. Out in the open sea with their strength failing and desperation increasing, when they find a plank of wood, they do not ask if it is right for them to hold on to this piece of wood. They do not evaluate it to see if there might not be a better piece of wood available. They do not measure themselves and see if they deserve this piece of wood. They simply cling to what comes to them to save them.
The shipwrecked come to Jesus with nothing to offer. All they had was lost at sea. Their intricate theologies were proved to be insignificant. Their refined education was shown to be inadequate. Their sophistication was irrelevant. Their wealth proved only to be a danger, dragging them deeper in the water. The shipwrecked abandon all they have and come to Jesus with gratitude that they were saved from a certain destruction.
The shipwrecked come to the cave cut in the side of a hill and pay no attention to the darkness and dampness of the stable. The shipwrecked kneel at the crib of Jesus without worrying if the straw on the floor is clean or matted with manure. The shipwrecked pay no attention to the aesthetics of the stable, they pay attention only to Jesus. They do not care if there is a choir or not. They do not care if they sing music they like or not. The intensity of the gratitude of the shipwrecked breaks through all the surroundings and focuses on Jesus.
Brennan Manning tells of a Christmas story that comes from the Provence region of France. It’s about four shepherds who came to Bethlehem to see Jesus. One brought eggs, another bread and cheese and the third brought wine. The fourth brought nothing at all. People called him L’Enchanté. The first three shepherds chatted with Mary and Joseph, commenting on how cozy was the cave and how handsomely Joseph had appointed it, what a beautiful starlit night it was. They congratulated the proud parents, presented them with their gifts and assured them that if they needed anything else, they had only to ask. Finally someone asked, “Where is L’Enchanté?” They searched high and low, up and down, inside and out. Finally, someone peeked through the blanket hung against the draft, into the creche. There, kneeling at the crib, was L’Enchanté – the Enchanted One. Like a flag or a flame taking the direction of the wind, he had taken the direction of love. Throughout the night, he stayed on in adoration, whispering, “Jesu, Jesu, Jesu – Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”
Desperate people cling to Jesus in gratitude for his rescue of them. Some of us believe we are making our crossing in a luxurious ocean liner, relaxing in a first-class suite, drinking from crystal glasses and dining on fine china. Others of us are in tourist class and some of us are working our way across by washing dishes and cleaning rooms. And then some of us are in leaky rubber rafts. The truth is that whatever ship we are on, it will sink in the middle and leave us desperate. The fortunate are the ones who realize this and cling to Jesus.
The best Christmas present you can receive this year is to see how desperate you are apart from Christ and cling ever tighter to the only one who can rescue you.
