Matthew 2:2
Scurryfunge!
Forgive me if I’ve shared this word with you before; I absolutely love it!
Do you know what it means?
Scurryfunge: A hasty tidying of the house between the time you see the neighbour coming and the time they knock on the door.
The Moorby family has been known to scurryfunge on many occasions, and only a few weeks back, Lydia saw me tidying up and assumed someone was coming to visit! Scurryfunge is that panic preparation we do when we suddenly realise someone is coming to our home and things don’t quite look like they ought to look! Our preparation is superficial, appearance-based, and, if you’re like me, driven by a need to give the impression that we live this tidy all the time!
Our carol for this week, ‘Joy to the World’, invites us to prepare room in our hearts for Jesus this Christmas. There’s no mention of making ourselves presentable on the outside, welcoming Jesus all polished and pristine. Despite the title, we aren’t even asked to bring hearts full of joy; we are asked to prepare room. These words were written over three hundred years ago by Isaac Watts, and each year they’ve reminded us to prepare to worship the newborn King.
Throughout the Christmas story, different characters prepared in different ways for the arrival of Jesus.
With his doubting heart, Zechariah was given space to listen rather than speak. As his voice was quiet, he could hear God’s message and prepare for the arrival of Jesus.
When the joyful news of the arrival of a baby boy was conveyed to Elizabeth, she gave thanks. After all the uncertainty she faced, her focus was on all the blessings God had given her. Elizabeth’s heart filled with thanksgiving for the gift of Jesus.
Mary’s visit from the angel Gabriel would change her life and history forever. She prepared room in her heart for Jesus with a simple ‘yes.’
From within his mother’s womb, John the Baptist leaped for joy at the prospect of the arrival of Jesus. Not only would he make room in his heart for Jesus, but John's whole life would be dedicated to preparing the way for others to meet him.
Joseph’s preparation for the arrival of Jesus was to set aside any fear for the future and make room in his heart to trust.
Despite the long journey ahead and the uncertainty of an unknown path, the Magi fixed their eyes on the star. They knew it would lead them to Jesus and keep them focused as they journeyed to meet their Saviour.
Don’t worry; I haven’t forgotten the shepherds, we’ll come to them next week.
As you prepare room in your heart for Jesus this Christmas, which character do you resonate with?
Throughout the week on the soulwithaview social media platforms, there will be an opportunity to reflect on each of these characters and consider how they can help us to prepare room in our hearts for Jesus.
Take a moment each day to seek the answer to the question posed by the Magi all those centuries ago.
“Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.”
Matthew 2:2 (MSG)
Let’s prepare room in our hearts as we continue to worship the newborn King.
Kay Moorby
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