"The Weary World Rejoices!"
“When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.”
(Matthew 1:24, NIV)
Once again, this Christmas, we find ourselves in a strange season. It is Christmas, and so we wish for our usual happenings – the events and festivities, travel to be with loved ones, and significant interaction with our church families. Instead, we continue to face limitations and challenges to what we once took for granted.
So, what do we do? How do we make Christmas as much as we can even though it has to be different?
In our church we are reflecting on the song, O Holy Night, this Advent season. While there is “A thrill of hope!” at Christmas, it takes intentionality for us as “the weary world” to truly “rejoice”.
Many of us are feeling more “weary” than happy or joyful. We are trying to be positive about Christmas, but we are feeling alone, tired, weary. The inability to be together with our family, church family, and community in the ways most meaningful to us leaves us struggling. But even though we may be “weary,” we are determined to “rejoice”.
Would you consider Joseph with me? While anticipating his wedding, he found out his fiancée was already pregnant; the rejection he must have felt, the concern for their future that must have weighed in on him! But Joseph was a righteous man; he could have made a spectacle of Mary but instead chose to “divorce her quietly”. However, his thoughts were interrupted by an angel. In Matthew 1, we read,
“… an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” … When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.” (Matthew 1:20–25, NIV)
Joseph likely felt weary by the reality of his situation – until the angel appeared! He not only rejoiced in the message of the angel but obediently followed. There was great potential in the exact circumstances he found himself in. He rejoiced, finding peace within his circumstances. He took Mary as his wife, despite her pregnancy, believing her and the Spirit of God firmly; this baby was “of the Lord” and would serve a great purpose!
What are we facing that is making us feel “weary”? An angel does not always appear to explain our circumstances. Most often, we are left with trusting God through it without really knowing His reasoning or purpose. But we deliberately turn to the Lord, trusting that His ways are higher than ours and that His peace is truly beyond our understanding.
Let us each deliberately turn to God, no matter what it is we are facing. As strange as the season may feel, He remains in it all.