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How well do you know the Christmas story? Let’s find out with a little quiz. True or false. 1. Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem on a donkey. 2. Cows, sheep, and goats were present at Jesus’ birth. 3. Three wise men came to see Jesus. 4. The wise men found Jesus in a stable. Are you ready for the answers? All four statements are false. The Bible does not mention a donkey. There is no record of any animals being present in the stable. No mention of three wise men. And when some wise men did visit Jesus it was at a house, not a stable. Surprised? Confused? This little quiz illustrates how we hear stories. The Bible is obviously not the only source of information for how we have learned the stories. There are other sources such as hymns, movies, and popular culture who like to add their own twist to the story. So we process all this information into one story and somehow believe that it all comes from one source, the Bible. But how important is it that we get the right number of wise men? How vital is it that we know every fact of the birth of Jesus? Isn’t it more important that we catch the spirit of this child who came to be with us? Isn’t it more vital that we live in the light of Christ’s love? While studying in the Holy Land, a seminary professor met a man who claimed to have memorized the Old Testament--in Hebrew! Needless to say, the astonished professor asked for a demonstration. A few days later they sat together in the man's home. "Where shall we begin?" asked the man. "Psalm 1," replied the professor, who was an avid student of the psalms. The man began to recite Psalm 1 from memory while the professor followed along in his Hebrew Bible. For two hours the man continued word for word without a mistake as the professor sat in stunned silence. When the demonstration was over, the professor discovered something even more astonishing about the man--he was an atheist! Here was someone who knew the Scriptures better than most Jews or Christians ever will, and yet he didn't even believe in God. Don’t get me wrong. I believe it is important to learn the facts of Bible stories. But this is not as important as making personal connections with the stories. It is not as vital as opening our hearts to the power behind the stories. Let me tell you an inspiring story that illustrates how the facts of the birth story can change, but still retain the power behind the story. It comes to us from Russia and is titled "For Always," by Will Fish. In 1994, two Americans answered an invitation from the Russian Department of Education to teach morals and ethics based on biblical principles in the public schools. They were invited to teach at prisons, businesses, the fire and police departments, and a large orphanage. About 100 boys and girls who had been abandoned, abused, and left in the care of a government-run program were in the orphanage. It was Christmas, 1994, when these Russian orphas heard for the first time the story of Christmas. Throughout the story, the children and orphanage staff sat in amazement as they listened. Some sat on the edges of their stools, trying to grasp every word. After the story they gave the children three small pieces of cardboard to make a crude manger. Each child was given a small paper square, cut from yellow napkins. No colored paper was available in the city. Following instructions, the children tore the paper and carefully laid strips in the manger for straw. Small squares of flannel were used for the baby's blanket. A doll-like baby was cut from tan felt they had brought from the U.S. The children were busy assembling their manger. One of the Americans came to a table where little Misha sat. He looked to be about 6 years old and had finished his project. What was unusual was that there were two babies in the manger. A translator was called to ask the lad why there were two babies in the manger. Crossing his arms in front of him and looking at his completed manger scene, the child began to repeat the story very seriously. For such a young boy, who had only heard the Christmas story once, he related the events accurately--until he came to the part where Mary put the baby Jesus in the manger. Then Misha started to ad lib. He made up his own ending to the story as he said, "And when Maria laid the baby in the manger, Jesus looked at me and asked me if I had a place to stay. I told him I have no mamma and I have no papa, so I don't have any place to stay. Then Jesus told me I could stay with him. But I told him I couldn't, because I didn't have a gift to give him like everybody else did. But I wanted to stay with Jesus so much, so I thought about what I had that maybe I could use for a gift. I thought maybe if I kept him warm, that would be a good gift. So I asked Jesus, "If I keep you warm, will that be a good enough gift?" And Jesus told me, "If you keep me warm, that will be the best gift anybody ever gave me." "So I got into the manger, and then Jesus looked at me and he told me I could stay with him---for always." As little Misha finished his story, his eyes brimmed full of tears that splashed down his little cheeks. Putting his hand over his face, his head dropped to the table and his shoulders shook as he sobbed and sobbed. This little boy had finally found someone who would never abandon nor abuse him, someone who would stay with him--FOR ALWAYS. Are there ever times in your life when you feel like Misha? Times when you don’t feel like you have a place where you can be loved? Tonight you can offer Jesus a gift. You can come to the manger and admit that you have no gift in your hands to give. You can come to Bethlehem tonight and keep the Christ-child warm. You can come to Jesus and offer him the best gift of all…the gift of yourself. Not only will this gift keep Jesus warm, but it will warm your soul FOR ALWAYS.
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The St. John Web Site needs your input! Click here to leave feedback Copyright © 1998-2004 Jon S. Dawson. Last modified: February 01, 2009
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12/24/01 - Keeping Jesus Warm (Luke 2:1-20)
