What Does It Mean To Be Blessed?

Matthew 5:1-16     

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

Scot McKnight begins his commentary of the Sermon on The Mount with these words:

"The Sermon on the Mount is the moral portrait of Jesus' own people.  Because this portrait doesn't square with the church, this Sermon turns from instruction to indictment." 

I think of almost all the stories in the Bible --- the Sermon on the Mount has been pasteurized and homogenized because we find the message so challenging.

Pinchas Lapide, an Orthodox Jew of all things, in his commentary writes:

the history of the impact of the Sermon on the Mount can largely be described in terms of an attempt to domesticate everything in it that is shocking, demanding, and uncompromising , and render it harmless.

Yet at the same time, the sermon on the Mount has been called the greatest moral document of all time.

But one of the questions that we must wrestle with is: just what is this document?

·         Some have argued that The Sermon is just Moses on steroids, designed to show us just how wretched we are --- and how much in need of the righteousness of the Christ.

·         Others argue that the teachings in the Sermon are meant to be lessons on how to live privately as a Christian and not how we live publically

·         Still others say that they are meant only for the most committed disciples --- like Monks or “uber”-Christians

·         and others would say that they are only for those who have been transformed by grace and see these demands not as law, but rather a grace-filled ethic for those whom grace has transformed

So what is this “sermon”?

Is this simply a collection of moral virtues?

Stanley Haurewas wrote:

"Virtue may be its own reward, but for Christians the virtues, the kind of virtues suggested by the Beatitudes, are names for the shared life made possible through Christ. . . . Christians are not called to be virtuous.  We are called to be disciples."

If there is a theme for this coming year that Mary and I are going to zero in on it is this: What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?

In everything we do this year, we are going to center around that question.

And considering what is going on in the United Methodist Church I believe it is more important than ever before.

We are going to try to answer that question (What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus?) in two ways

1.    What does it mean personally?

2.    What does it mean for Meridian Street UMC?

You and I have absolutely no control over what happens in Minnesota when the United Methodist Church gathers in May at our General Conference.

What we do have control over is: who we are, and how we live as followers of Jesus.

And for me --- who we are --- and how we live as followers of Jesus is found right here --- in the Sermon on the Mount.

We may not like what it has to say

We may argue and do our best to minimize the ethic that Jesus presents

But it is here --- in the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus tells us what being a followr of Jesus is all about.

Listen for a moment at how this "Sermon" begins and how it ends.  Because this is the frame we need to hear what Jesus has to say to us.

It begins with these words:

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him.  (Matthew 5:1  CEB)

And ends with these:

 “Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It didn’t fall because it was firmly set on bedrock. But everybody who hears these words of mine and doesn’t put them into practice will be like a fool who built a house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the wind blew and beat against that house. It fell and was completely destroyed.”

When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were amazed at his teaching because he was teaching them like someone with authority and not like their legal experts.

Now when Jesus had come down from the mountain, large crowds followed him.  (Matthew 7:24-8:1   CEB)

This Sermon is a microcosm of the message of Jesus --- it is his ethic --- his moral vision

          Chapters 5-7 Matthew seems to be saying --- Here is Jesus message

          Chapters 8-9 --- Here is his actions

                    NOW --- YOU DECIDE

So, for the next few weeks, Mary and I will go through these nine beatitudes and try to help us understand exactly what it is that Jesus wants from us.

But before we do that --- Let me try to put this Sermon on the Mount into some kind of context

While the Sermon is found it two places, Matthew and Luke, we are going to focus mainly on the version that is found in Matthew.

When we talk about Matthew, we need to understand a few things.

More than likely Mark is the first Gospel written, it, along with an unknown collection of stories of Jesus that scholars call "Q" were probably written in the early to mid-60's.  Most date Matthew to the late 70's or maybe even early 80's and believe that Matthew had access to both Mark and "Q" and possibly even other written and oral sources.

But to be honest, the dating of Matthew is not real important.

What is important is who and why Matthew wrote his Gospel

While Luke is written primarily for a gentile audience --- Matthew is clearly written to a Jewish audience

Matthew expects you to know the Hebrew Bible

Matthew is constantly quoting from the Torah and Isaiah (along with various other books)

The structure of Matthew is quite interesting

          It can be divided into 5 distinct sections --- just like the Torah

And it is constantly trying to demonstrate that Jesus is not a New Moses who supersedes the Moses of the Hebrew Bible --- but rather that Jesus is the fulfillment of Moses and re-iterates the law in a new way.

