It was just a few days ago that we were driving around town frantically trying to buy the perfect gift for that someone special. It was just a few days ago that nobody could find a single parking spot in the mall. All last week I saw cars parked on the grass all over the place and traffic anywhere near the mall was absolutely crazy and frantic. Finally we can have some rest right? Wrong! Today the mall will be just as busy, but now instead of BUYING Christmas presents, parking lots are full of people RETURNING Christmas presents. And the craziness continues. If you’re planning to go out today, expect it to be frantic.
Frantic is just the right word to describe the situation in Bethlehem 2000 years ago for Christmas. As soon as everything seemed to calm down: the shepherds had gone, the animals went back to their stalls, and the midwives helped with the baby, Joseph laid down for some much needed rest (just like we all need after the commotion of Christmas). “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” (Matthew 2.13) These were the words of an angel that greeted Joseph’s sleep. Rather than resting for their journey back home to Nazareth, since the census was now over, Joseph has to pack everything up and leave for Egypt. And so they went, and a life of being constantly on the go went with them.
That much I bet we can all empathize with Joseph. Our lives are always on the go. I know whenever I get a chance to sit with someone, one of us has to cut the visit short because errands, or work, or just “life” is waiting. As the old saying (at least since 1225 AD) goes, “Time waits for no man.” We can all agree on that! But does it have to be that way?
Let’s take a moment and look again at this morning’s Gospel story. We see Joseph asleep after the commotion of the Birth of Christ – a pretty amazing day I’m sure. Then all those who had visited finally leave and Joseph tries to get some rest, but he is interrupted by the angel’s warning. “When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt.” (Matthew 2.14) We later catch up to Joseph on his way back to Israel after the death of Herod when he is warned yet again, this time by God, to go to Galilee instead. “And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth,.” (Matthew 2.23)
Joseph heard two warnings and WE heard two prophecies. The first about Egypt, “That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, ‘Out of Egypt I called my Son.’” (Matthew 2.15) The second about Nazareth, “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, ‘He shall be called a Nazarene.’” (Matthew 2.23) Of course these are prophesies about the Messiah, but I don’t want us to dwell too much on them this morning.
This morning, I simply want us to pay attention to WHY Joseph was on the move. Joseph and Jesus were on a mission, plain and simple, just like us. Many times there is one single thing that drives us throughout our life. For some it’s educating children, for others it might be feeding the poor, and still for others it might be as basic as keeping a roof over our family’s heads. Whatever drives us, our mission is what keeps us going, and we won’t stop at anything until that mission is accomplished. For Joseph it was protecting Jesus and for Jesus, it was protecting us and saving us from death. The reason we hear the prophesies at all, is to help us understand that their mission was planned by God from the very beginning.
So what is our mission or better yet, what should be our mission as Christians? This is not so strange a question as you might think. When God created us, He created us with free will, and it is up to us to determine our mission or goal in life. God will not force us into any answer, and neither should we, by the way, force anyone else to choose a particular mission in life. Let me make it easy for you. Do you want to live forever? Do you really want to live forever with God in Heaven? If you do, then listen to what God has to say for your life. The Lord says, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” (Matthew 16.24) Jesus never says, “Hey you! Pick up your cross and come here.” It’s our choice to follow God, but if we really do, then let’s do it.
But following God comes at a price, just like it did for Joseph in this morning’s Gospel. There will come a time, just when we think we are going to get a chance to rest, that God is going to call us and expect us to get up and get moving. The question is, will we go? Will time wait for us?
Time marches on but we don’t’ have to. The fact is WE are in control of much more of our life than we give ourselves credit for. We have been led to believe that longer workdays and shorter weekends make a more productive society. We have been led to believe that more is always better. We were lied to! What creates a better life is time with God away from the commotion of the world. The world is filled with people, hard working people, that never went to college, never played sports, and never spent a single day at Disney World, and still their lives have been blessed beyond their expectations. They have food enough to eat, a roof over their heads, and clothes on their backs. The only difference between them and so many other people in our society is that they never forgot to find time for God.
Time might march on, but it will march on without us if we don’t give some of it to God. And I’m not just talking about coming to Church on Sunday. I thank God every week when I see our pews with people in them. Joseph probably thought he had done enough when the angel told him to move to Egypt, and we might think being in Church one Sunday here and there is enough. After all we have bills to pay and places to go. And Sunday IS the only day we have to sleep in. WRONG. We can sleep any other day we choose, we just don’t. We might even be in Church EVERY Sunday and think we’ve done enough, but when God calls, will we answer?
God is calling my brothers and sisters. He is calling us to a better life, one better than any CEO or government official could ever offer us. He is calling us to a life WITH Him in Heaven and He’s waiting for our answer. Will we find the time for Him now that the commotion of Christmas is over or will we just find another project to occupy our life? The choice is ours to make.
If you want this better life, then here’s what you have to do. Beginning right now, you have to listen to where God wants you to go, and since He most likely won’t be texting you or sending you a message on Facebook, the only way to hear Him is to pray and come to Church, AT LEAST every Sunday. Living the better life in Heaven begins right here in Church. If you really want to live a better life, staring now, make a commitment to be in Church every Sunday where you can hear the Gospel and receive Holy Communion and then find ways that you can serve God and assist in His mission just like Joseph.
Joseph had to get up in the middle of the night and flea to Egypt. I doubt many of us are being called to Egypt, but the Mission Center is always looking for people interested in foreign missions. It doesn’t have to be missions; it can as simple as coming to bible study every week and making a commitment to understanding God’s Word. It can be as simple as picking up the phone and calling people who haven’t been in Church for a while. Who knows….maybe they need to hear a kind voice. Whatever it is, God is calling each of us to some sort of mission in life, and He’s just waiting for us to respond.
I can tell you what it isn’t though….it isn’t more shopping and more commotion that does nothing more than keep us away from Church….that much I know.
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