Surely you can’t schedule joy just because Nat King Cole sings ” ‘Tis the season to be jolly. Fa la la la la”.
Our life is full to the brim with ‘Grinches’ stealing our smiles. Yet, when I take another glance at the pages imprinting the birth of Christ, I get overjoyed just like the Magi upon discovering the star. The characters of the real story of Christmas burst with praise in the midst of uniquely strange circumstances.
A terrified teenage girl Mary (Myriam), an ordinary priest Zechariah, simple shepherds with no names, a righteous Simeon, a devout widow Anna join the great company of angels in praising God. Their souls glorify their Saviour for bestowing tender mercies on the meek, and humble.
Were these ‘yuletide carols’? Were they sung? Shouted for joy? Recited as stunning poetry? Said as prayers, and prophecies?
All we know is that these praises were spontaneous words of gratitude and gladness. On the background of a tune or not, they surely sound like hymns of joy. Jesus carols.
All these are recorded by the meticulous doctor Luke.
The Praise of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)
The Praise of Zechariah (Luke 1:68-79)
The Praise of the Angels (Luke 2:14)
The Praise of the Shepherds (Luke 2:20)
The Praise of righteous Simeon, not a priest. (Luke 2:29-32)
The Praise of the devout widow Anna, a prophet. (Luke 2:38)
There’s one more song. This one is not included in the Bible. It comes from the lips of our youngest, who is known to always host a song in her heart. One day, she was shouting around the house on a very catchy tune “I’ve got Jesus on my brain. Heeeee. And that’s what people say. Heeeee.” Quite inspiring. Even days after that, I found myself singing her little song. “I’ve got Jesus on my brain.”
May Jesus be on our brain in all our dealings, as we get snowed under by last-minute Christmasy errands. Let that be what people rumour about us, that we praise God just as Mary, Zechariah and the rest of them did even when surrounded by strange circumstances.
Their joy didn’t come from gifts, high-carb meals, and fancy decorations. Their joy was sourced in their Saviour.
My favorite Christmas passage is Isaiah 53.
“Surely he has borne our sufferings, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken [like a leper is stricken], smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement (that brought us shalom) was upon him; and at the cost of his (Messiah’s) lacerations we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4,5 (OJB)
The Creator entered our world through the stable in humility, and He left it through the tomb in nobility (defeating death). He did that for our sake. If this doesn’t put carols of gratitude and gladness in our hearts, then what would?!