Please read Luke 2:1-20
Last night, in countless churches, people sang the beautiful poetry of Joseph Mohr to the music of Franz Gruber: “Silent Night, Holy Night.” In the beauty and holiness of a place of worship, lit with the soft, warm glow of candlelight, the rush of the Christmas season came to a stop – perhaps a brief respite – with a beautiful hymn, reflecting on the birth of a baby in a feed bin in a barn.
I am willing to give Joseph Mohr some poetic license for this beloved carol, but I am sure it was anything but a silent night. The town of Bethlehem was overrun with travelers making their way to their hometown for Caesar’s census and taxation. The streets were bustling – the hotels full to overflowing. The stable at the inn would be full of the travelers’ pack animals and other critters which paid no mind to the “quiet after lights out” sign and which most likely ‘brayed’ and ‘mooed’ their protest at being squeezed by the arrival of two poor humans, soon to be three. If that were not noisy enough, a baby was born, not likely a quiet event. To top it off, shepherds arrived at the barn that night; shepherds – not known for respectful, quiet graces.
Surely, one might reasonably expect, the Son of God would be born in royal comfort – not amid noise and confusion, in an animal barn, in an impoverished small town. While the people of first century Palestine likely had become used to God’s surprises, this one was the pièce de resistánce!
Our lives can be chaotic in a hundred different ways. We might well expect that God would find a more peaceful and calm place to reveal the incarnation. We might wonder how we could deserve God’s graceful gift to us. Yet as God chose the most unlikely people in the most unlikely place for the birth of Jesus, so God reveals the fullness of love and peace to us, even in our most unlikely or even unlovely moments.
Before anyone else knew of Jesus’ birth, the angel declared to those pathetic shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy for all the people. To you is born this day a Savior who is Christ, the Lord.” To us, and to all the world, God reveals the love and saving grace of our Lord. Good news: yes?
Christmas Peace be with you. “With the angels, let us sing, Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born, Christ the Savior is born!” Grace and Peace! Love, Jack
Rev. Jack Lipphardt
No comments:
Post a Comment