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Christmas Eve, 12/24/2015
"Joy In The Face of a Baby!"
Sermon on Luke 2:1-20, by David M. Wendel
In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Introduction
In our first lesson, Isaiah prophesied, saying, “You have multiplied the nation, you have increased its joy…” In our gospel lesson, we hear the angel proclaim, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will be for all the people…”
Christmas Joy?
Christmas means lots of things, to lots of people, but from the beginning, it was to be about “joy”. And yes, we talk about Christmas joy; we sing about Christmas joy; we put “joy” on Christmas cards, banners, and it even shows up in mall decorations! It would appear “joy” sells! And yet, what is this joy all about, really? Do we truly know “joy” this time of year? Do we experience “joy”, in our hearts and lives—or is it just something we talk about, and “use” to celebrate the season? My fear is that for all our talk about joy in the Church, there’s little joy in our hearts, or lives, or homes. I don’t often see “joy” in many faces, at church on Christmas Eve. I see exhaustion, and tension, and maybe frustration. I sometimes see worry, and anxiety. This year in particular, we may see fear and uncertainty, given the attacks in Paris and now San Bernadino, and concerns about terrorism and violence.
But do we see joy, at all? If we were to randomly stop folks coming out of Christian churches on Christmas Eve—and look into their faces, to see if there is joy somewhere in their eyes, their facial expression, surely many would ask, “what’re you lookin’ at, bub?” And if I were to answer, “I’m looking for joy…” I wouldn’t be shocked if some responded, quite honestly, “Joy? It’s Christmas Eve—I’ve been running for four weeks trying to get things done, I had a fight earlier today with a lady over the last Star Wars light saber in the city—the in-laws have been with us for a week already, and I gotta go in to work on Christmas Day—and you’re looking for the “joy”?
Joy is our Response
Well, yes, I’m looking for joy, and on Christmas Eve, if we haven’t yet found the joy, I would hope that each of us would be looking for it, too. Because while love is the heart of Christmas, joy is our response. Joy is the natural human response, to God’s gift of Christmas. And if we don’t have joy—one would wonder if we have Christmas?! The two go together so naturally, that if you don’t have one, maybe you don’t have the other. And we’re not talking here about joy as bubbly enthusiasm. Joy is not a sickening sweet mushiness, nor a smiley façade that never droops or fades. Joy, as it says in the dictionary, is the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good—joy is caused by something or someone greatly valued or appreciated—joy is a state of happiness or well-being, not mushy or gushy or fake. It is a state of happiness or well-being, that is caused by something or someone greatly valued or appreciated--and in this instance, in the sense of Christmas, the joy is indeed caused by someone greatly valued and appreciated—and that someone, is Christ Jesus, the Lord—whose very face brings joy—a state of happiness and well-being, that wells-up inside, and casts out fear, and causes us to experience great delight—at just the sight of the Christ Child, born for us, lying now in a manger.
God Became Human as a Baby
It’s miraculous how being in the presence of a baby, today, still brings that joy, as we can’t help but look into the face of a baby—any baby, and hopefully see the face of Jesus. And how wonderful that God chose to come, not as an earthly king, or ruler, or president, not as a person of power and privilege, who would live in a far-distant palace, protected, shielded, kept away from us ordinary shepherds, innkeepers, and travelers. God come to us in royal regalia, seated on a throne would be so far from us that we would rarely, if ever, get even a glimpse of his face, except on television, or YouTube.
But the miracle of Christmas is that God became human, God chose to be Emmanuel—God with us—in a baby—being born to an ordinary human mother and father, with ordinary human relatives, to live in ordinary human surroundings—to truly be—the Word made flesh to dwell among us. Because, no human being is more approachable, more magnetic, drawing us to himself or herself, than a baby! Even those who say they don’t like babies, often can’t help but grab their little hands, and yes, experience if even a momentary—joy. Because babies are full of hope and promise. Babies remind us that the world will go on. Each and every baby ought to be for us, Jesus in the flesh, Jesus present for us in the littlest and the least, the most vulnerable and yet, able to create joy, with just a wink, or a coo, or a smile. God wasn’t born, only in Bethlehem, to Mary and Joseph so long ago, but God comes to us in each and every new life, pushed out of the womb after nine months, in the fullness of time. So that each and every time, we have the chance, once again, not to think about Baby Jesus come to our world 2000 years ago, but to receive Baby Jesus in our day, as God continues to come to us in flesh and blood, in every human that is born.
“Christ Lives in the Shape of a Person”
Lutheran pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer, martyred in the Nazi prison camps, wrote, “so long as there are men and women, Christ walks the earth as your neighbor, as the one through whom God calls on you, and speaks to you…that is the most serious and most blessed thing about the Christmas message. Christ lives in the shape of a person in our midst.” And strangely enough, born not just in the shape of a person in our midst, but in the shape of a baby—a baby whose very face, can create and give joy.
God in the Face of a Baby
As we have, again, a new baby in our family this year, I am reminded every time I hold her, not just of the miracle of birth itself, but of the miracle of God become human, in Baby Jesus. I am reminded every time I hold her or any little one, how a baby can create and give joy, with a look, or a smile, or even more, with just being a baby! And tonight, as we lean over to peer into the manger—to see God’s face, in the face of a baby, we receive that great joy which has come to all the people. We receive that great joy that comes from the light that shines in the face of Christ. We receive joy, in spite of the hardships, and trials, and difficulties of life—joy in the midst of pain and suffering and grief and loss. Joy that carries us through, because in Jesus, God is with us—God has come to us, God walks with us, God uplifts and supports us. Joy that makes life bearable, and worth the living, because God is with us, and comes to us again and again, in every new baby that is born—bringing hope and promise into our world, and into our hearts and lives. So that we can say it and mean it—“Joy to the World, the Lord is come, let earth receive her king! Let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and nature sing, and heaven and heaven and nature sing—joy to the world!”
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Bemerkung:
- Lesson: Isaiah 9:2-7; Titus 2:11-14; St. Luke 2:1-20
- Dr. Wendel is Assistant to the Bishop for Ministry and Ecumenism