Luke 2:1-14

“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.” vss. 8-9

Luke manages to connect Jesus with David, the greatest king of Israel, in a story that is stunning in its simplicity. As in David’s time there were shepherds tending their sheep in the fields around the village of Bethlehem. David had been one of them before being anointed by Samuel. And now, about a thousand years later, an angelic messenger approaches shepherds by night, not to anoint one of them as king, but to announce the birth of the Good Shepherd. The visit isn’t noted by the Bethlehem Gazette, and it doesn’t seem to have made much of an impact in the region. But Luke’s story is the perfect example of how God has worked and continues to work in our world. Under the cover of darkness a baby is born in a stable to an unwed mother–the shepherds know about it, but no one pays any attention to such nondescript folks, even if they have an extraordinary story. The baby is born, and nothing much happens for 30 years–and then all heaven breaks out. What had been hidden was shouted from the mountaintop and the restoration of our broken world began to take shape. That’s why we’re celebrating tonight, and we’re not going to stop rejoicing until restoration is complete!

Thought for the Day: Why were shepherds chosen to hear the good news first?

Isaiah 9:2-7

“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.” vs. 6

The coronation of a new king was, for the people of Jerusalem and Judah, like celebrating the birth of a child, a son sent from God to be their righteous ruler. As early Christians read Isaiah’s words in their scriptures, composed for just such an occasion, their minds were drawn to the person of Jesus, and they began to apply these words to him. Indeed, conditioned by many years of listening to Handel’s Messiah, that’s exactly what most of us have come to believe. And while Jesus, in his lifetime was never addressed in this way, by faith his followers have come to know him as the Christ, the incarnate word of God. And in that role the titles of Isaiah are eerily appropriate. It will be fitting for us to keep this in mind tomorrow night as we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Yes, he was a vulnerable baby in a manger, but to the eyes of faith he is ever-so-much more than that. He really is the Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and billions of people around the world have come to know him as the Prince of Peace. There’s just one thing. He’s not like the kings of Judah and or any other petty earthly despot. His realm is a spiritual one, and his reign will have no end!

Thought for the Day: Why are the words of the Messiah so powerful?  

Luke 1:43-45 

“And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” vs. 45

Elizabeth not only rejoices in Mary’s visit and the leaping of the child in her womb, she pronounces a blessing upon Mary. Because, not only had Mary heard the word of the Lord, she had believed it! Luke’s point has implications for us too. Almost all have heard the good news of the gospel in one way or another. For some it’s been a steady refrain from childhood, while others have gotten the word more recently. But it’s one thing to hear the news that we are loved and that salvation has come through Jesus, it’s quite another thing to believe it. Sadly there are many who have heard but who have not come to faith. God continues to love them–that’s God’s unconditional gift–but they never get the blessings that come with trusting that the good news is true. They will never feel the peace and the serenity that comes with knowing and trusting the promises connected to salvation. That’s something to think about as Christmas draws ever closer. This week people are scurrying to find worship services that meet their family’s Christmas Eve schedule. They’re going to be hearing the Story again–and perhaps they’ll take it to heart. The story is a simple one, and sometimes we stumble over the details, but at its core is the good news that God is in this world to stay. Believe it or not!

Thought for the Day: How is my faith a blessing?

Luke 1:39-42

“When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’” vss. 41-42

We don’t know how often babies actually leap in their mothers’ wombs, but there’s no doubt that they do move, and those first movements, especially the ones that can be felt by others, are a welcome sign of a healthy baby. Luke tells us that Elizabeth felt that movement when the pregnant Mary showed up on her doorstep. It’s a touching little story and was meant to show that John reacted to the presence of the messiah from inside his mother’s womb. It was a kind of private indicator for the women that something was afoot in the world of the Spirit, and that a big change was on the way for our world. We too occasionally have those Spirit moments, mysterious occasions when inexplicable things happen to us and to those in our circle of friends and acquaintances. We really shouldn’t be surprised when joy overwhelms us. After all God is never apart from us and the Spirit of God is continually renovating our lives and bringing restoration. And that’s why the ordinary can become extraordinary, a flash of tanager scarlet in the air makes a gray day come alive. A child’s unbridled glee brings a smile to our lips and love leaps in our wombs, even if we don’t have them. Jesus is in the world–anything can happen!

Thought for the Day: When have I felt the touch of the Spirit?

Hebrews 10:5-10

“And it is by God’s will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” vs. 10

Christians love to argue and debate about just how it is that they have salvation. They choose among a multitude of atonement theories and quote multiple bible verses, all to show that they, out of all people, know precisely just how it is that God chooses to operate. Their way is the way of salvation, and unless we’re on the same path we don’t have a chance. Oh what hubris! As if anything we write or concoct makes the slightest bit of difference to the great I AM! The writer of Hebrews also pretends to know a lot of details about scriptural passages that mean virtually nothing to most of us, but at least in the end he lets us know that our sanctification is totally in the hands of God, and that it happened through Jesus once for all. Our ideas and doctrines mean nothing; not even our good deeds make the slightest bit of difference. It’s all God, and it’s all gift! And once we get that basic truth through our skulls we can stop our debating and arguing and get down to the business of loving in God’s peaceable kingdom! Enough of our petty distinctions and prideful assertions! The good news of Christmas is for all people for all time! Amen!

