The Christmas Lights Are Ablaze - Lectionary Reflection for Christmas (Isaiah, Titus, Luke)
Christmas
has arrived (or will arrive in just a few days). Many of our neighborhoods are ablaze with
Christmas lights (alas, that doesn’t include my house), announcing that day is
dawning. The biblical texts that we have before us this Christmas season shine
light into our lives, highlighting the glory of God. Many of us have favorite Christmas
traditions and stories that bring out the meaning of the season. Some are
biblical/religious, but even many of the non-religious ones offer insight that
helps us discern the meaning of the season. One of my favorite Christmas stories
is Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. My family will watch at least
five or six versions, from Mickey’s to Alister Sims’.
Dickens’
story takes place during the height of the industrial revolution, at a time
when inequality between the wealthiest and the poorest in society had reached epic
proportions. In this wonderful story that has charmed us and challenged us, Dickens
calls for us to attend to the true meaning of Christmas. Whichever is our favorite
version of the story (written or film), it carries a powerful message that
brings light to the darkness that can be present in our lives. Yes, Ebenezer
Scrooge is emblematic of our darker side. He symbolizes our seeming need
to make the self supreme, shutting out all others, especially those in need.
For him, Christmas is simply “Bah Humbug.” It takes visits from several
ghosts, but eventually light does shine into the darkness of Scrooge’s soul. In
the end, Scrooge is transformed into someone who reflects the Christmas spirit—not
the commercial one, but the one that emanates from the manger in Bethlehem
(even if that part of the story is not in the foreground).
When we
turn to these three readings for Christmas Eve/Day, messages of light and
divine glory are present. The result of encounters with this light is
transformation. What we hear in these readings is that light shines in the
darkness and the people who experience this light are not the same as a result.
Each of these authors—Isaiah, the author
of Titus, and Luke all speak of life changes as a result of the encounter with
the Spirit who is moving in our midst this Christmas season.
Isaiah
9 is one of the best-known prophetic texts. That is because it is the message
of a child being born whose authority will be great, such that peace and justice
will be experienced by all humanity. Christians have heard in this text,
especially verse 6, reference to Jesus. For many, this passage is best known
through its presence in Friedrich Handel’s Messiah. So we sing
along: “For unto us a child is born, unto us, a son is given . . .”
In its original context, the prophet is addressing the southern kingdom
of Judah, which is facing significant threats from its neighbors, including
Assyria. Isaiah speaks here of a king who will come to the throne and will lead
them, not as a warrior but as the prince of peace. Likely this is a
reference to the coming reign of Hezekiah, under whose rule Judah was able to
hold back the Assyrians and enter a period of peace and prosperity. Christians
have taken hold of this passage, leaving behind its original context, and applying
it to a different king whose coming into the world will bring peace, justice,
and righteousness. In preparing for this day in which light will shine in
the darkness, and the people, having seen a great light, will receive a great
nation, Isaiah offers four titles for this ruler: “Wonderful Counselor”;
“Mighty God”; “Eternal Father”; and “Prince of Peace.” Each title speaks
to aspects of this rule that will bring transformation to the world, but it’s
not enough to simply sing out in praise of these titles. We must ask
ourselves, what it means to follow one such as this, especially one whom we
speak of as “Prince of Peace.” What kind of reality does this hold out for
us?
When we
come to Titus 2, a letter written, according to the ascription, by Paul to a
young pastor serving a church in Crete (Tit. 1:1-4). While this letter, along
with the two letters addressed to Timothy (the Pastoral Epistles), is believed
by many scholars to date to a period after Paul’s death, the question we might
have in this case is not about authorship, but its connection to Christmas. In
fact, if you are a preacher thinking about which lectionary passages to emphasize
at Christmas, why would you choose this one? After all, the readings from Isaiah
and Luke seem to be more connected to the season. Nevertheless, there is a word
here that can prove insightful when it comes to the season. The author of the
letter doesn’t speak of Jesus’ birth, but he does speak of the appearance of
the grace of God that has appeared, bringing salvation “to all people.” This is
not a message of limited grace. It has a universal message. Grace is
available to all, such that those who receive it are called to “renounce
impiety and worldly passions” so that we can live upright lives. Isn’t that Dickens’
message as well? Instead of looking back to Jesus’ birth, the author of the
letter points forward to the “manifestation of the glory of our great God and
Savior, Jesus Christ.” He is the light of God that transforms lives. Now as you
ponder this passage do you hear an echo of Isaiah 9:6? We can debate the
question of the nature of Christ’s divinity/humanity, but can we not hear in
this a word to us that God is present in this one we call of Jesus Christ,
bringing to our lives transformative grace? We read further that he gave
himself for us to rescue us from lawlessness, to cleanse us, and enable us to
live godly lives. And as I reflect on this passage, I hear the story of
Scrooge, the one who was visited by signs of grace, and as a result of that
grace the hardness of heart was softened, and justice, righteousness, and peace
became his way of life. Is this not what Titus 2 is speaking of? In
the words of Ron Allen and Clark Williamson: “We should not downplay what
may seem stodgy moralism. War making is a worldly passion; we should
resist it. And our character should manifest our deepest convictions.” (Preaching the Letters without Dismissing the Law,” p. 8). So, as
we await the revealing of the blessed hope, we hear the invitation to remember
that, as Allen and Williamson put it, “Christmas is not the end of the
adventure, but a beginning. The rule of God is not yet here, a point on
which the author and Jews would agree. Neither see the world as yet fully
redeemed” (p. 8). Redemption is not complete, but we can live lives that
reflect God’s grace revealed in Jesus. So, perhaps there is an eschatological dimension
to the Christmas story.
