Christmas Eve - The Rev. Colette Hammesfahr

 

Luke 2:1-20 – Christmas Eve, 2025

            We were full. We were busy. There was no room. And still—He came. “And she (Mary) gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

            Joseph was following the decree of Emperor Augustus and had to travel to his hometown of Bethlehem to be counted for the census. In Joseph’s and Mary’s time, hospitality was centered around family and community. If you were traveling, it was expected that you would stay with family and friends, in their homes. This time was different. Because of the census, the homes were overcrowded in the towns. They were filled to capacity with family and friends coming from all over, in order to be counted in their home of origin. It was difficult for even relatives to accommodate everyone. The homes were full. The people were busy. There was no room. And still – He came.

            Joseph needed to find a place for Mary to bear her child. In searching for a place to stay, the inns were full. There were no rooms available. They were not totally rejected. A place was found for them, a humble shelter, most likely a cave where animals were kept, providing them shelter and warmth. The inns were full. People were busy. There was no room. And still – He came.

            Laura Story is a Contemporary Christian artist who was walking beside her husband, Martin, through his diagnosis of a chronic brain tumor in 2006, just a few years into their marriage. The tumor was benign but inoperable and caused Martin tremendous memory loss and fatigue. She and Martin were praying for healing, praying for change, and praying for relief. None of that was coming.

            Because of the location of the tumor, surgery was not an option. Medications were able to help manage some of his symptoms such as seizures, headaches, and cognitive function but they didn’t eliminate them 100%. He is now living with life-long monitoring, adjustments to medications and adaptation, rather than being cured.

            During the first stages of the illness, Laura was wrestling with why God did not “fix” the situation and how that struggle reshaped her understanding of faith, dependence, and hope. She ultimately realized that this tumor was not a short crisis but a chronic and ongoing reality that would reshape their marriage, expectations, and their faith.

            In 2010, just a few years after his diagnosis and when there was no sign of being cured, Laura wrote a song called “Blessings” that won a Grammy for Best Contemporary Christian Song. The song was in response to her realization that God was providing for Martin and her but not in the miracle they had expected. We were full. We were busy. There was no room. And still—He came.

            God did not work through extraordinary means. Martin’s healing was partial and ongoing, not sudden and complete. Their faith grew in realizing they were living within limits of the disease, not escaping the disease.

            We were full. We were busy. There was no room. And still—He came. God showed up. God was present in the doctors and the medications. God was present in their daily faithfulness and their prayers of hope and in their endurance over the years. God was not present in the form of a major miracle. God was present in staying.

            We were full. We were busy. Most of us don’t recognize God in real time. When we are overwhelmed and exhausted, when we are full and when we are busy, sometimes it’s hard to see where God is at work. Many times, our faith comes through remembering after the fact, not noticing during our crisis. 

            There was no room. And still – He came. God’s is not absent just because our situation may remain unresolved. God isn’t failing us because we are still waiting. God often comes to us through ordinary means – people who stay with us, wisdom to make decisions, and strength to make it through one more day.

            Most of us live in moments that feel crowded and overwhelming. But even when there was no room for the Son of Man to be born, still He came. Medication helped manage Martin’s symptoms, but there was no cure. Life didn’t go back to normal — and that’s exactly when Laura Story began to recognize that God had been present all along. We were full. We were busy. There was no room. And still—He came.

            Hear are a few of the words from Laura’s song, “Blessings::

                        We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
                        Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
                        We pray for healing, for prosperity
                        We pray for Your mighty hand
                        To ease our suffering

                        And all the while, You hear each spoken need
                        Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

                        'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops?
                        What if Your healing comes through tears?
                        What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
                        And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

            Tonight, I pray that you leave here with the understanding and hope that We were full. We were busy. There was no room. And still—He came. God hears every prayer you have prayed, even the ones that feel unanswered. For unto us a child is born. Unto us, God has come. And God has not gone away. Amen.