Christmas Eve, 12/24/2012

Sermon on Luke 2:8-11, by Anton Knuth

Grace to you and peace in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the new born king.

Dear sisters and brothers.

The birth of a child is a new beginning. We are amazed to see a flower bloom, we are moved by the first steps of an cat or a horse, but when a child is opening it's eyes, we are overwhelmed by the miracle of life. A child is setting a new beginning, it is an ultimate beginning of God, bringing to the world something never seen, something unique and individual.

The birth of the child Jesus, which we are celebrating tonight, is a new beginning. It is God's new beginning with us: "Behold I am making everything a new". Christmas means: It shall become new with me, it is a fresh start with us. God is coming in this old world, he comes as a new born baby. And a new born baby is the most lively new-beginning, we can think of. It is a beginning in it self. Something unique and jet unknown is making its start.

This does of cause not mean that it is an easy beginning. Everybody who brought up children knows that they are not only sweet and cued, but also demanding and challenging. And I wonder weather the singing of the angels kind of overplayed the crying of the baby Jesus or if their so different sound harmonized with each other? I am sure he was crying like any baby, because he was truly human. God became man, so this includes all levels of the human existence, as it becomes clear through the narrative of the different Gospels. Maybe his crying was sounding just the same as Engels singing for his parents, but I am not so sure.

We don't hear anything about this at least. And there are some other details in the Christmas Story, which are kind of hidden between the lines. I guess the greatness of the Christmas Story by Luke is that it is open for so many aspects and facets of live. The story of a child being born under difficult circumstances reminds us of the natal character of our own lives. Jesus was born as we have been born. The birth of God into this world is encouraging our search for the rebirth of true humanity. This story is able to absorb different life situations and is open for different meanings according to the situation the listener is living in. How often have we not heard this story in our lives? And is it not true, that the meaning changed a little every time?

We heard it when we where a child, eagerly waiting for the gifts, we heard it when we were growing up, still living with the parents, but already half way on our one feet, we heard it, when the grand parents where still alive, and we will also hear it when we are old. For me to hear this story is like coming home, it is like an solid anchor in a fast changing time and in changing stages of life. It is assuring us every year a new the promise that God is with us on our travels into unknown territories, that he is one with us, even in difficult life circumstances or broken families.

Listening to the story once more while being here in the Pacific, the most striking missing part seems to me the absence of any member of the extended family. We do not hear about any relative of Mary or Joseph taking notice of the birth of their first child. Would that be possible in the pacific? Is it not that the people here are always part of a community? Part of an extended family by a well balanced form of giving and receiving, so you are looked after in some way by your wantok or vanua. There are certainly weaknesses and strengths at the same time of this communal setting, but it certainly means you are not left alone so easily. So where is the wantok of Mary and Joseph, the relatives of Jesus?

What does it mean Joseph and Mary returning to Joseph father's town, to the land or vanua of their family, but nobody is there to welcome them? Do they not have any family left? Why is Mary not getting any help from her mother or her anti Elisabeth? Why do they have to rent a room in a kind of motel and could not visit some relatives? The western way of adopting this story in the so popular Christmas plays, was always by emphasizing the rejection of Mary and Joseph through the different wardens or inn owners, even though the story itself only says, that the child was laid in a manger, because there was no other room in the inn, they already stayed in.

But from a pacific way of life you could emphasize the missing of their family. Do they have to hide, because the circumstances of their marriage are shameful for a customary understanding of marriage? Mary was visiting Elisabeth after the annunciation by the angel, and I am sure she got some advice and help from her. But now they are left alone. God's child is not welcomed by its family; Mary and Joseph are left alone, just by them self. And it is interesting to see that Jesus is later not relating to his family very much, he can even say quite rough words to them. Jesus is appearing as an individual, searching for lonely meditation on mountains and in deserts, but at the same time in close relation with God. He is transcending the borders of his family and even his nation to reach out to the people regardless their status or identity making them a new family.

At the time of his birth, it seems the shepherds are replacing his extended family. It is quite remarkable that Christ was born first for the sake of marginalized shepherds and their families. But he attracts also the attention of well-to-do scholars in distant nations, who undertake far travels to come and bring their gifts. He also appears to the ox and donkey and the creation and of cause to the Mary and Joseph as a gift of God's mystery. So the meaning of the missing family could be that God is becoming part of everyone, not leaving out anything. His love is dwelling in the essence of all being, but is not limited to a specific family or particular tradition.

A child is born in a specific family, yes, we do need particular traditions or languages to understand this world. But the birth of Jesus means that God's grace appears to all, offering the promise of forgiveness, healing and reconciliation with God in heaven and with our neighbours on earth. God is making a new beginning in the Child Jesus of Nazareth. He is making this new beginning with everybody of us. God becomes human means: He has not forgotten you. He sees your trouble and pain. He knows your crying. He enlightens the shadow of death.

God loved us so much as to give us the gift of Jesus who is able to conquer fear and lift us above all things that seek to bring us down. He wants to make human mankind a new family, by sharing his love with one another, by promoting mutual understanding, justice and peace. So we are asked to respond in the way of the Sheppard's by accepting to belong to Jesus extended Family. We are born a new as part of his wantok, of his vanua, belonging from now on to God's family. "That night in the fields near Bethlehem some shepherds were guarding their sheep. All at once an angel came down to them from the Lord, and the brightness of the Lord's glory flashed around them. The shepherds were frightened. But the angel said, "Don't be afraid! I have good news for you, which will make everyone happy. This very day in King David's hometown a Saviour was born for you. He is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11)

Amen.

Rev. Dr. Anton Knuth
Pacific Theological College
Department for Church History
Private Mail Bag
Suva - Fiji
E-Mail: anton.knuth@yahoo.de

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