Think of Moses’ birth and Jesus’ birth --- the parallels are striking

But if we just focus on our story, we can see numerous parallels as well.

How does the story begin?

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up a mountain. He sat down and his disciples came to him.  (Matthew 5:1  CEB)

Jesus WENT UP A MOUNTAIN

          Who also went up a mountain to receive the law?

And like all good teachers HE SAT DOWN

The posture of a lawgiver is sitting --- we are reminded in both Matthew and Luke that those with legal authority sat in the seat of Moses

Jesus is teaching a new law as the new Moses for the new people of God.

And as we try to understand this new ethic, we need to keep one important thing in mind.

This new ethic that Jesus is teaching is unique because it is based around the understanding and assumption that Jesus is the Messiah

          This ethic that he is presenting is quite simply a Messianic ethic

And nothing about the Sermon on the Mount will make sense until we understand that it is a messianic vision --- and only once we understand the messianic nature of this ethic will we be able to embrace it --- especially its more radical elements.

N.T. Wright described it this way:

"The Sermon . . . isn't just about how to behave.  It's about discovering the living God in the loving, and dying, Jesus, and learning to reflect that love ourselves into the world that needs it so badly."

This ethic is not simply about some future time or place --- it is about NOW and how we are to live with God.

But let me say one more thing

We cannot live this ethic on our own.

          Of that I am certain

The only way we can begin to embrace this ethic --- this life of Jesus --- is through the Holy Spirit.

          Without the Spirit --- we are sunk

The Holy Spirit is, as Scot McKnight describes, able to take "human abilities to the next level and human inabilities and turn them into new abilities."

Joachim Jeremias wrote:

"What Jesus teaches in the sayings collected in the Sermon on the Mount is not a complete regulation of the life of the disciples, and it is not intended to be; rather, what is taught here is symptoms, signs, examples, of what it means when the kingdom of God breaks into the world which is still under sin, death, and the devil.  You yourselves should be signs of the coming kingdom of God, signs that something has already happened."

Augustine said the entire Sermon on the Mount was the "perfect standard of the Christian life."  And it leaves us with one question that Jesus seems to be asking:

          WILL YOU FOLLOW ME?

Or as John Stott said in his commentary:

"Jesus confronts us with himself, sets before us the radical choice between obedience and disobedience, and calls us to an unconditional commitment of mind, will and life to his teaching."

Next week we will begin digging into these beatitudes or blessings that Jesus proclaims to us.

Joachim Jeremias wrote:

The instructions of the Sermon apply to everyone who is a disciple of Jesus. They direct his way to the narrow gate, to the reign of God.

Take some time and read Matthew chapters 5-7

While we are going to focus on just a few verses in chapter 5 --- we need to see the entire context of this sermon.

As you read --- ask God to open your mind and heart

          So that you might hear the invitation of Jesus.

                   The invitation to COME and FOLLOW him.  Amen.

Let's Go!

Matthew 2:1-12       (CEB)

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,

        by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,

            because from you will come one who governs,

            who will shepherd my people Israel.”

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Today is the last Sunday that we will be in the sanctuary for some time.

          Sometime in the next month or so --- we will also be out of the Chapel

It has been over 30 years since the Sanctuary and Chapel have been painted.

          And it is past time

The Trustees have been working hard to make sure that as we draw closer to our 200^th anniversary that our facilities look beautiful

All of this began a number of years ago with the refurbishment of the classrooms down in the Children’s Day In program area

          Next the upstairs and sports fields were upgraded

          That was followed buy the construction of the Welcome Center

          And then the Fellowship Hall kitchen

This past summer they had the exterior painted

I have not been here for all of this --- but it has been amazing to see all the wonderful enhancements made to the physical structure and the increased use of the building

The Welcome Center has changed this church

          Thank you Ann for your leadership and vision

It has been interesting seeing how many of you have reacted to the Trustees decision to paint the rooms

Many of you have expressed excitement over the sanctuary and chapel getting a facelift and look forward to the journey we will be on the next few months

Others have not been as excited --- I was even told

"all this is going to do is give people an excuse to stay home"

                   If you need an excuse to stay home --- I can offer quite a few better ones

Regardless --- following this service we are heading off on an adventure and will be using the fellowship hall for our worship service

It seems appropriate that our scripture today is the story of the Magi

They leave the comfort of their homes in search of some --- not completely known hope

What exactly drove them to go is not certain --- other than they sensed that something was going on in the celestial bodies that suggested that a unifying king had been born.

