Jesus, the Prince of Peace

There's a story about two families that lived side by side in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. They hated each other and for years they quarreled and fought. The feud started when Grandpa Smith's cow jumped over Grandpa Brown’s stone fence and ate his corn. Brown shot the cow. Then one of the Smith boys shot two of the Brown's boys.

'n jist like dat, day was a feudin!

Bill, the oldest of the Brown family, decided to even up matters, especially since his own daddy had been killed. But before Bill could act out his anger and revenge, he was called away to war. While he was away his mother had a hard time providing for the family.

One Christmas the head of the Smith family took his wife and children to church. Usually he stayed outside, but it was so cold he decided to go in and wait. The sermon was on Christ, the Prince of Peace. It struck Smith’s heart. On his way home he passed the home of the Browns and he began to realize what a crime he had committed in killing the breadwinner of the family. He prayed, but he also did more. He determined secretly to help them. He hired a small boy to carry a basket of food to the Browns every day.

When Bill came home, and heard of this kindness, he decided to find out who the generous helper was. He followed the little boy—to the door of Smith’s house. He could not believe his eyes. When Smith answered his knock, he smiled and declared: “Shoot me, Bill, if you want to.”

But Bill said he had come to thank him for taking care of his family while he was gone. Then Smith explained to Bill how he had come to a change of heart. He had heard the story of the first Christmas, the story of the Prince of Peace and it changed him.

Have a Blessed and Merry Christmas.

Phil

Joseph, Mary, and Hebrew Marriage Customs

When reading the Christmas story from Matthew's gospel it is helpful to have an understanding about Hebrew marriage customs.

Parents arranged the marriages of their children; contracts were negotiated and the young couple entered into the covenant of marriage. After the arrangement was accomplished, the two were considered married and were called husband and wife. They did not, however, begin to live together or engage in sexual intimacy. Instead, they both continued to live at home with their parents for one year. During this waiting period, the husband would prepare a place for he and his bride to live (usually a room attached to his father's house). The waiting period was also to demonstrate the faithfulness of the pledge of purity given concerning the bride. If she got pregnant during this waiting period, she obviously was not pure, but had been involved in an unfaithful sexual relationship. In the case of marital unfaithfulness, the marriage could be annulled. If, however, the one-year waiting period demonstrated the purity of the bride, the husband would then go to the house of the bride’s parents and, in a grand processional march, lead his bride back to his home. Then the husband and wife would consummate their marriage.

It was during this one-year waiting period when an angel told Mary she was with child. She knew she had been faithful, but Joseph did not (vv. 20, 23). Very little is known about Joseph, but one can imagine how his heart must have been broken. Although the marriage was pre-arranged, he must have genuinely loved Mary. His love for her was demonstrated by his choice not to create a public scandal by exposing her pregnancy to the elders at the city gate. According the Law of Moses, Mary could have been stoned to death (Deut. 22:23-24). Instead, Joseph decided to divorce her quietly, severing the marriage covenant.

Now, in light of this background, I encourage you to read Matthew 1:18-25.

Christ the Savior is born!

Phil