Black Community News News and Commentary for Christians
Interwoven into the fabric of the wonderful story of Christmas is this unique truth: Christmas and expecting moms go hand in hand. Yes, pregnancy, and specifically crisis pregnancy, has a precious, heart-warming tie to Christmas. How so? Actually, it’s very obvious. The Christmas story has not just one, but two unusual pregnancies contained within its pages. The specific story within the Christmas story is captured in the first chapter of Luke.
Two mothers meet, come together, and worship and fellowship with each other. One is a teenage mother who has miraculously conceived by a virgin pregnancy. The other mom is one who would normally be classified as a grandmother or great-grandmother based on her age. But she’s an expecting mom as well.
We often see and think of this story as a warm, lovely story full of peace, joy and grace. And it is such a story. Yet, the world then was in so many ways a very harsh, cruel, and perilous world to live in — a world where foreign armies occupied Israel, a world where kings and nations sometimes killed babies in large numbers, and a world where jealousy and disloyalty abounded. Actually, it sounds a lot like the world we live in today.
Our world is one where children can legally be killed from conception, right up until the moment of delivery. And governments not only do not oppose this, they often finance the carrying out of these tragedies. So-called “experts” advise women to end the lives of their babies in the womb for all sorts of foolish, trivial, or misguided reasons. Time and time again, the women are advised to terminate their children based on the “wisdom” or so-called insight of these “experts.”
All the while, the counsel and clear guidance from God’s Word is clear: “You shall not murder.” Exodus 20:13. God’s Word is our guidebook for life. His Word will never lead us to make a bad decision or an unwise decision. God Himself IS Wisdom. We need to stand on the wisdom of God’s Word, which will always lead to blessing, grace, and fulfillment. The Word of God also says to “choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.”
In looking at the beautiful and grace-filled story of Christmas, let’s consider a “what if” scenario. In seeking to bring together the world at the time of the first Christmas and today with our culture and perspective…what if:
Dr. Yohahn eyed his young patient long and hard.
“Young Miss Mary, you are just a teenager. You are not even fully an adult. You really need to think this through. It simply would not be wise to keep this baby. You are not married, you do not know how to tell your betrothed that you are pregnant, and you are just a child yourself. Child, you must listen to wisdom. If you keep this baby, your betrothed will surely divorce you, you will be a single mother, and you will be a poor, single mother. No one will want you. You will end up all alone and die in poverty, and no one will ever remember your name. And your Child will surely amount to nothing and no one will ever remember his Name either. You must not keep this child! Trust me, I’m a doctor, and we know all about matters like this. Be reasonable. You and the rest of the world will be so much better off if we just quietly do away with this baby. What do you say?”
“Good day doctor, I am keeping my Baby!” Mary said.
“Mark my words,” the doctor said. “You and your baby will never amount to anything. And no one will ever even remember your names!”
Dr. Yohahn looked at the elderly woman very curiously.
“Listen, Elizabeth. I don’t know how in the world this came to be, you pregnant when you are old enough to be someone’s great-grandmother yourself. But let me be straight with you. You really should not keep this child. With your being so old and carrying a child, there will probably be something wrong with the child. A woman your age could hardly have a healthy child! The child will probably have many problems. At your age, who knows, you and the child both could die during labor. Be reasonable. Make it easy on yourself and the baby and just get rid of it. If the child does survive childbirth, he will probably have so many problems. He probably won’t even be able to talk. His life will never amount to anything. He will probably grow up to be a burden on society and nothing else. Mark my words. I am physician and we understand about these kinds of things. Don’t you think you should do away with the baby?
“Good day doctor,” Elizabeth said. “I am keeping my baby!”
“Suit yourself, old woman. But know this, you and the whole world will regret your decision. I’m a professional, and I know very well how these kinds of things turn out!”
Hmm.
Photo credit: American Life League (Creative Commons) – Some Rights Reserved
Joseph Parker serves as the pastor of Greater Turner Chapel A.M.E. Church in Greenwood, Mississippi, and the Director of Outreach and Intercession with the American Family Association. He has been in the ministry for almost 40 years and hosts the radio broadcast, “The Hour of Intercession,” on the Urban Family Communications Radio network.
The views expressed in opinion articles are solely those of the author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by Black Community News.