          And not everyone is excited by this news

They did not fully know where they were going --- or whom they were seeking but they went --- filled with hopes and dreams for a better future

I decided to open up some boxes that were stuck in a closet that I had not opened since we moved here 3 ½ years ago

They were boxes of letters and notes of encouragement that I have collected over the past 35 years

At a former church --- they had in the pews --- paper that said: NOTE OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Each week people were invited to write a note and the church would sent it to the appropriate person

I had to chuckle at the creative way that people criticized the journey that the church was on these notes

My favorite by far was one that went on for two paragraphs complaining about this or that in the worship service and ended with this phrase

          “My encouragement is that you will do better and change”

The Magi had no idea where the “star” was leading them --- they had to stop in Jerusalem and ask for directions.

I can hear some in their entourage saying --- WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Remember what Jimmy Carter said:

None of us can know where our journeys with God will take us even tomorrow - let alone a decade from now - so it's a good idea to spend a few moments each day to connect with God and ask, "Well, where do you want to take me today?"

And that is exactly what the Magi seemed to do

But not only did they seek --- the Magi came prepared --- they brought with them gifts.

Interesting gifts --- gifts that theologians have debated about for 2000 years ---

Gold

Frankincense

Myrrh

They brought those gifts --- seemingly --- symbolically because the understood the nature of the king they would find

          Gold --- symbolizing royalty

          Frankincense --- worship

          Myrrh --- death

And the story implies that they were gifts of great sacrifice

I love the story of The Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke

          If you have never read it --- I encourage you too

                   (It is a very short read)

          If you have --- read it again and reflect on the importance of what we bring

As we get ready to begin this journey together, we need to ask ourselves a few questions

          Why do we come?

          What do we want to find?

          What gifts are we willing to bring?

                   What are we willing to sacrifice for King Jesus?

In a few moments we are going to gather at the table

After you receive these gifts from God --- I want to invite you to go to the side walls and take a pencil and write your hopes and dreams for Meridian Street for the coming year.

This story of journey --- of intrigue --- birth and death --- seems so relevant in today's United Methodist Church

Where do you want God to lead us?

          Give your dreams to God as we prepare to journey in a new way.

What If?

I don’t know about you --- but by this time every year I am pretty much done with Christmas!

We have been hit with Christmas music since Halloween --- and as much as I love Bruce Springsteen singing Santa Claus is Coming to Town --- I am over it!

Even Target is done with Christmas already --- I saw Valentines displays already up.

It is as if we feel like we must rush from one season to the next and not really paying attention to the season we are celebrating.

A few years back there was a fascinating article in the Chicago Tribune about a Chinese immigrant named Su Zhu Yuan.

Su Zhu Yuan thought Americans celebrated Christmas as part of our patriotic duty.

Relatives gave gifts.

Neighbors prepared feasts.

Storefronts in Chinatown advertised sales.

She had been in the United States for eight years, but no one told her the real story behind Christmas – the Biblical one that we gather to remember tonight.

The sad truth is --- for most of us --- Christmas has less to do with celebrating the incarnation of Jesus than it does with:

·         Santa

·         Black Friday

·         Cyber Monday

·         And the annual silly and pointless debate about “Happy Holidays” vs. Merry Christmas

So “the Church” created a period for us to slow down so that we can prepare ourselves for the Incarnation

During Lent we set aside six weeks of preparing for Easter

Before Christmas we set aside four weeks to prepare for the incarnation.

And the question that seems to come to mind is

·         What exactly are we preparing for?

·         Why did God become incarnate in the world in the first place?

Not questions that most of us really want to ponder

We would rather crank up the Christmas music and dance along with Feliz Navidad and avoid the hard and deep questions about WHY Jesus came.

Do you remember the movie Talladega Nights?

Ricky Bobby has gathered with his friends and family at the dinner table and he begins to pray saying "Lord, baby Jesus" and "tiny, infant Jesus" and "8 pound- 6 ounce- newborn infant Jesus."

He can't hasn’t even finished his prayer before his wife chimes in— "Hey, you know, sweetie, Jesus did grow up."

Ricky responds, "I like the Christmas Jesus best and I'm saying grace. When you say grace, you can say it to grown up Jesus or teen-age Jesus or to bearded Jesus or whoever you want."

That’s the challenge of Christmas right there.

