God of the Impossible
Matthew 1:18-21
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream saying – Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son and you shall call his name Jesus for he will save his people from their sins.”
Today we light the Bethlehem Candle, the Candle of Preparation.
What prepared Mary and Joseph for the events about to transpire after their betrothal…Mary for the imminent stoning that came along with a verdict of adultery, Joseph for the stunning revelation that Mary was pregnant and the child was not his?
The events we read about were preceded by a deep personal relationship Mary had with her God. She loved him. She served him. She was humble. Someone so full of trust in God that when the angel told her what was about to happen, her response was: I am the Lord’s servant, let it be to me according to the word you spoke. In other words, I surrender my fear and the selfish agenda I had for my life. I want to be a part of your plan!
What about Joseph? He was a solid, dependable man. Loyal, kind and compassionate. He was the picture of grace. He also loved his God and had a deep personal relationship with him that went beyond the mere conscripts of temple sacrifice.
If it wasn’t so, they would not have been chosen for the wondrous plan.
But that’s what the preparation had been about. Getting their hearts ready for whatever was to come, trust in every season of life.
So we find them in Bethlehem, the birthplace of King David. Just another young couple expecting a child. No one knew she was carrying the very Son of God, Joseph didn’t push his way into an Inn and demand that another family be moved out so they could have clean lodging, a quiet dinner and a midwife ready.
An unknown couple in a quiet, unassuming town. Why them? Why there?
Maybe so that those of us in the most humble of circumstances are assured that we matter. Those of us from the most obscure backgrounds know his loving eyes are upon us. Those of us with the most impossible of circumstances have peace that he knows what we’re going through and that there is a plan.
God loves using the humble, quiet and out-of-the-way to change history. He specializes in it actually. Your life matters today, your humble means, your obscure background, your impossible circumstance. It’s the perfect setting for the miraculous.