The word 'wonder' has a duel meaning. On the one hand it
means to question, “What Child Is This?" On the other hand it means to marvel, to stand in awe, "What a Child this is!" We speak about the seven wonders of the world. In the far North we stand at night and stare up at the stars and the Northern Lights and we
wonder at the universe. The
Bible speaks of the wonder of God’s great love. It speaks of Jesus performing signs and wonders. The people being filled with wonder when they
saw Christ.
There was a lot of wonder associated with the birth of
Jesus. Mary pondered these things in her
heart. Those who heard the shepherds
were amazed at what they were told. The
wise men were over-joyed when they saw the star – they were all filled with
wonder. I need a sense of wonder at Christmas time too.
Someone once called us to wonder by saying that “Life is
measured not by how many breaths you take but by how many times your breath is
taken away.”
In my life there are several things that steal my wonder.
The first is familiarity. Somebody can live under the
splendor of these Northern Lights and eventually get so familiar with them that
they don’t ever stop to notice, much less wonder at, them. Some
people lived in Nazareth and so
close to Jesus that when it was announced that he was the Messiah – they
couldn’t see it. “O, that’s just Mary’s
son we’ve seen him as a carpenter.” And
they dismissed him, and they missed him.
Many of us have been through a lot of Christmas’ and we are
so familiar with it, sometimes it can lose it’s wonder. The Bible speaks of people who have ears but don’t hear, who have eyes that don’t see, who have minds, but they don’t understand.
Another enemy of wonder is immaturity. As a teenager I went
to see Niagara Falls. After a long trip across the country, we eventually arrived, got out of
the car and looked at that spectacular scenery. I was filled with awe, for about a minute! Then I was ready to leave - I couldn’t understand why the adults wanted
to spend so much time to absorb the scenery.
Immaturity misses the wonder because it is always drawn to
that which appears to be more spectacular. Who wants to gaze at water tumbling over rocks when you can watch the
latest DVD or play the latest Xbox game? Who wants to think about God at a Christmas time when there are presents
to buy and parties to attend and World Junior Hockey to watch ? Immaturity can seen at any age.
Perhaps the most deadly thief of wonder is cynicism. The skeptic by nature doubts, challenges,
and questions all the time. The cynic loves to sit on the sidelines and make fun of
others who have sense of wonder and try to throw cold water on their
enthusiasm. He imagines that his doubt
is sign of his intellectual superiority – but in reality it is often a sign of
ignorance.
There is an old story about a
man who made a visit to the Louvre. He found
it hilarious that visitors were “Ah! Ah! – ing” about all the paintings that
were there. He glanced and them and
said, “I don’t see anything to get excited about.” A man standing near him, who had come to love
each painting said, “Yeah, don’t you wish that you could?”
Christmas season with 2 and 4 year old children includes one
wonder-filled moment after another! “Look! Look Daddy! Look!” My kids have got me seeing things this
Christmas that I haven’t seen for a long time!
What would take for us to recapture the wonder this
year? Maybe we need to dive into the story as if for the first time?
Approach that stable again. It’s just a small shed really. Smaller than you thought, simpler and older.
Walk right up to it. Get close enough that you can smell with your
own nostrils that distinct odor of the barn.
Hear the creak of the door as you open it up and let your
breath be taken away as you peer in at that scene on the inside.
Notice the animals, the straw, the dim light and warmth.
There’s Joseph. He’s kind
of blocking your view. He’s a larger man
that you had imagined – then you remember – the carpenters in that day had to
cut down their own tree – they were kind of lumberjacks. As you stare at his face you can tell by the
expression that he is a new father – he’s relieved and exhausted.
There’s Mary. Not sitting up like she in the traditional
picture – but as most mother’s would be, she is lying down on the straw. Her face is kind of pale. Her hair is matted
from the perspiration of the trauma of giving birth. Her face too is amazing to see. She has distinct look of satisfaction and
accomplishment. She did it!
Stand on your tiptoes now and look at that bundle she has in
her arms. It is a little baby. If you look carefully you can see that little
face. Those tiny features. That soft hair. Those little tiny fingers with pink
fingernails.
Anytime you see a baby you are filled with wonder but when
you understand this child is the Son of God - it takes you breathe away.
If I had been there, I would have been nervous to ask but I
would have had to, “Mary? Can I hold the baby?”
What would it be like to hold the baby Jesus?
Anytime you hold a new baby you wonder- you look at it and
wonder what will happen to this little child when he or she grows up? But when you hold Jesus and you know what is
going to happen it will take your breath away.
Wouldn’t you be tempted to just rub that tiny brow? Knowing that 33 years later that brow was
going to be pierced with thorns.
Wouldn’t you be tempted just to pat the cheek where Judas
was going to kiss a kiss of betrayal? And rub the other side where the spit
would land?
Wouldn’t you want to rub those tiny shoulders? “O Baby, you don’t’ understand, but one day
there is going to be a cross on these shoulders.”
Then to hold those tiny hands and know the wonderful things
that those hands would do! Touch blind
men and make them able to see! Touch
lame men and make them walk! Caress lepers
and they would be cleansed! Take loaves
and fishes and they would multiply in these hands! And with these hands little children would be
held, and blessed.
As you rub those tiny hands you would know that one day they
would bear nails and be suspended on a cross.
The wonder of all to think that Jesus carry in himself the
payment for my sin!
You then hand the baby back to the mother. But don’t leave yet. Let the wonder of it all captivate you for a
moment.
Christmas is the one time of year that we seem to give
ourselves permission to ponder the spiritual. In the wonder of the moment take this chance to invite him in.
Invite him to come into your celebrations and meals and up
and downs and busy-ness of this season
Ask Him to give you the courage you need to keep Him in your
life every day this upcoming year.
Seek His comfort for your loneliness – search for Wisdom for
your decisions.
Tell Him you want Him directly involved in your life, and
thank Him for all that He’s done and will do for you. And thank Him for the wonder of Christmas.
That 2000 years ago, the all powerful God, the one who
specialized in taking that which is common and making it spectacular, the all
powerful God who took a rod and parted the sea, the all powerful God who took a
pebble and killed a giant, the all powerful God who spoke the universe into
existence, said to his angels, "It is time for me to show them my love,
and in order to show my love, I am going to have to set aside my power."
That is worthy of our wonder. All year long!