What Would Jesus' Mother Have To Tell Us?

 This Sunday is the usual Sunday for churches, around our country, to have a Christmas pageant.  A time for the children to tell their version of the Christmas story.  Sometimes they are very simple and cute.  Some are elegant and well rehearsed.  But they all include angels moving their wings and halos drooping.  And shepherd awkwardly moving about. With the littlest children with donkey ears or dress like little lambs.  All surrounding center stage where Mary is kneeling gently over the baby Jesus, and Joseph stands guard over the entire scene.  

There aren’t too many ways to tell this ancient story.  They all pretty much are the same each year.  The faces change.  But the parts are mostly the same.  

And, every little girls wants to be Mary, and so do their mothers.

But, if you think about it, Mary doesn’t have much of a part.  She never, or very seldom, speaks. 

It been suggested, by some, that Mary should have more of a part in this annual display of preciousness.  The thought is that the Magnificat — Mary’s response to Elizabeth — might be an interesting way to tell the story.  

Just Mary.  

No other character.  

Just Mary telling her story, and what it all truly mean. 

Then the little boys would not have to dress up in those strange brown robes; and be embarrassed in front of all those people.  

Let Mary have a say in this birth story for once.

Possibly we would really hear, for the first time, what it must have been like for her.  How she felt.  What she wondered.  She could tell us, in common ordinary simple words, about this child she carried in her tummy.  

Did she really know that her baby was God?  

When she knelt beside his manger did she wish the animals would all be quite?  Or maybe even go away?  Was she warm enough?  Was Jesus warm enough?  Did she worry about him having enough to wear?  Enough dippers to change him?

Or, was she just serenely confident kneeling there so quite?

If we just used Mary, as the entire story teller, our Christmas pageants would carry a completely different message for all of us to digest.  Heard straight from the mouth of the mother of the baby-boy-God.  Possibly we could hear an enlightening thought on the depth of her faith.  Or why she so quickly believed the angel.

With the focus on Mary, and her message to the world, we might even begin to understand the magnitude of incarnation.  

We might hear, for the very first time, the profound significance of God’s willingness to take on human flesh to change the world.  

She might even have some insight into why God chose to come to earth as a tiny babe, instead of a might warrior. 

Or maybe we'd finally hear the subtle message of how important it is, to God, that we live in peace.  

Live in peace despite our many, and conflicting, differences.

 This baby boy child brought, to this earth, huge changes.  Good changes.

Maybe if we had a pageant, with just Jesus’ mom as the focus, the world would listen to the story in a new way.

Moms have a way of making people listen, and understand.

And Mary said: “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, 49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. 50 His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. 51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. 52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. 54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful 55 to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.(Luke 1:46-55)