My focus today is on Matthew, chapter 2, with a
special emphasis on verses 19-20: “After Herod died, an angel of the Lord
appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and
his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the
child’s life are dead.’”
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, the psalmist wrote, “I
rejoiced when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’”[1]
Now that our feet are standing 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.
Today would be mom’s 87th birthday. For a couple of years when
I was Pastor in Oakmont, Pennsylvania, I would invite mom to come to church
that Sunday, announce her birthday to the congregation, and we would sing
“Happy Birthday.” Although I never gave away her age, after the second year,
she instructed me, “Don’t ever do that again!” Mom did not want that much attention.
We celebrate birthdays because the birth of a child is a joyous event.
Cindy and I are expecting the birth of our first granddaughter any day now, and
we will travel to Indianapolis to see Emma Jade Gardner. We will text, email
and post pictures on all the social media sites. We should. After all, this is
the biggest birth announcement since Prince George Alexander Louis of
Cambridge.
Birth announcements are a big deal. Even in antiquity, births were joyous
events. Those who were in my class last Sunday know that Caesar Augustus was
born 9 years before Jesus. Archeologists found an inscription of the birth
announcement of little Caesar in Turkey. The ancient birth announcement stated
that it was good for the city to celebrate the evangelium, the “good news,” of
the birth of Caesar Augustus, the savior of the world. Romans saw Augustus as son
of god, since his father through adoption, Julius Caesar, was deified.
Since the Romans announced the birth of baby Augustus, Matthew was not to
be outdone. Matthew answered questions about Jesus’ identity and origins. Questions
people asked then are the same we ask today. Who is he? Where does he come
from? Whether it’s a new pastor, student, boss or neighbor, we want to know a
person’s origins. We inquire where this person was born, where he went to
school, who his parents were, and if he can produce a birth certificate. We
want to know because we want to make a connection with that person.
Wanting to connect, the Magi, who inquired about the newborn King of the
Jews, were overjoyed when they saw the Child Jesus. They bowed down and
worshiped him, opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold,
frankincense and myrrh.[2]
Having found the true King, humanity’s Savior, the Son of God, the joyous Magi
celebrated evangelium, good news, Gospel.
Today, some question the authenticity of Matthew’s account of Jesus’
birth. Allow me to compare it to the birth of a man I met 20 years ago. He was
born Lhamo Dhondup on July 6, 1935, to a farming family, in a small hamlet in northeastern
Tibet. At the tender age of two, he was recognized as the reincarnation of the
13th Dalai Lama.
Lhamo Dhondup, the 14th Dalai Lama, was found by Tibetan Monks
following signs that led them to his village and to his house. When monks set
before the boy objects that belonged to the 13th Dalia Lama, he
cried, “It’s mine.”[3]
With that, the boy became the 14th Dalia Lama. … Skeptics question
Matthew’s account of Jesus’ birth and Herod’s bloody persecution,[4]
but readily accept how monks choose the next Dalai Lama.
While the Magi celebrated Jesus’ birth as good news, the birth of the newborn
King of the Jews was bad news for Herod because he was “King of the Jews,” and
there was room for only “one King of the Jews.”
After Herod’s nephew overthrew him, Herod fled to Rome to plead with the Senate
to restore him to power. The Roman Senate elected Herod “King of the Jews” around
40 BC. He returned to Judea to wrestle his kingdom from his nephew. Three years
later, Herod and the Romans captured Jerusalem and executed his nephew. As sole
ruler of Judea, he claimed the title of basileus or king for himself.
Herod protected his throne through blood. In order to maintain power Herod
slaughtered his own family members. He slaughtered and all boys in Bethlehem
who were two years old and under.[5]
Herod killed them because he feared the Christ sought by the Magi might be
among them. We consider these innocent boys martyrs because Herod killed them thinking
Christ was among them.[6]
According to Martin Luther, tyrants who persecute Christians and rage
against the Gospel shed innocent blood, and “the blood of the Christians is
[like] fertilizer on the field, making it rich and productive.”[7]
Despots and dictators martyr Christians because they interfere with their
political and religious agendas. Political and religious leaders killed Jesus because
he interfered with their political and religious views. According to Matthew, Jesus
is not the kind of Christ many were willing to receive,[8]
but God’s message is clear: evil kings will have no power over this child who
fulfills Scripture.
God thwarted Herod’s fail-proof method to kill Jesus when He revealed to
Joseph the diabolical plan and redirected the family to Egypt, where they stayed
until Herod died. This fulfilled Hosea’s prophecy: “Out of Egypt I called my Son.”[9]
My son. … I started this sermon talking about birthdays, birth
announcements and the fundamental questions we ask about people. Matthew’s
infancy narrative offers some insight into those questions.
Who is Jesus? What has He come to do? Jesus is the Son of God who came to
save us from Satan, sin and death. God’s plan, we know, is accomplished on the
Cross. Nothing or no one will deter or prevent God’s plan, not even Herod. The
birth of Jesus, the newborn King of the Jews, may have been bad news for
despots and dictators, but good news for us. Yet, even after Herod died, the
family was unable to return to Judea. Hence, many knew our Savior as Jesus of
Nazareth, where Joseph and Mary raised Him. He returned to Judea only to die
for our sins. His birth and His death are both Good News for believers.
