Christmas Day |
December 25, 2015 Selection
II, RCL
|
[In those days a decree went out from Emperor
Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first
registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to
their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in
Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was
descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with
Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were
there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her
firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.]
In that region there
were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not
be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the
Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of
cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a
multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he
favors!"
When the angels had
left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us
go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has
made known to us." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and
the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had
been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the
shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in
her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had
heard and seen, as it had been told them.
“Do not be afraid” said the
angel. That is the phrase that jumped of
the page when I first read the lesson from Luke. Do not be afraid. It is so easy for this Gospel to revert in
our own minds to the scene from the Charlie Brown Christmas Special where Linus
recites this passage. Linus ends it by telling
Charlie Brown that “that is what Christmas is about Charlie Brown”. But what is it about? What is this gospel really about?
There really is a lot about
this reading that is upside down from our societal expectations if you really
listen to it. God chose to announce the
Birth of the Prince of Peace – the birth of the embodiment of unconditional
Love to the fringes of society. If it
were you or I we would expect such a birth to be announced from the
palace! Not out in some pasture at
night. God is not behaving as we would
have him behave. God is turning
expectations upside down – and as our presiding Bishop Michael Curry says –
that is right-side up for God.
Can you put yourself in the
shoes of the shepherds? They are out on
the margins – both literally and figuratively – minding their own
business. Shepherds where not the cream
of society. They where outcasts in many
ways. They likely smelled a bit working
with sheep – ok a lot . And the Glory of
the Lord suddenly lit up the night sky.
At the very least they would have been startled but it is more. The reading says they were terrified. Luckily the Angel knew their fear and said
Fear not.
Now I don’t know about you
but I am not sure a simple “fear not” would comfort me in the same situation. Really – this big Angel of the Lord shows up
with all of the glory of heaven. I’m
pretty sure that means that I have died.
I’m not sure about living after seeing the glory of Heaven.
The angel – after calming
down the shepherds announces to them the birth of God and tells them how to see
it for themselves. So they decide to go
into town – hopefully they didn’t bring all of their sheep with them. Bethlehem was a busy place. People where in town to register for taxation
– to be subject to imperial Rome. People
who did not live there but had an ancestral tie all had to show up. And so Joseph and Mary arrive as
refugees. It doesn’t sound like they
knew anyone in town and all of the best rooms where taken. So they end up in the lowest of places. Bunking with the animals.
We have sterilized the manger so much in our
own minds. For us it is a sweet smelling
place. But it was the last resort. It may have been sweet smelling if there was
fresh hay – fresh animal bedding. But…
likely it was not so sweet.
We have people in our own
society who can’t get into the best rooms.
In fact they frequently can’t get into any rooms. The homeless, the poor, and the refugee in
our own day end up sleeping in the modern day equivalent of the manger – if they
are lucky. Many sleep on the street
where they are afraid. Afraid that they
will be assaulted. Afraid that their
possessions – what little they have – will be stolen if they sleep. Afraid that they will be arrested. It is to such people that the angel would say
fear not. It is to such people that God chose to reveal
the Glory of Heaven. Upside down in our worldview.
It is to a refugee couple –
struggling under imperial Rome – to whom God chose to come to us. It is to the fearful shepherds sent by the
Angel to witness the birth. I find it
amazing that they left their sheep and headed into the small backwater town of
Bethlehem.
OK…and I have to confess here
that when I try to picture the scene my own, sometimes vivid imagination,
pictures a scene right out of one of the Star Wars movies – some dusty backwater
trading post, perhaps Mossisle on Tatooine, with all sorts and conditions of
people – a lot of them none to friendly – as Bethlehem. [and no I have not yet seen the new movie so
no spoilers please!].
The shepherds go to
Bethlehem. They see what the angle
promised. God kept his promise to
them. And they told Mary what the angel
had said. Mary held all that the shepherd told them in her heart – and that is another
sermon altogether! When the shepherds
left the manger they were no longer afraid.
They returned “glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and
seen...”
Fear had been transformed
into praise.
That is the promise of
Christmas. That is why we gather this
day.
It really is not about the
presents.
It really is not about the feast.
It is about the promise that
fear can be transformed into praise.
It is the promise that none
of our stories are too big for God – all of them can be turned to praise…even
when we don’t think it is possible.
Christmas is about God
turning expectations on their head. A
baby coming to save the world. Born to
an unwed mother. Born in a stable. Revealed first to those who society held in
low esteem. This God of ours chose to turn society on its head 2000 plus years
ago by coming into our world in poverty.
And if we look and listen God is still turning our world on its
head. I have seen God’s love come from some
unlikely places. From the homeless. From the outcasts of society. From the people that most people think of as
unlovable.
Our call is to open our
eyes. To stop turning the whole of Christmas
into a Charlie Brown Christmas – as much as I look forward to that special
every year! Our call is to see in those
who society would discard as messengers from God. Our call it to look into our
hearts and see if we have room for the Christ Child.
Even if we are hurt. Even if we are refugees. Even if society tells us that we are wrong –
that we are unclean – the promise of this day is that there is room for a baby
in our hearts. The Glory of God can
dwell and does dwells among us. Not as a
powerful overlord but as one who came completely vulnerable.
May the Love that came down
on Christmas find room in each or our hearts this day.
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