Most of us want to keep baby Jesus in the manger and just have a birthday party celebration.

What if Jesus had remained a baby?

Let me go back even a little further --- what if Mary had said “NO” to the angel?

What if the shepherd’s ignored the angel choir?

What if the Magi had decided to stay home?

What if Herod had succeeded and managed to kill baby Jesus?

What if --- when we leave here tonight --- we walk out unchanged --- unmoved by this baby --- unwilling and unable to share his light because we leave it behind?

We don’t want to have to wrestle with the darkness of our world

          We don’t want to sing advent hymns that are in a minor key and feel maudlin

We want the little baby Jesus – who is cute and the amazing animals who surround him who don’t seem to have any stinky smell

But we have to go through the darkness --- we must tell the story again and again --- so that we can experience the Joy that the Lord has come!

Remember Su Zhu Yuan who thought Christmas was a patriotic holiday?

          She though it was about giving gifts

          And huge feasts

          And sales galore

But she didn’t know about Jesus and why we celebrate his birth.

When Su Zhu Yuan finally heard Jesus story she celebrated his birth by immersing herself in the baptismal waters at Chinese Christian Union Church.

She emerged a newborn Christian. “I have peace in my heart and joy,” the 41-year-old seamstress said through a translator. “I’m giving the heavy burdens to Jesus.”

Su Zhu Yuan donned a white gown and with bare feet ascended a narrow staircase to the church's baptismal pool. Gripping the pastor's arm with both hands, she let him plunge her into the water. As she resurfaced, she wiped the water from her face and smiled.

She said, “Today is like a holiday. It's like having two Christmases.”

In a few moments --- we are going to turn out the lights --- and we are going to be surrounded by darkness

As the room becomes dark --- take a moment and think of the dark places in our world today --- in our city today --- in our homes and lives today.

I want you to allow the darkness to become REAL

<< SILENCE >>

Much like today, 2000 years ago the world seemed to be a very dark place

          Violence

          Corruption

          Greed

          Division

Were all a part of the reality of Judea long ago

God saw the darkness and decided to do something about it

God sent a small light into the world

          God sent --- not an army

                             Not a NGO or even a government

                                      God sent a BABY

A baby who was dependent upon others to keep that child alive

Mpow IPX7 Speaker

I recently purchased the Mpow SoundHot R6 Bluetooth Speakers, IPX7.  I have not been able to confirm all of their claims (particularly that it is waterproof) but I have been pleased with the quality.  I first tried it out by using it as an external speaker when I ran on the treadmill.  I figured this would give me a good chance to check out the volume and clarity since the treadmill creates its own unique level of noise.  I listened to a podcast and was very pleased.  I was able to listen clearly to the presentation and understood all that was being said. 

And while I enjoyed that test, for me the most important was the ability to play music.  I listened to a number of albums and was surprised by the quality --- it was much more than I expected of a speaker of its size and price.  I listened to an early Genesis album, figuring that might really push the envelope; but again I was pleased.  I mean the bass is not huge, but I did not expect it to be.  This is not my Bose home system, but I did not expect it to be.

The speaker is small and lightweight and has played extremely well.  I can see taking this with me on trips in place of a large portable.

My biggest concern was what would happen when a phone call came on my Bluetooth paired phone.  The speaker did not make the call speaker phone (which made me happy).  Instead it paused the music and allowed me to take my call as normal.

I am very pleased with this small and mighty speaker and would recommend it.

I am being compensated with a free unit for my review.

Songs of the Season: Mary

Luke 1:46-56  (NRSV)

And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

His mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

    and lifted up the lowly;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

We all know the story --- Mary is engaged to be married to Joseph and she is "great with child" and they traveled by foot and maybe on the back of a donkey the 90 miles from their home in Nazareth to the city of David --- Bethlehem --- a trip that would have taken 5 to 10 days --- probably closer to the 10 when you consider just how pregnant Mary was.

And while they are there --- the time came for her to give birth --- and they are forced out into a stable or cave because there was no room --- and she delivered a baby boy, whom they named Jesus and placed in a manger --- a feeding trough.

But that is not the context for our story this morning.

For our story we must go back at least six months, and maybe even a few more.

Mary has been visited by the Angel Gabriel and told that she will become pregnant --- which is a shock to her -- since she is a chaste virgin.

And instead of arguing with the angel --- she says: “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.”

And she heads off to a city in the Judean highlands --- which tradition says is Ein Kerem, a small town east of Jerusalem and north of Bethlehem.

