God’s
grace, peace and mercy be with you. Merry Christmas … My focus is the Gospel of Luke, Chapter Two.
… Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I rejoiced when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’” Now that our feet are within
your gates, we rejoice to hear your Word. As we listen, may your Spirit
enlighten our minds and move our hearts to love deeply as Jesus loved. This we
pray to you, Most Holy Trinity. Amen.
Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive.
Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Look! Up in the sky! It’s a
bird. It’s a plane. It’s Superman!
Superman, my favorite superhero. I read Superman comic books,
watched the TV series and the movies. Superman was born Kal-El on the alien
planet Krypton to Jor-El and Lara. Rocketed to earth, found and adopted by
Jonathan and Martha Kent, he was renamed Clark Kent. He grew up in Smallville,
where he and his adoptive parents discovered his superhuman powers.
Fortunately, for us, the Kents taught Clark to use these powers responsibly to
help others and fight crime.
We want to know about people’s origins, even fictional ones. We
inquire where this person was born, where he went to school, who his parents
were, and if he can produce a birth certificate. Aware that people want to
know, parents proudly announce to the world the entry of son, daughter, niece,
nephew and grandbabies. A few:
We joyfully announce
the birth of Lauren Anne June 21st at 5:15 p.m. 7 pounds, 4
ounces.
Our home has grown by
two feet! David Jonas Peterson born on November 22nd. Weight: 8 lb.
3 oz. Length: 17 inches.
Look who dropped in!
Please share our joy at the arrival of our daughter Meredith Teresa, May 23rd.
6 lb. 11 oz.16 inches.
Who will ever forget this
one? The Duchess of Cambridge has been delivered of a son. 22nd July
2013. Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge was safely delivered of a son
at 4.24pm. The baby weighs 8lbs 6oz. The Duke of Cambridge was present for the
birth.
The Queen, The Duke of
Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and
members of both families have been informed and are delighted with the news.
Her Royal Highness and her child are both doing well and will remain in
hospital overnight.
The announcement also named the medical staff who delivered the
baby; the fact that he is third in the line of succession after His Royal
Highness The Prince of Wales and His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge; and
that a formal notice of the birth will be posted on the forecourt of Buckingham
Palace.
What does all of this have to do with Luke narrating Caesar’s
decree and the events in the life of Joseph and Mary? Well, just as proud
parents and princes announce the birth of boys and girls, the angels announce the
birth of the Savior in dramatic fashion, trumping any announcement by parents,
princes or Caesar. Caesar? Were the ancient Christians comparing Jesus to
Caesar? Yes. Archeologists discovered a
proclamation in Turkey that dated back nine years before Jesus’ birth. The inscription says that was good for the city to
celebrate the evangelium, the “good
news,” of the birth of Caesar Augustus, the savior of the world. Augustus was
seen as the Son of God, since his father through adoption, Julius Caesar, had been
deified. Some of the first instances of the term “good news” is used in
relationship to Augustus, almost at the same time as the birth of Jesus.
Luke has angels announce the birth of Jesus as Son of God
because He is the true Savior, the Son of God, one greater than the Caesar.
With that, we turn to our text by examining first the message of the angels and
then the response of the shepherds before discussing how we put our faith into
action.
Who are the angels? In verse 9, the angel does not reveal his name,
but given that the angel in 1:19 and 1:26 identifies himself as Gabriel, we can
assume he is the same.
His message is, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news
that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a
Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign
to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Since fear was a common reaction to angelic appearances, a few
words of reassurance and encouragement were given. Then the message - Today in
the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.
Luke used “today” at least 10 times. “Today” indicates a new era has begun and
something urgent is happening at this very moment.
The titles applied to this baby include Savior, Messiah and
Lord. He is the expected Messiah, but he is also Lord. Before this, the title
Lord is applied only to God. The Jews did not view the Messiah as God. So, to
announce that the expected one, the Messiah, is also Lord means that he is God.
The Jews were also expecting the Messiah to be a Savior who
would deliver them from sickness and physical hardship. Instead, this
announcement reveals the Savior would deliver them from sin and death.
Humanity’s true Savior is not Caesar Augustus, but Jesus Christ.
The message continues. “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and
lying in a manger.” Some translations read “swaddling clothes.” Mothers
swaddled or tightly wrapped infants for various reasons. The significance,
however, is not that Mary wrapped Jesus, but the only other time we hear about
Jesus wrapped in cloth is when Peter bent down to look into the tomb. “He
saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to
himself what had happened.”[1] Luke ties the birth of
Jesus to His death and resurrection.
After that, “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly
host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, Glory to God in the
highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
We know this as “Gloria in Excelsis Deo,” the first words of the Latin Vulgate
translation and the root of the Church’s great liturgical hymn.
The words “on earth peace to those on whom his favor
rests” literally reads “To men (who are the object) of (God’s) benevolence”
or “To men of benevolence.” There is debate on the exact meaning of this verse.