Matthew answers questions about Jesus’ identity and origins for us, His
disciples, so that we have an idea of who we are and from whence we come. The
infancy narrative is the Gospel in miniature because we see not only what will
happen to Jesus, but also what will happen to His followers. Throughout
centuries across the globe, we see how faithful Christians posed a threat to empires
and the political and religious views of despots and dictators.
Today, Christians in the Middle East face persecution.[10]
Fifty years ago, Christians made up 20% of the population in the Middle East,
including Egypt, Israel, Iran a, Iraq and Syria. Today, Christians comprise 4%
of the population. In some areas, Moslems offer a choice: Pay us $70,000 a year,
convert to Islam, or die. Is it no wonder Christians flee?
In America, Christian families do not face the same persecution that
Christians in the Middle East experience, or the ones Joseph, Mary and Jesus experienced
in Judea 2,000 years ago, but Christian families in America face challenges and
threats. I wondered about those threats, and posed the question on Facebook and
LinkedIn asking: What is the greatest threat/challenge to the American family
today?
People responded with an array of answers. Radical Islam, humanism,
socialism, busyness, laziness, indifference, poverty, individualism, selfishness,
materialism, entitlement, lack of personal conversations and family meals.
There were many other answers as well. Then there was this response from Bill
Kuehn.
“The disillusionment that children have to be active in every possible
activity resulting in exhausted parents running them back and forth, many times
missing meals, and rarely taking time to actually spend quality time together.
Those activities also tend to distract from opportunities to spend time in
worship and fellowship with other believers.”
Bill points out the practical application of how Christian families can
live their faith in America today. As others point out, many external forces
pressure families. Parents cannot control those forces any more than Joseph
could control Herod.
Joseph, however, could control where his family lived. He could also parent
little Jesus until he reached adulthood. That was his charge from God. Today, parents,
spouses, families and individuals cannot control every external force, but can
control internal dynamics within their homes – activities, schedules, budgets,
responsibilities. Control who or what comes into your home. Choose wisely those
families with whom your children associate. If your children want to spend time
at a friend’s house, check out the parents’ values and beliefs. If their
friends ask them to attend church with them, first find out what that church
teaches.
I say this because, as those who attended my classes on the letters of
Peter and Jude know, what threatens the Church and the Christian family is what
enters unnoticed. What enters unnoticed and who enters unnoticed. You know,
pastors are responsible for knowing who comes to the Table of the Lord and who teaches
God’s Word. The threat of the early Church – as recorded by Peter, Jude, Paul
and others – was false teaching by those who entered unnoticed and presented a
different gospel, one based on works or one that allowed for licentiousness. As
pastors take responsibility for the church, parents take responsibility for the
family. Review the year, review each day and think about who or what entered
your home without you noticing.
Fathers, here is another post from my question. From a Lutheran pastor: “The
biggest challenge to the American Family is the lack of Christ in the "man
of the house". We are not discipling men! Men are abdicating church and their
responsibilities. Men refuse to take responsibility for their actions, and
consequently, reproduce boys and let their mothers raise them without showing
any positive role model for them to learn the proper way for a boy to grow into
manhood.” Have you noticed that? Have any wives notice that about their
husbands?
I understand that to provide for your family fathers and mothers need to
work more than 40 hours a week. Some men and women work 60, 80, 100 hours a
week because the job demands it. Some serve in the military where tours of duty
last six months or longer.
Understandably, everyone likes to relax after work. We need time to rest
and rejuvenate, but when we do not have time to complete our parental homework,
we allow 10 year-olds to choose friends from families raised with a different
belief or without a value system. When we simply want peace in the home, we
allow 12 year-olds to choose which church they will attend, if any. When we
think to ourselves, “What’s the sense of arguing?” we grant minors autonomy
without responsibility. At some point, we realize something’s wrong. We failed.
No parent wants to realize failure, but to some extent, all do. If you
have not yet reached that point or passed it, know this: Grace, love and
guidance of our Heavenly Father are available. As fathers and mothers charged
with raising and teaching children, ask God, “What would Joseph and Mary do?”
Ask fully knowing that God charged these two people with raising and teaching the
Son of God. Ask knowing that God charged you with no less a task because the
children granted to your care are no less precious to God, no less sons and
daughters of God than the dear Baby Jesus Himself. Ask God for guidance because
your role is no less important than the duties of Joseph and Mary. Ask for that
guidance not when you have reached the point of despair. Ask for God’s guidance
daily. Even if your offspring are older than I am, ask for God’s grace to be Christian
parents so that when your birthday comes years after you are dead, your children
will fondly remember you as a Christian mother or father.
As we complete 2013, commit yourself to Christ. Thank God and celebrate
Christ’s birthday every day. Live each day with Christmas joy, and may the
peace of God that surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus (Phil 4:7). Amen.
[1]
Psalm 122
[2]
Matthew 2:1-12
[4]
Peter Smith, “Nativity story has its share of skeptics,” Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette. December 23, 2013. See http://www.post-gazette.com/life/2013/12/23/Nativity-story-has-its-share-of-skeptics/stories/201312230185
and
[5]
Matthew 2:16
[6]
Jeffrey A. Gibbs, Matthew 1:1-11:1. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House,
2006. p. 144
[7]
Ewald M. Plass, What Luther Says, Persecution, #3307.St. Louis: Concordia
Press, 1959, p.1040.
[8]
Gibbs, 134
[9]
Hosea 11:1
