A Christmas Story

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
December 27, 2023
Matthew 2:13-15

A dear friend loaned me a book I had never seen before; “The Spider Who Saved Christmas – A Legend” written by Raymond Arroyo. I was intrigued because I never thought of spiders as people savers. I know of a pig that was saved by a very intelligent spider, but this was the first time I read a story of how a spider risked her life spinning web upon web to protect someone, and not just anyone, but little Jesus and his mommy and daddy.

The summary on the back reads, in part; “The Spider who saved Christmas spins the tale of Nephila, a cave dwelling spider who encounters a trio of visitors running for their lives. The spider miraculously risks her all to offer them a special gift—and a timeless lesson. This instant classic reveals the origin of Christmas tinsel and reminds us that hope can always be found—even in the dark places where we least expect it.” The passage of scripture I have chosen for this week tells the story of Joseph being warned in a dream that King Herod is out to kill baby Jesus. The backdrop is that the evil Herod took no chances and declared that all baby boys age two and under should be murdered. The chase was on and thanks to the Wisemen, who, unknowingly, revealed to the king that a new king of the Jews was to be born, well, that did it, and Herod devised a horrible plan to ensure that he alone would be known as The King of the Jews. Hence this Legend of a spider in a cave where Mary and Joseph seek refuge for their baby Jesus, the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I don’t want to give away too much, because I hope you will look for this book at your local library, or maybe even order a copy online and cherish it every Christmas season, but I do want to make a comment. I was drawn into this story like I have never been before, I marveled at the quiet faithfulness and bravery of Mary. It must have been her worst nightmare to have to flee back into the wilderness with a very young baby, and poor Joseph, he was trying his best to learn how to be a father to his Savior and a loving and supportive husband to his young wife. Ultimately, the spider does an amazing thing and as little as she was and as fragile as her webs were, she used what she had to save a family she had never known before, she was simply driven by a God given inspiration.

Perhaps you’ve been dodging a God-given inspiration and believe that you don’t have what it takes. Here’s a thought for us all; just use what you have and God will take care of the rest.

Amen!