Some commentators state that it means peace is assumed to all, while others
state that peace is “only to those pleasing to God – the objects of his good
pleasure.” The problem in determining the exact
intention is that there is no comma in Greek and one does not know when to
pause. Even if it means that God’s peace is
extended to all people, Luke does not imply loose living is legitimate. More
than any other New Testament writer, Luke issues the call of repentance.
If we tie the hymn, verse 14 to verse 20, we see, “The
shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had
heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” “Luke’s main
point, which links God’s glory in the highest with peace on earth for the
humble[2] – those on whom His favor
rests – would have been lost had the passage raised only the matter of Jesus’
identity.” Humbly born, Christ was a Savior for the
humble,[3] those with whom God was
well pleased.
Now, what about the shepherds? Matthew says Magi were the first
to the Christ, but Luke says there were shepherds. The shepherds live in the
fields year-round protecting the flock reserved for temple sacrifice against
thieves and predatory animals.
Shepherds echo David’s humble origins as a shepherd;[4] and in keeping with Luke’s
theme of poverty, the shepherds are lowly people. Shepherds also reflect Luke’s
theme of joy in the face of God’s salvation breaking into humanity. God has
saved you from your sins. That is reason enough to rejoice! … Are you smiling?
The shepherds could also be a stand-in for biblical Israel,
since the Shepherd-Sheep image is a common metaphor to describe Israel’s
relationship with God. However, in the first century shepherds were not highly
regarded. They were not clean because they were with sheep all the time. So,
depending on your point of view, the presence of shepherds is either very
interesting or odd. But since Luke is always promoting the odd person out as
the privileged one, it stands to reason that we’re supposed to see these
shepherds as those privileged outsiders who acknowledge Jesus. That continues
throughout the gospel. Tax collectors and prostitutes are favored. The people
that you don’t think are worthy to be with Jesus really are.
Lastly, I see the shepherds as model believers. They
are evangelists running to tell Joseph and Mary what was revealed to them. They
are joyful apostles who just witnessed the Risen Lord’s birth, leaving that place
praising and glorifying God. We are model believers, evangelists and apostles –
believing, announcing and praising God.
So, there you have it – the message of the angels and the
response of the shepherds. It’s like we removed the gift wrapping and opened
the box, and saw what Luke gave the world – the most memorable birth
announcement of Jesus through angelic choirs, and shepherds rejoiced heartily,
glorifying and praising God! … But I would be remiss if I stopped there, wished
you a Merry Christmas and dismissed you from this service. As I said, earlier,
we would also discuss how we put our faith into action.
Friends, not only with the birth of Jesus did a new era begin.
Not only did something urgent happen 2,000 years ago. Today, in the Village of Mokena
something urgent is happening at this very moment! A new era has begun.
Where is this happening? When did it begin? It’s happening here
– in this church – and in your minds and hearts. You heard the Good News, the
story of Jesus’ birth. You know the story of his birth maybe better than you
know the story of your own. That’s great news! You know more about his origins
than you know about your favorite superhero or superstar. That is wonderful
news! You have received his peace. You have been granted salvation.
The shepherds glorified and praised God for all they heard and saw.
What we hear and see each Sunday is greater than that – for they knew the
Christ child, but we know the Christ man. The Christ child evoked jubilation.
The Christ man accomplished salvation. Through his birth, the Christ child
offers hope. Through the Paschal Mystery – His suffering, death and
resurrection, the Christ man fulfilled that hope.
Through Christ, God accomplished our salvation and gave us Word
and Sacrament as the means to remember that each Sunday. For that reason alone,
should we not glorify and praise God? Should we not do that each day of our
lives? Wouldn’t that be like celebrating Christmas every day? So, how do we put
our faith into action and celebrate Christmas every day? The opportunities are
endless – from a simple greeting of “God bless you,” to a response to a kind
deed done unto you, “Thank you, and God bless you.” You can post inspirational
Scripture passages online and refrain from liking politically correct or
incorrect posts. Maybe the Holy Spirit is inspiring you to reach across the
fence or across the ocean to someone in need of hope.
The most recent issue of Harper’s features vanishing Christians
in Iraq and Egypt. It begins by telling the account of a group of neighbors who
gather at a monastery founded in the fourth century. They unload baskets of
food, and arrange themselves around a long table in a courtyard. A woman spreads
out a tablecloth and put down a plate of food. “It’s a way of celebrating that
we still exist,” she said. More people arrived—children, grandparents, cousins,
aunts, and distant relations—members of one of the oldest Christian communities
in the world who had not seen one another for three years.
It’s a way of celebrating that we still exist. Friends, how will
we glorify and praise God as our fellow Christians are forced to flee their
lands due to Christian persecution or a dismal future? Before the end of the
week, the world will turn its eyes from Christmas and focus on 2019, how will
we keep the Spirit of Christ alive in our hearts, minds, words and deeds?
I suggest that we thank God for the example of Christians who
glorify and praise God simply because they exist amidst persecution and
hopelessness, for when we do, the peace of God that surpasses all
understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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