Thought for the Day: If all is a gift, what’s the point of denominations?

Psalm 80:4-7

“O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.” vss. 4-5

It’s not unusual to hear people complain about God. Many can not understand how a good God could have created a world in which so many ugly things are going on, seemingly without end. We’ve heard those promises about a peaceable kingdom and restoration, but we get tired of waiting. Even now at Christmas, as we get ready to celebrate our Savior’s birth, awful things keep on happening, and we long for some sort of respite. And so we join the psalmist in his complaint, “How long O Lord will you be angry with your people’s prayers? How long will our food and drink consist of nothing but our never-ending tears?” Those are hard questions, and we shouldn’t feel bad for asking them. They come naturally to us because we can’t quite comprehend the Divine Presence, or as J. B. Phillips, a famous bible translator, once wrote, “Your God is Too Small.” Caught as we are in our little fragment of time and space, our minds can’t quite grasp the larger picture, and we likely never will. What we do know is that God’s love is unconditional, and we are never apart from God in our suffering. In fact, God loves us so much that God suffers with us!

Thought for the Day: When have I been angry at God?

Psalm 80:1-3

“Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.” vs. 3

Ever since the beginning humans have been deeply aware of the brokenness that is a part of life in this incredibly good world. We can easily grasp the magnificence of the creation with our senses. We see how everything fits together and how each little thing has its place. The beauty of sunrises and sunsets continues to amaze, and the scents of blossoming fruit trees regularly remind us of the passing seasons. And then there’s the love that is the heartbeat of nature’s harmony–it touches us all, and celebrates our basic unity. But along with all the goodness, there is that darkness that continues to bedevil our unity, and undermine our stewardship of creation. We can’t escape the ugliness or overcome our ravaging histories. We know that more is expected, but our best efforts fall short, sabotaged by our idolatrous pursuit of money, sex, and power. The psalmist, fully aware of the human condition, knew there was only one hope, and so he prays for restoration, a healing of the brokenness, and salvation for our souls. That’s why Christmas is such a big deal! It marks the very beginning of that restoration and reminds us that every person is a beloved child of God and can be a source of divine love and mercy. And some years that salvation is more than a dream. We actually see and feel it in ourselves and others.

Thought for the Day: What does restoration feel like?

Micah 5:4-5a

“And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great   to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace.” 4-5a

After Jesus’ death and resurrection his followers searched the scriptures for clues that he was indeed the messiah they’d been waiting for. When they read these verses from Micah about the coming king, in their eyes this was the perfect description of Jesus. He was not only the Good Shepherd, he was most certainly the one of peace. For some reason, even though it’s a dominant theme of Christmas, and Jesus said in his first sermon, “Blessed are the peacemakers,” many religious folks are more drawn to warmongers. In fact, the first Christian nationalist, Constantine, had his troops march into war under the banner of Christ. We continue to be drawn to tough leaders, big talkers who make threats against anyone who doesn’t fall into line with their policies. But that’s not who Jesus is! In his kingdom peacemakers are heroes, and gentle leaders are the difference makers. Under their rule the poor are taken care of, the hungry are fed, and the broken people are restored. No wonder Luke records the song of the angels to the shepherds in the fields as having been “Peace on earth among those whom he favors.” 

Thought for the Day: To what extent do I have peace in my life?

Micah 5:2-3

“But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old,   from ancient days.” vs. 2

Micah lived near Jerusalem during the time Judah was being threatened by the massive Assyrian Empire. Their armies had already ravaged the northern kingdom of Israel and thousands of refugees had fled south. As a prophet Micah not only critiqued the leaders of Judah he also proclaimed a message of hope. Remembering that the great king David had come from the little town of Bethlehem, he maintains that history will repeat itself, and a new leader will emerge for Judah. We can understand Micah’s desire for a king who would make Israel great again. It’s what we do when we’re dissatisfied with the power structure, and are convinced that someone new is needed. Humans have harbored such hopes for thousands of years. But the same old problems persist! New leaders become old leaders in a recurring cycle, and the brokenness of creation is never addressed. What humanity needs is a spiritual revolution, and the breaking in of the peaceable kingdom ushered in by Jesus. He may have been from Bethlehem, but he wasn’t anything like David. He came introducing a kingdom infused by love that has brought restoration and mercy to billions, and his rule will never end!

Thought for the Day: Why do people put their trust in rulers?

Luke 3:15-18

“His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.’ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people.” vss. 17-18

Occasionally, when this Gospel passage is read as a part of worship, folks will actually laugh when they hear that Luke called John’s message “good news to the people.” It’s hard to see how being burned with unquenchable fire could possibly be considered “good news.” It only becomes good news when we realize that Luke is connecting the burning of chaff to cleansing and not destruction. It’s a message about the restoration of our broken world! It’s also true that as we move through these holidays some people really are having a hard time hearing any good news about anything. For them the carols, feasts, and family gatherings are reminders of sad losses–for one reason or another some loved ones have gone missing!  In their estimation Christmas just isn’t the “happiest time of the year” that the carol says it is. Fortunately Christmas is more than a cultural holiday! For believers its message is the good news of the healing that comes for them and the whole world through the Christ of Bethlehem. So even if we are feeling blue by this time of Advent, we can at least remember that today’s candle is pink, and Christ really is the joy of the world.

Thought for the Day: Why is Christmas good news for me?