Pondering the unexpected

Tis the season to ponder.

We are just a few days into December. I have a challenge for you.

Did you know that the book of Luke in the Old Testament has 24 chapters? That’s one for every day leading up to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. No one knows the exact date, in fact, many Bible scholars say it is most likely in June.

You will have to play catch-up for a few days, but trust me, it will be so worth it. I am such a Bible nerd. I love the beauty of how the scriptures paint such a vivid picture of not only facts but the customs and perspectives of Jesus’ birth. So much was unexpected. What do we do with our own unexpected events?

Imagine having an angel appear before you to tell you what you need to know. Three times in the first two chapters of Luke an angel appears and the first thing the angel says is, “Fear not.” Would you just not have a bit of fear and trepidation if an angel appeared before you?

The shepherds were known to be humble, holy, and honest truth-tellers. They would be believed. They were loyal and dedicated. When told of Jesus’ birth, they picked up and went … without hesitation. Loyalty to their sheep meant they would leave their 99 to go after one lost sheep. This would have great significance as Jesus would be likened to a shepherd, going after his lost sheep. Scripture tells us that we are his sheep.

Photo provided by Janet Hart Leonard

It is said that Elizabeth, who is spoken about in the first chapter, was Mary’s cousin. The angel, Gabriel, told her she would become pregnant and bear a son. She was well beyond child-bearing age. Her husband doubted what the angel said was true, that he would become a father. Because he doubted, he was left speechless until his son, John, was born. Imagine what he had to say after John’s birth.

Joseph and Mary had an arranged marriage. Imagine a very young Mary, explaining her being “with child” to Joseph and then Joseph explaining it to his family. Imagine Joseph, telling Mary, who was very pregnant, “we both have to go to Bethlehem to pay our taxes. Look Mary, I know it’s a long way and you are about ready to give birth, but we have no choice.” Then when they get there, telling Mary, there is no room in the inn. Stables were often caves. Modern-day nativities show them as small simple wooden structures. We don’t really know. It really doesn’t matter.

While there is a lot that we don’t know, those particulars do not change the fact that Jesus did not come as expected. He was not born to royalty or in a palace.

As I discussed my column with Chuck, I told him that this is not the Gospel according to Janet, but scripture is very real to me. I was raised and taught by my mother and those Sunday School teachers at the little Nazarene Church at 10th and Grant streets in Noblesville. I was not only taught but shown who Jesus could be in my life.

I might not be Mary, but I can still ponder. And for the next 20-some days I will do just that … ponder.

You see, it’s not about the facts of Jesus’s birth but what his birth means to each and every person. Whether you are the lost sheep or one of the 99. He came to make a difference in your life. So much of the story of the birth of Jesus makes no sense. Maybe things in your life do not make sense. In the hands of Jesus, they will someday. Jesus was long expected as his birth was foretold in the Old Testament. Yet, he did not arrive as expected.

What are your expectations this Christmas? Is life not what you planned it to be? Are you weary? I challenge you to read the book of Luke. Find an app on your phone. Read a version of the Bible that you can understand. I usually read the NIV, NLT or Passion translations. As the Bible nerd I am, I enjoy comparing them. It’s not about what you read but what you come to know as you are reading the Bible. It will change your mindset, your perspective but most of all, your heart.

Tis the season to ponder. Why not start with Luke? In just a few days you will see life differently. Trust me on this.

Janet Hart Leonard can be contacted at janethartleonard@gmail.com or followed on Facebook or Instagram (@janethartleonard). Visit janethartleonard.com.