Isaiah
9:2-7
The
people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those
who lived in a land of deep darkness
on them
light has shined.
You
have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy;
they
rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest,
as
people exult when dividing plunder.
For the
yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod
of their oppressor,
you
have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all
the boots of the tramping warriors
and all
the garments rolled in blood
shall
be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a
child has been born for us,
a son
given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he
is named
Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God,
Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace.
His
authority shall grow continually,
and
there shall be endless peace
for the
throne of David and his kingdom.
He will
establish and uphold it
with
justice and with righteousness
from
this time onward and forevermore.
The
zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
Luke
2:1-20
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.
================
Don’t be
afraid.
When the
angel, the messenger of God,
came to Mary to tell her she would bear
Jesus, the son of God, the angel said,
“Don’t be afraid, for you have found favor with God.”
Don’t be
afraid.
When the
angel, the messenger of God,
appeared to Joseph in a dream to tell him
it was OK to marry Mary
even though she was already pregnant,
the angel said, “Don’t be afraid,
for the child is from the Holy Spirit.”
Don’t be
afraid.
When the
angel stood before the shepherds that Holy night,
the glory of the Lord shone around them,
and THEY WERE TERRIFIED.
But the
angel said,
“Don’t be afraid, for I am bringing
GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY for ALL PEOPLE.
Good News – Great Joy – for All the People.
Don’t be
afraid.
There
was plenty of reason to be afraid in those days,
even without the sudden appearances of angels.
For much
like the people of Israel
at the time that the prophet Isaiah spoke these words:
“The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light.”,
they also were a people walking in darkness
at the time of Jesus’ birth.
And just
like us today.
We face
such darkness in so many ways,
both visible and invisible.
It seems
like things grow darker and bleaker by the day,
everywhere we look.
Certainly
there are signs of hope,
but so many parts of our society and our world
seem so broken – almost beyond repair.
And
what’s more – we can’t even seem to agree
or come together on what’s broken or what’s the cause.
The
darker things get,
the more divided and confused we become.
Which
only adds to the darkness.
But, as
my mom used to say, it was ever thus.
What we
experience today,
what we perceive as the darkest times imaginable,
is our own uniquely current version
of the darkness of humanity that has persisted
despite the presence of God from the beginning.
When
it’s dark for this long,
we can adjust our eyes and become
so accustomed to life in the darkness,
that when a light, blazing bright, suddenly appears,
and cuts open the darkness we have known so long,
it hurts our eyes.
It can
confuse us and trouble us in a new way.
It
requires time to adjust. It can make us afraid.
Afraid
of the light.
The
shepherds, who tended the flocks both day and night,
had adjusted their eyes to the darkness,
when suddenly one angel appeared before them,
shining with the glory of God.
And as
the message of hope was delivered by this messenger,
a multitude of angels suddenly surrounded them,
singing out their joy and praise,
louder and sweeter than anything
they had ever heard before.
That’s
pretty scary, at least at first, don’t you think?
These
were angels, not monsters or villains,
and the message was not one of terror, but of joy –
but talk about getting shaken out of
the complacency of everyday life!
In one
instant, everything changed for those shepherds –
and in ways they could barely comprehend at that point.
Because
“for us a child is born; for us a Son is given.” Because God loved us, loves
us, loves the world, that much.
Because
God had come into the world as a baby,
and that birth would change life for them,
and would change life for all people, for all time.
God
entered the world as a baby and in so doing,
brought new life for the world into being,
brought redemption to the world,
in ways we still can barely comprehend.
God,
coming into the world that night as a baby,
broke through the darkness in a way that can
make us afraid, quite honestly, of the light he brings,
the
transforming, life-changing light of the Lord
coming down to dwell among us, full of grace and truth.
The baby
Jesus, born into a world
that does not comprehend what grace and truth are,
and what they mean, and what they can do.
Certainly
Jesus made King Herod afraid
just by his being born,
and later on he made the Pharisees and Sadducees afraid,
as well as other government and religious leaders
of his time, as they saw firsthand
what the
coming of the light of the world truly could mean
for their own sense of power and authority.
Afraid
of the light.
Why
should we be afraid of the light?
Because
the light of life, Jesus Christ, changes everything.
Because
he loves us beyond any love we could ever know.
Because
he brings grace and truth,
forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace - in abundance.
And
because his light and his love spreads to overflowing,
to fill the earth,
to encompass everyone who opens themselves up to it.
Just as
one angel, shining with the glory of God,
standing before the shepherds,
spread that glory so that it becomes a multitude,
surrounding them with praise and joy,
and singing of peace to all….
Just as
one candle’s light,
when it’s shared across a darkened sanctuary,
spreads light to all those who have come to worship Christ,
the newborn king….
Just as
one kind-hearted person,
choosing to step aside from the darkness of daily life
that has become so typical,
choosing to be a tiny beam of light and love,
is able, through the power of the Holy Spirit,
to share the kingdom of God
with another heart that is searching for it….
Just as
one message, one gentle word of hope in a weary world,
can spread the living Word of God to
others
who are longing to comprehend the world in a new way….
Just as
one baby can bring new life to a sad and lonely world…
The poet
Wendell Berry was once talking to another writer,
Anne Lamott, on the day of the winter solstice,
the darkest day of the year,
which we experienced just three days ago.
He said
to her, “It gets darker --- and darker --- and darker, ---
and then baby Jesus is born.”
The
light has come into the world, and the darkness cannot overcome it.
On this most
Holy Night,
we are called to embrace the light again,
and let us welcome the child anew,
into the world, and into our hearts.
A poem from the writers in the Iona Community in Scotland
describes well this challenge, this call,
the mystery and the miracle of this night:
“When the world was
dark
and the city was
quiet,
you came.
You crept in beside
us.
And no one knew.
Only the few
who dared to
believe
that God might do
something different.
Will you do the
same this Christmas, Lord?
Will you not come
into the darkness of tonight’s world;
not the friendly
darkness
as when sleep
rescues us from tiredness,
but the fearful
darkness,
in which people
have stopped believing
that war will end
or that food will
come
or that a
government will change
or that the Church
cares?
Will you come into that
darkness
and do something
different
to save your people
from death and despair?
Will you come into
the quietness of this city,
not the friendly
quietness
as when lovers hold
hands,
but the fearful silence
when
the phone has not
rung,
the letter has not
come,
the friendly voice
no longer speaks,
the doctor’s face
says it all?
Will you come into
that darkness,
and do something
different,
not to distract,
but to embrace your people?
And will you come
into the dark corners
and the quiet
places of our lives?
We ask this not
because we are guilt-ridden
or want to be,
but because the
fullness
our lives long for
depends on us
being
as open and
vulnerable to you
as you were
to us,
when you came,
wearing no more
than diapers,
and trusting human
hands
to hold their
maker.
Will you come into
our lives,
if we open them to
you
and do something
different?
When the world was
dark
and the city was
quiet
you came.
You crept in beside
us.
Do the same this Christmas,
Lord.
Do the same this
Christmas.
Amen – and Amen."
--Poem comes from Cloth for the Cradle, Copyright 1997
--Poem comes from Cloth for the Cradle, Copyright 1997
Wild Goose Resource Group, Iona Community.
GIA Publications, Inc., exclusive North American Distributor.
No comments:
Post a Comment