Plans of Love

Jeremiah 29: 11 – 14

Luke 2: 1 – 20

December 24, 2024

Christmas Eve, 7:00pm

Many centuries ago, there was a town that was known for its beautiful Cathedral. It had been built over decades by craftsmen of the city and it was known for its stunning architecture, the beautiful art that covered its walls and it was particularly famous for a beautiful set of statues that were mounted above the altar.

As one looked to the front, there was Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus. Overhead angels flew, animals surrounded them, it was incredibly lifelike looking. Those who worshipped there believed that, on Christmas Eve, if someone was to bring a special gift - offered from a pure heart with joy, thanksgiving, and sacrifice - that Mary would miraculously reach down to receive the gift

For many, many years the cathedral on Christmas Eve was packed. From the rich and powerful to the lowest of the low, they would bring gifts to the baby Jesus on the night of his birth. Every year people wondered if this was going to be the year. Was this the year that Mary would reach down to receive the gift?

In the town surrounding the Cathedral there was a craftsman known, not only for the spectacular watches that he would create, but also for the beautiful and intricate toys that he would craft. His needs were simple, he lived all by himself. He was known for being kind and generous as he often sold his creations far below their actual worth.

The year of our story was a special year. The craftsman had been working all year long on a special gift for Jesus on Christmas Eve. In addition to his usual, wonderfully constructed watches and toys, this year the man had built an intricate carousel that not only played music, but when the individually carved and painted horses went around the carousel they actually moved, independently, up and down. It was a stunning work of art and engineering.

The day of Christmas Eve arrived, and the man was beside himself with excitement. He was sure that the miracle would occur, and Mary would reach down to receive his special gift. As the day wore on, a few shoppers came in to buy last minute gifts. He only had a few things left – more expensive things. On the mantle over the fireplace in his shop sat the carousel.

As he was preparing to close, two shoppers came in. Two women - very poor - were trying to get something, anything, for their husband and children. The man had sold all of his typical gifts – those things that a family might buy. But it was late, they were clearly desperate, and so he led them to a wall where beautiful watches and a few exquisite toys still sat.

As the women first looked at the items, they were filled with joy at the idea of bringing such exquisite gifts home. But that joy quickly turned to despair as they realized that, even if they had saved money for months, still they would never be able to pay for what they were seeing.

The man simply smiled, asked them how many children they had, and then invited them to select one toy for each child and a watch for their husbands. Soon the wall was empty, everything was gone, and rather than taking payment he asked them to stop by the butcher and purchase a special dinner for their families. You can imagine how they felt as the recipients of his kindness.

As he was getting ready to lock the door, he noticed a father staring through the shop window at the carousel that sat over the fire. The shopkeeper invited him in but told the man that he had nothing left to sell. All of his toys and watches were gone. The father was quiet. There were tears in his eyes and he couldn’t look the shopkeeper in the eye.

It seemed that his son was dying, it would be his last Christmas, and he had hoped to buy him something special. The shopkeeper knew he had nothing left, he had sold or given away everything. All he had left was the carousel – that special gift that he had labored over for hundreds and hundreds of hours – sure that his work and effort would be recognized by Jesus. It was already spoken for. It was a gift created specifically for the Christmas Eve Service. It was a gift meant for a miracle. He had nothing else left.

The father left, brokenhearted that he would be disappointing his son one last time. He got to the door, opened it, and began to go back out into the cold. But the shopkeeper couldn’t let him go. He took the carousel down from its special place on the mantle. He put it in a special wooden box that he had crafted for the gift and gave it to the father. “Here, take this,” the shopkeeper said. “I cannot deny your son this gift.”

That night, as he got ready to go to the church service, the shopkeeper knew that he had no special gift. He had an apple – a beautiful apple, one that he had been saving for his Christmas lunch. But that was all he had. His money had been given away or used to meet his simple needs. He had no jewelry, watches, or other creations to bring. But he couldn’t come empty handed. He had always brought something. So he brought his apple as a gift for the Christmas Eve service.

That night they sang their carols, but the man couldn’t help but notice everything that the other worshippers had brought. As they lined up to bring their gifts, hoping that the miracle would occur and Mary would bend down to receive their gift, he couldn’t help but be ashamed over the poor offering that he had brought.

He noticed, and so did others. He heard the whispers and mean-spirited chuckles as people looked at his apple. Amongst the wealth and the gold, amongst the cash and the creations, he alone walked with his simple apple. He walked, humiliated by the ridicule of those around him. This man, who had given away so much; this man who had made Christmas Eve special for so many others through his grace, generosity, and sacrifice; this man walked up the stairs, knelt before the alter, and bowed his head in prayer.

Suddenly it was silent. You could hear a pin drop in the place. The organist had stopped, the choir was no longer singing, and the crowds – the ones who had just been mocking the shopkeeper were suddenly wide-eyed in amazement. As the shopkeeper looked up, as he prepared to put his apple on the alter as a gift for the baby Jesus, he saw what had silenced everyone else.

The miracle was happening! The miracle was unfolding right in front of their eyes! The special gift – his apple – had been received. And Mary, Mary the mother of Jesus, was bending down to receive his apple.

I love that story. It is a story of grace, of sacrifice, of kindness and mercy. It is a story of love becoming real and tangible as the shopkeeper made joy possible for others. Is that not also the story of Christmas?

It is also a story of perfect peace. Oh, not the peace amongst humankind; not peace simply as the absence of conflict. No, this is the peace made possible for us in the birth of a baby – our Savior – in Bethlehem. These are the plans of God spoken to us in the Old Testament. Plans meant to bring us peace – peace with Him, peace and reconciliation with one another.

At Christmas we sing about peace. Tableaus are set up to be visited on starry nights that speak to us of peace. In just a few minutes we will be lighting candles. In a few minutes we will be singing “Peace, peace, peace on earth and goodwill to all” and we will finish with Silent Night.

For me, as we hold those candles in the darkness, it is a time of perfect peace.

But in between now and the lighting of candles at Silent Night we will be celebratingcommunion. This is an act of God’s planning, planning that results in the peace that we now have with God through the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is the great gift of Christmas. Like our shopkeeper story, the gift we receive tonight is made possible through the love, grace, mercy, kindness and sacrifice of God. This has been God’s plan!

This gift makes possible the peace that we sing about tonight. Oh, it is not the idea of peace being the absence of conflict. Instead, it is the conviction, the faith, the belief that the peace that Jesus brings is both reconciliation and endless opportunities to be people of peace in a contentious world divided by greed and envy.

The peace given by God is a call to be people of faith, people of new possibilities, people of peace in a divided world. Tonight, we receive the gift of peace……… simply the peace to be purveyors of light in a darkened world. When we are lifting our candles later on, may that be both a time to experience peace, and also a commitment to be about Christ’s peace in the world. Amen.