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 You’re thinking I’ve made a mistake, aren’t you?
Doesn’t the real Christmas story start toward the end of Matthew
chapter one when Joseph learns that his betrothed is pregnant and he
struggles to deal with this unplanned pregnancy he didn’t cause?
Maybe a conflicted fiancée, a caravan of Magi, some visiting angels,
startled shepherds and a wrathful king make for better drama, but
that’s not where Matthew chose to begin.
Matthew decided that in order to properly tell the story of Jesus
you had to first tell the story of the family that God chose for His
Son. And what a family it is! Do you ever think your family is a
doozy? Let me tell you, your family’s got nothing on the ancestry of
Joseph. Here are just a few of the high – and low – points:
It begins with Abraham. He’s known as the father of the faithful,
but for years he struggled to trust God and tried to hurry up God’s
timing. Along the way he lied repeatedly about his relationship with
his wife to save his own skin and fathered a child by another woman.
It continues with the legitimate heir to the promise – Isaac. Isaac
grew up to be a fine, obedient son to Abraham, but a terrible dad to
his own sons and played favorites, preferring Esau over his brother
Jacob.
And Jacob, the next name in the list, knew this all too well. It led
him to a life of trickery, always trying to get the upper hand.
You’d think he might have learned from his father’s bad example, but
he had his favorites among his sons – and his wives, too.
And we’re just getting warmed up. The family tree includes the likes
of David, the great king and great sinner with Bathsheba. She gets a
mention, too, along with some other women like a foreigner, Ruth,
who grew up worshiping idols in Moab and a “business” woman named
Rahab. Then there are also a whole slew of other kings descended
from David. Some were shining stars who led the people in paths of
righteousness. Others were like black holes who drew the nation into
the depths of unthinkable sins like sacrificing their own children
in the fire.
So there you go. That’s where Matthew begins his account of the
Christ story - with the rich and poor, famous and infamous,
sinner-and-saint-filled family God chose for His only begotten Son.
That ought to fill us with wonder! I mean, really? Couldn’t God have
planted a better family tree for Jesus to be grafted into? Yet
somehow, in His almighty wisdom it made sense to make room in Jesus’
heritage for such a motley assortment of characters.
He does that, you know? Make room. We’re not so good at making room,
but God specializes in it. We couldn’t even manage to clear little
more than a borrowed corner of a crowded little stable for His Son
to be born.
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 But whenever I see a nativity display and the
little structure that shelters the Holy family, I’m amazed at how
big God has made it. Think about it: There was room for Joseph and
Mary and the human family – warts and all – they represented. There
was plenty of room for lowly and despised shepherds to be the first
to lay eyes on the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the
world. There was even room for the mysterious astrologers who
followed the sign in the nighttime sky that brought them to worship
the Savior of the whole human race. From a weirdly wonderful point
of view God made that little stable big enough for all mankind to
come and adore Jesus.
In fact, the stable reminds me of the British science fiction
sensation, ‘Doctor Who.’ The doctor is a time-traveler that drifts
through the universe in a strange little time machine called the
TARDIS. On the outside, it looks like an ordinary phone booth like
structure, but everyone who goes through the door of the TARDIS
stares in amazement and exclaims, “It’s much bigger on the inside!”
It looks like it would do well to hold one or two people (or maybe
10 or 12 college kids), but in reality there is infinite room
inside.
The scene of the nativity may look small, but it’s much bigger on
the inside. God has ensured that there is plenty of room for anyone
and everyone to come to His Son. And when anyone comes to His Son in
genuine faith it’s a safe bet they will never be the same again. Our
loving God has made room for us – I pray we make room for ‘the
Christ of the manger’ in our lives. The old carol says it so well,
Joy to the world! The Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare Him room!
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and heaven and nature sing!
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