Christmas Eve
Saturday, December 24, 2022  

Today’s Scripture Reading
Matthew 1:18–25

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.” When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus. (NRSV)  

Reflection

Poet Mary Oliver in her book Winter Hours reflects on important aspects of writing poetry. She says, “Years ago I set three ‘rules’ for myself. Every poem I write, I said, must have a genuine body, it must have sincere energy, and it must have a spiritual purpose.”

If Mary Oliver were sitting beside me as I write this devotional and we read this story of Jesus’ birth aloud, I think she would not bat an eye if I said, “I think this story is poetry, pure and simple.”

Yes, the poem has body energy: a woman, engaged to a man, in a culture where extramarital relations were forbidden, finding herself “with child” and from what? The Holy Spirit. And the flesh, the blood, the chill in the heart, the shaky uncertainty, the fiancé who is ready to quietly dismiss her.  

The poem is also very, very sincere! Matthew’s version of the story could not be more sincere, understated, almost to the point that we want to shake him a bit! Come on, get a little energy in the poem. Really, Matthew? This is the very Son of the Most High, God with us, and you make it seem like we are drinking our coffee and half-listening to the weather being broadcast in the other room. Yes, it has sincere energy. OK, that is Oliver’s poetic rule and I let it settle.  

But just as it settles there’s a jolt. Yes, this “poem,” delivers its spiritual purpose—with glory beyond glory! It carries the day with an astonishing glimpse of the very Light of the world. It dares to lift us from all the distractions that keep it from sinking in. It asks that we pay attention to what might just shrink our fear, might just be audacious enough to plunge us in love, with its lilt, its song, the sheer poetry of it.  

It is poetry when the labor begins. It is poetry when the waiting, watching, astonishing emerges. It is poetry when hands that are calloused from the lathe, the saw, the planing and sanding, reach for the child as he comes to all of us. And it is poetry when the tears wet the beard of Joseph and when Mary dares a glance into the child’s face ... God’s face ... the face of every one upon whom the child’s eyes light ... and dawn breaks over the whole scene. Yes, that is poetry. 

Prayer

As the winter’s darkness holds our souls, O God, your light lifts them with eternal love. May this night be nothing less than sheer poetry, in its silence, in its delight, in its welcome to the Child who is born to us. Amen.  

Written by Lucy Forster-Smith, Senior Associate Pastor    

Reflection and prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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