“Love Amazes!”

Luke 2:15-20 (2:18) – December 24, 2023

            Merry Christmas! What a wonderful expression. People greeting each other on the street, in the stores, here at church. This is also the fourth Sunday in Advent, the Sunday where we focus on Love. What a joyous time of the year, and what a celebration of love-come-to-earth. 

            But I want you to go back, two thousand years. Go back to a time when “Merry Christmas” was not even a phrase, a wish, an idea in people’s heads. Go back to the time that Dr. Luke describes in the second chapter of his Gospel. Back to the time when Israel was an occupied country, and the Roman Empire was the strong man. Back to the time when all people in Israel needed to be enrolled. The Roman government decided to have a census, so that they would be able to tax the people of Israel more accurately.

We heard this census described in our Gospel reading. Joseph and his fiancée Mary went to Bethlehem to enroll, because Joseph was a direct descendant of King David. I suspect there were many people on the roads. Today, traveling can be stressful and nerve-wracking. However, travel in the first century was much more difficult. Poor roads, with many people walking to get from one place to another. We might imagine that Joseph and Mary had a donkey, but nowhere in the Gospel is that mentioned. Travel conditions were challenging, at best.

There they are, in Bethlehem. A long way from their home in Nazareth. I suspect Joseph took care of the enrollment business first thing. But Mary felt the pains of labor begin. What a scary thing! To be far, far from home, in an unfamiliar place, and to have such a significant event happen. Significant, and potentially life-threatening, too.

            Yes, delivering a baby is a special day for anyone. But—even more so, for Mary and Joseph. Extra special because of the love surrounding them, this amazing love from God.

            As Dr. Luke tells us, there were shepherds abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night. Remember, there is no radio or telephone, no Internet or telegraph. When messengers personally come to deliver a special announcement, it is a big deal. These angels coming to the shepherds, well, that was a super big deal, to be sure!

            And the announcement? This isn’t the birth of a normal, ordinary baby. No! This baby is an extra special baby. The Messiah, who will save His people from their sins. A special announcement of God’s love! This special baby, this Savior, Christ the Lord, is born to you—to me—to all of us, in the city of David, which is called Bethlehem.

            Did you hear? The Savior, the Christ, the promised Messiah, came into this world as a Baby in Bethlehem. The Eternal Second Person of the Trinity, Creator of the whole universe, God the Son, emptied Himself of all God-ness. Took on humanity, and was born as a helpless Baby. That is not only good news, that is earth-shaking news. Good news of great joy for all the people. For you, for me, for all of us.

            Yes, the promises of Christmas may sound familiar to us. The good news that the angels brought may be old news, to some. But those promises? They are so needed, today. What with uncertainty and fear, anxiety and hatred so common today. Peace and security seem way out of humanity’s reach. Don’t we need some good news right now? Don’t we need news of God’s amazing love for all of us, for each one of us?

This is good news, this Gospel the angels brought to the shepherds. And they, in turn, told everyone they could about the Child, which the Lord had made known to them. Just as Luke said, all who heard about the Child were amazed at what the shepherd told them.

When I take a step back from this narrative that is so familiar to all of us here in this church, I try to imagine this event brought up to date. “I do find myself wondering just where this might happen today. If Jesus were to come again in human form, would it be like the last time? Would it be in a country far away or would it be in our own back yard? Would it be in an unused room at a nursing home?  Or at a homeless shelter?  Or under a city bridge? I do wonder where Jesus would be born today, don’t you? I wonder how my wondering changes how I encounter those who are in those places now.” [1] It is very possible that those places are already made ‘holy’ – that babies born in unused rooms or homeless shelters or under bridges are holy, too. Even before the presence of the Christ Child makes them even more special.

After that special birth announcement from the angels, and the excited visits from the shepherds, we are left with Mary. Mary who was only a teenager, who had had nine months to consider this extraordinary pregnancy and upcoming birth. Mary must have been up to the task. Mary must have been an extraordinary, reflective young woman.

We know from verse 18 that Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. All of these words, these unfolding events. Another translation has this verse as “Mary was keeping together (the Greek verb sunetare) all these words, bringing them together (sumballos) in her heart.” Keeping together, sunetare, has the sense of integration. Bringing these events together, or sumballos! Mary was fitting all the puzzle pieces together, bit by bit.

Can we do the same? Can we fit all the pieces together? Can we slow down, just a little, and wonder at the miracle of that night? I invite us all to listen to the good news of the shepherds. The eternal God, Creator of the universe, come to earth as the Babe in Bethlehem.

God gives each of us an opportunity, an invitation to experience amazing love; an invitation to worship the newborn Savior. We, too, can stop by that manger in Bethlehem, and be caught up in the wonder of what happened that night, so long ago.  We, too, can say “O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.” Alleluia, amen.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

(I would like to express my great appreciation for the observations and commentary from the Do Not Be Afraid Advent Devotional – © 2022 Illustrated Ministry, LLC.. I used several ideas from their useful resources. Thanks so much!)

[1] Dancing with the Word: Christmas in the Barn