When the first baby is coming, you have preparations to make. You’ll need a crib, and you’ll need somewhere to put the crib—and that may involve clearing the way for it by clearing out something else—there usually is, after all, only so much room.
That undoubtedly would have been some of what Mary was concerned about when the angel Gabriel told her that she would bring into the world a baby given to her by God. As it turns out, Jesus’s first bed wasn’t actually a crib, but a feed trough with hay in it, so what had to clear out was the heads of the animals who would have been feeing out of it. Not the “normal” clearing out. But clearing out just the same.
We live in a busy society. Under “normal” (non-pandemic) conditions, our calendars are often jammed full this month with holiday activities—putting up the decorations, invitations to Christmas parties, the Zoo Light drives, the Christmas markets, whatever other shopping we do, making cookies or special meals, holiday concerts—whether in downtown Pittsburgh or at a church or at the school where the kids and grandkids are playing or singing, the visits to Santa at the mall or wherever the jolly old guy happens to be. And rather than clearing out our calendars to prepare for the coming of the Christ Child, we put more stuff in them. I remember saying, reflecting on the busyness, “I just hope I get to Christmas at the same time Christmas gets to Christmas.”
The classic and familiar Isaac Watts Christmas hymn “Joy to the World” sparkles with excitement, and stirs us to indeed be joyful. It reminds us that “heaven and nature” sing this “Joy to the World” along with us this. But also, in that first stanza, it reminds us: “Let earth receive her King” and “Let every heart prepare him room!” We can’t fully receive our King, the One who comes into our lives, bringing joy and hope and God present with us, unless we make room for him in our hearts. It may be a challenge to fully receive him into our lives if our lives are already jammed full of all sorts of stuff—which in this season also includes extra stuff.
Maybe in the time where we celebrate this wondrous gift, the God-with-us who promises never to leave us or forsake us—the God-with-us who gives life and new life and guidance for living life and who helps life make sense—what we need to do instead of adding stuff is to “clear the way”. New life is coming—the metaphorical crib needs to be assembled and placed within our lives—and that most likely means getting rid of something to “prepare him room”.
The prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 40:3-4) proclaimed nearly 600 years before Jesus was born that God would send one to be with them—one for whom pretty radical clearing of the way would need to happen. “A voice cries out: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.’” This isn’t some simple trimming of a hedge—this is the drastic changing of the landscape to build a highway. When the Lord comes, it changes everything. We need to prepare for the coming of God-with-us to change everything for us, too.
OLD TESTAMENT Isaiah 40:3-4
3 A voice cries out:
‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
GOSPEL Luke 1:26-38
26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.’ 29 But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ 34 Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ 35 The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. 36 And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.’ 38 Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.
GOSPEL Luke 1:46-55
46 And Mary said,
‘My soul magnifies the Lord,
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
51 He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.’