At Every Turn
As I think about the life of Jesus, my mind thinks of how great it probably was to be sinless and perfect. I think of how he probably never had to worry and could handle any challenging situation. Then I really think about the life of Jesus and realize that although He was perfect and sinless, it doesn’t mean that there were no challenging situations around him. One lesson we talked about in our curriculum this past semester was the stress that Mary and Joseph had to endure while preparing to have Jesus and even the years following.
We see that God allowed Mary to have a virgin birth which left Joseph questioning his fiance. Then, they had to flee to Bethlehem in order to have Jesus because of the political issues at the time. After, there was no place for Mary to deliver Jesus and they had to settle for a barn and a manger. Finally, Jesus is born but their troubles don’t stop there. Joseph has a dream that they need to go to Egypt because King Herod wants to kill Jesus.
It is evident that, while we celebrate the beautiful birth of the Messiah with family gatherings, presents, and time off work, the process of Jesus’ birth was far from beautiful and straightforward. The very coming of our Saviour was engulfed with stressful situations for Himself, His parents, and those around Him. It can be easy to assume that because of Jesus’ perfection, God would make His coming to Earth to be seamless. We almost have to wonder why God would allow it to be so stressful.
I look at this story and wonder what God is trying to show us in the story of Jesus’ birth being stressful. Part of me would simply imagine that God is bringing the Messiah into the world and it would be a seamless process and everyone would be excited that the Son of God has finally come.
Yet, God doesn’t take that route and allows challenges to be present in the story of Jesus’ birth. Zhodi Angami, in their book, Tribals, Empire and God : A Tribal Reading of the Birth of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel states that, “At every turn of the narrative, the reader finds the divine reality breaking into historical circumstances”. They go on to further explain that, “... God’s presence forms a heavenly canopy over the narrative, assuring the reader that all will be well”.
I wonder then, if this is the reason why God allowed Jesus’ story to be saturated with trials. Simply, for those who read this story this year, to know that the Lord is with us at every turn of our lives and that in stressful situations, all will be well. I continue to think of Christmas and all the emotions that it may bring. Christmas could be a challenging time for some as it can be a reflective period of time. Yet, the main reason why we gather and celebrate is because the Lord chose to show us that He is present in our most stressful and challenging times.
I write this not to discard the challenges you face, but rather, to encourage you that maybe the reason God allowed Jesus’ story to be stressful is so that when we read it, we can be reminded that the Lord is present with us at every turn in our challenges.
As you wrapped up 2024 and stepped into the new year, I pray that the comfort of the Lord be with you. I pray that as you reflect on all the challenges of the past year, you continue to remind yourself that as the Lord led Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, He will also lead you.
“ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
Zhodi Angami. 2017. Tribals, Empire and God : A Tribal Reading of the Birth of Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel. London: T&T Clark. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip,sso&db=nlebk&AN=1482901&site=ehost-live&scope=site. P.267- 268