Special time for families

BY REV. CUTHBERT EDWARDS

THE MESSAGE of the Festival of the Nativity is centred around Jesus the Messiah, born in Bethlehem to his parents Mary and Joseph more than 2 000 years ago.

The child Jesus was part of a family that was receptive to the will of God, facilitated His birth and nurtured Him over the years. At the time of His birth, the family was brought into focus and each year as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, we are constrained to consider Jesus’ family.

The Christmas celebration is always a special time for families, as they exchange greetings with each other from across the world; when long lost members often return to see people they have not seen for years.

Family members exchange cards, gifts and calls to one another, and many families gather on Christmas Day for the Christmas lunch/dinner and to celebrate together.

It is also the time when the pains of the family are brought into focus as members are forced to accept that the chair previously occupied by a loved one is empty because they have left us, and some children have to face the fact that both parents, though alive, are not present because of separation or divorce.

The family of Joseph and Mary and their son Jesus was one that had seen the best of times and had experienced the challenges of life. There was the engagement of Mary and Joseph, with all their plans and hopes for their future life together.

Their plans for their family were changed, but they were able to rise to the challenges presented.

The Holy Family was able to withstand the difficulties that presented themselves at the birth of Jesus Christ and their handling of this experience has something to say to us today as individuals and families when the very fabric of society - the family - is being eroded.

Firstly, there is the importance of commitment to the well-being and stability of the family.

To be committed is to see things through to their natural conclusion, to go the entire way, not halfway. It is to allow our word to be our bond. And all these things are essential to good and wholesome family life.

Joseph had made a commitment to Mary through their engagement. He had planned to take her as his wife and not even the news of the angel would cause him to renege on his commitment.

This was not a man who wavered in his commitment but one who was prepared to keep his word.

This level of commitment was also reflected by Mary. She was committed to Joseph and, so with the angels’ news she “was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be”.

The commitment demonstrated by Mary and Joseph was as a result of their faith in God and the conviction that “nothing will be impossible with God”.

Secondly, there is the element of trust that is reflected in the story of Mary and Joseph. Mary trusted God. She declared: “I am the Lord’s servant, as you have spoken it, so be it.” She was willing to trust God, whatever the consequences.

She might well have expected Joseph to break the engagement, and yet she accepted God’s will.

Joseph also trusted Mary. He did not break the engagement. He took her at her word. He believed what she had said. He had confidence in her. He also trusted the word of the angel to Mary: “You will conceive . . . and bear a son, and you will name Him Jesus.”

Similarly, trust is essential today for wholesome family. When the husband is able to trust the wife and the wife him; when parents are able to trust their children, and children are able to trust them, wherever there is trust, there will be good family life.

In order for trust to be reflected in our family life, we need to trust God. We need to take God at God’s Word. And in so doing we will be able to trust ourselves, trust others and be trustworthy.

I wish you all a peaceful, holy and blessed celebration of this Festival of the Nativity and every good wish for the New Year.

Rev. Edwards is superintendent minister of the James Street/ Speightstown circuit. (Nation News)

This entry was posted on 24. December 2009 at 12:55 and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.

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