The
Gospel of Luke presents one of the New Testament’s two infancy stories. In this
story, Joseph and Mary are forced by the Empire to travel from their home in
Nazareth to Joseph’s ancestral home to register for tax assessment. Luke,
seeking some historical point of reference, dates this to the governorship of
Quirinius of Syria. While Luke is attempting to locate Jesus’ birth in a
particular historical moment, there are problems with his effort. That is
because while there are records of the Romans attempting to undertake a census’
it is difficult to imagine an empire requiring people to return to their
ancestral homes to register. This would have caused chaos. What we know of the Romans
is that they loved order, and this would have caused great disorder. Luke,
however, needs to get Joseph and Mary from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He chooses
this vehicle to get them there. So, in Luke’s telling, Joseph takes the very
pregnant Mary, who according to Luke remains his betrothed, with him as he
travels to Bethlehem. When they arrive, it’s time for Mary to give birth. When
you read this story theologically (Jesus needs to be born in Bethlehem to
fulfill his destiny), do you hear in this the words “anchor baby”? His
theological citizenship is dependent on being born in a village far from home,
but a village that has deep theological meaning. In Luke’s telling, Bethlehem
is the city of David, and if Jesus is going to take up David’s throne he must
be born in David’s hometown. This is the throne that Isaiah speaks of. Although
the Gospels don’t make use of Isaiah 9, from the earliest days, Christians have
applied the titles we find here to Jesus. Thus, the one born in Bethlehem is
the “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.” As
we see here, this future king is not born in a palace, surrounded by royal
attendants. Instead, he is born in a manger, that is, he rests in the feeding
trough used by animals. They are forced to stay there because there is no room
for them in the inn or guest rooms. It’s not that the people are inhospitable,
there simply isn’t any room for them to reside.
So, rather
than a royal herald proclaiming to the favored citizens of the realm the birth
of this savior, angels take the word of the birth to shepherds who are
attending to their sheep in the nearby hills. As the angels appear to the
shepherds, light—the Lord’s glory—shines in the darkness, which terrifies the
shepherds. However, once the shock dissipates, the angels tell them not to be
afraid because they have great, wonderful news to share. Yes, the Savior is
born in David’s City. Yes, he is the Messiah/Christ (anointed one), and
therefore he is Lord. The angels tell the shepherds to go and find the one
lying in a manger and bear witness to what they see. And as the word goes
out to them, Luke says that “a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with
the Angel praising God.” They said, “Glory to God in heaven and on earth
peace among those he favors.” This story is likely familiar to most of us,
even if we don’t attend church on Christmas Eve. It is, after all, the
story that Linus shares at the close of a Charlie Brown
Christmas. According to Linus, this is the true story of Christmas. He
shares this story with children who have been caught up in the excesses of a
commercialized Christmas. It’s a message that remains as powerful today
as it was nearly fifty years ago. Perhaps that is even truer today than in
1965.
As we
experience this light that shines into the darkness during this Christmas
season, we can ask how this light is challenging the way we understand
ourselves and live our lives. Drawing on Titus, as we await the blessed hope, how
are our lives being transformed? As we ponder the story of the birth of Jesus,
to what extent does his life make a difference?
Christmas
serves as a celebration of the incarnation. It brings to our attention the
message of Emmanuel, that God is with us. It is a message of hope that as Bruce
Epperly points out in a reflection that speaks to the difficulty that
some progressives have with this concept:
We need to know that God is surely present in our lives and in the world. We need to know that God’s vision is larger than our own and lures us to become Christ-like in our thoughts and behavior. We need to believe that God loves the world – not just spirits and minds, but the profound temporality of our bodies and the constant changes of historic existence. God is with us in as the source of creative transformation whether in the birth of the Christ-child and the birth of our own children. Jesus’ birth and life is not an anomaly or supernatural intrusion but a profound manifestation of God’s care for all creation. God is with us, transforming our cells as well as our cells. What happens in our lives—in the lives of marginalized families—truly matters not only to us but to God. This is the meaning of the incarnation and a reason for hope. [“Why We Need an Incarnation: A Progressive Vision”, Dec. 20, 2011].
As
we stop during this Christmas season to remember the Incarnate One, may we, experience
the grace, light, hope, peace, and transforming presence of the God who is
known in the person of Jesus the Christ, the Prince of Peace!
So, let us sing:
Hark! the herald angels sing, “Glory
to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”
Hark! The herald angels sing to
the newborn King.
Hark! The herald angels sing, “Glory
to the newborn King!” (Charles Wesley)
Image Attribution: Limbourg, Jean de, ca. 1385-ca. 1416 ; Limbourg, Pol de, ca. 1385-ca. 1416 ; Limbourg, Herman de, ca. 1385-ca. 1416. The Annunciation to the Shepherds, Les Tres Riches Heures du duc de Berry, Folio 48r, from Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. https://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=54231 [retrieved December 17, 2022]. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Folio_48r_-_The_Annunciation_to_the_Shepherds.jpg.
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