Proszę, nie przerywaj mi. Jestem zajęty!
Bitte unterbrechen Sie mich nicht. Ich bin beschäftigt!
Kérlek, ne szakíts félbe. Elfoglalt vagyok!
Regardless of the language one speaks, the message is the same: “Please do not interrupt me. I am busy!”
But the theme of interruption threads it way throughout The Christmas Story. Read below to see how Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds responded when God stepped in.
Zechariah’s Interruption, Luke 1:11-17
And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. “You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. “For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother’s womb. “And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Mary’s Interruption, Luke 1:26-33
Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” But she was very perplexed at this statement and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”
Joseph’s Interruption, Matthew 1:18-21
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: “Behold the virgin shall be with child and shall bear a son, and they shall call him Immanuel,” which means, “God with us.” And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.
The Shepherds’ Interruption, Luke 2:8-12
In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
“In our 21st century busy and buzzing lives, God still graces us with interruptions. How will we respond?”
In our 21st century busy and buzzing lives, God still graces us with interruptions. How will we respond? So, this Christmas, whether you find yourself waiting in a stalled line of traffic on the interstate or in a slow checkout que at the post office, whether your fixed focus is distracted by the urgent ring of the doorbell or by the untimely cry of a baby, pause momentarily and consider the significance of the moment.
This interruption might present a divine opportunity.
This interruption is probably inconvenient and will involve a sacrifice.
This interruption may call you or me out of our own agenda and into God’s Bigger Story. For Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds, it certainly did, didn’t it?
Living With Eternal Intentionality®
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).
How do you typically respond to an interruption?
What lesson from God’s characters in the Christmas narrative can enlarge your borders to embrace the interruption in a whole new way?