She is going to visit her elderly relative Elizabeth who is also miraculously pregnant and we studied Zachariah's song two weeks ago

When Mary greets Elizabeth, we are told that the child (John the Baptist) in her womb leaped for joy --- and Elizabeth cried out: “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry."

Mary responds in our song this morning.

What is interesting is most "modern" music that has been composed based on the Magnificat skip major portions of Mary's song.

According to Spotify, the most popular English-language version of the Magnificat is by ZOEgroup --- and it leaves out the parts about the rulers being brought down and the rich being sent away.

In 2009 the Irish rock band U2 covered Mary's song in their song Magnificent

But they too leave out the parts about the rulers being brought down and the rich being sent away

Parts of the Magificat are very challenging to our privileged ears --- when we are willing to accept the reality that we are privileged.

         Often we don’t want to believe that we are privileged --- but we are

To be in the top 1% of income in the world one only needs to make $32,000 per year

         and by that definition alone --- I think we are all privileged

Throughout history --- many people --- particularly those who have been oppressed and marginalized have found great hope in Mary's song

For them it is a song reminding them that God can bring liberation to their lives.

It has been reported that at least three governments have attempted to thwart the use of the Magnificat in their countries.  Guatemala in the 1980's, India and Argentina.

Before being executed by the Nazis, Dietrich Bonheoffer spoke these words in a sermon during Advent 1933:

“The song of Mary is . . . at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. This is not the gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings.…This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”

Kathleen Norris wrote:

The Magnificat reminds us that what we most value, all that gives us status—power, pride, strength and wealth—can be a barrier to receiving what God has in store for us. If we have it all, or think we can buy it all, there will be no Christmas for us. If we are full of ourselves, there will be no room for God to enter our hearts at Christmas.

Mary’s prayer of praise, like many of the psalms, calls us to consider our true condition . . . And if we hope to rise in God’s new creation, where love and justice will reign triumphant, our responsibility, here and now, is to reject the temptation to employ power and force and oppression against those weaker than ourselves.

Mary sings a song of trust --- trusting that God can make the world the place that all of God's children can grow and find peace in.

D. L. Mayfield in an article in the Washington Post last year wrote:

This year, I will be reading the Magnificat as it was meant to be read. . . .

It might not feel like good news to me, as someone who is neither hungry nor poor. But Mary and her song are good news for my neighbors, both locally and globally, who continue to be crushed under a world that thrives on exploitation and injustice. And as someone who is trying to take the Bible seriously, I know that loving my neighbor is the No. 1 way I can love God in our world.

. . . (Mary) has helped me understand the true magnificence of how much God cares about our political, economic and social realities.

May we all have ears to hear Mary's song in a new way:

Luke 1:46-56    (CEB)

Mary said,

“With all my heart I glorify the Lord!

    In the depths of who I am I rejoice in God my savior.

He has looked with favor on the low status of his servant.

    Look! From now on, everyone will consider me highly favored

        because the mighty one has done great things for me.

Holy is his name.

    He shows mercy to everyone,

        from one generation to the next,

        who honors him as God.

He has shown strength with his arm.

    He has scattered those with arrogant thoughts and proud inclinations.

    He has pulled the powerful down from their thrones

        and lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things

    and sent the rich away empty-handed.

He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,

        remembering his mercy,

    just as he promised to our ancestors,

        to Abraham and to Abraham’s descendants forever.”

Songs of the Season: The Angels

Luke 2:8-20     (NRSV)

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. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

    and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

It's not Christmas if I don't hear Linus share these words from Luke's gospel in A Charlie Brown Christmas.

         There is something magical about that moment.

But what did it mean and what does it mean for us today?

Have you ever found it interesting the way Luke told this story?

Luke doesn't say:

In that region there were scribes living in the temple, keeping watch over their scrolls by night

nor does it say:

In that region there were princes living in palaces, keeping watch over their treasure by night

No Luke writes: In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night

Fair or not: the character of a shepherd was not highly regarded in first century Judea

The work of a shepherd was dirty and dangerous.

In Jesus’ day, shepherds stood on the bottom rung of the Palestinian social ladder. They shared the same unenviable status as tax collectors and Samaritans.

Have you ever wondered why the angels didn't bring the message of the birth of Jesus to the priests or the princes?

Why not the wealthy and politically connected --- wouldn't they have done a better job of getting the message out?

The angels' song gives us some very important information about God and the way God wants to organize the world

Luke has the angel proclaim:

"A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master." (The Message)

Luke wants to make sure (in case we hadn't noticed from the previous stories – of Zachariah, Elizabeth and Mary) just who this baby that is to be born is to be.

And while we need to know who this baby is --- Luke also wants to make sure we understand who is orchestrating all of this.

They sing:

         “Glory to God in the highest heaven"

And isn't that why we are here

         why we gather together week in and week out

                  to give glory to God!

The angels want us to grasp the love of God that exists behind these familiar stories --- and if we do --- when we do --- we would certainly join in the shout: “Glory to God in the highest heaven"

Then the angels added this second phrase:

         "and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

Peace

We talk a lot about peace

But what does it mean?

The peace that only Jesus can bring is a unique, personal, permanent kind of peace

         peace between self-absorbed, willful, sinful people like you and me, and God.

God is offering a chance for us to have peace.

We live in a rather divisive time

We all know people that seem to thrive on conflict.

Some people go out of their way to bait others and try to create conflict.

And just because we have heard the angels sing --- doesn't mean that we are not going to find ourselves embroiled in conflict

But I believe --- because of Jesus we have the capacity to overcome the temptation to seek division and to create peace.

         God’s peace

If we can find the peace of God within ourselves --- it is amazing how that can help us improve our ability to be at peace with others.

         And not need to always be right or win

I think the angel song is offering us three kinds of peace

Peace from our past

Peace in the present

Peace in the future

We all have things in our past that often cause us shame, embarrassment, or guilt

This song of the angels promises us that we can be at peace.

If there is anything in your past that brings you sadness, grief, or loneliness, the angel song promises that peace is available.

If there is anything in your past that brings you regret over things done or said that hurt people you love, the angel song promises that peace is available.

In John's Gospel Jesus tells us that the peace that he offers to us is different from the peace that the world gives.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives.”

Our world suggests that peace comes from driving the right kind of car, or brushing with the right kind of toothpaste, wearing the right kind of clothes.

Alcohol and other drugs suggest that we can escape our troubles and find peace.

Many believe that peace is found in having more money

Or in having the right (or no) relationship

When you go home today and are watching the Colts game --- pay attention to what the "world" is trying to sell you.

We are so bombarded by the peace that the world offers, all of which is temporary at best and fatal at worst--that we fail to believe the peace proclaimed by the angels and promised by Jesus.

“Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives.”

Finally, the angels' song gives us the hope of peace in the future.

When we are anxious about the future we lose all sense of peace.

Bad things can happen to us but God makes a promise

         In the midst of it all

                  the good and the bad

                           God will be there

And that should give us a sense of peace and well being

2,000 years ago, a baby was born in a stable in a little insignificant town just outside of Jerusalem.

The angels came and sang of a new world --- a world that God is ushering in

But what has changed?

Open up the paper and it is filled with stories of

         mass shootings

         murder

         mayhem

         hunger

         injustice

Wasn't Jesus supposed to change all that?

Why are dictators and poverty still to be found?

I am convinced that it is because we have not taken seriously the message of this angel chorus.

We have not headed the good news

We have not changed our ways

Luke does something throughout his gospel that might bother us ---

         He says that God not only cares for the poor ---

                  but that God actually favors the poor ---

                  that certainly comes through in this text this morning. 

And until we embrace the way of God --- peace will always be illusive and fleeting

Next week as we look at Mary's Song we will see it even more clearly.

The angels sang to us:

I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you’re to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.”

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

May we find God's peace --- as we please God by living as God has called us to do.

Songs of the Season A Song of Faith: Zechariah

Luke 1:67-79    (NRSV)

Then (John the Baptist's) father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke this prophecy:

“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,

    for he has looked favorably on his people and redeemed them.

He has raised up a mighty savior for us

    in the house of his servant David,

as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,

    that we would be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.

Thus he has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors,

    and has remembered his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our ancestor Abraham,

    to grant us that we, being rescued from the hands of our enemies,

might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness

    before him all our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;

    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,

to give knowledge of salvation to his people

    by the forgiveness of their sins.

By the tender mercy of our God,

    the dawn from on high will break upon us,

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,

    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Today marks the beginning of a new Christian year --- as we move into the season of Advent

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia.

Many believe that during the 4th and 5th centuries Advent was a season of preparation for the baptism of new Christians at the January feast of Epiphany.

During this season of preparation, Christians would spend 40 days in penance, prayer, and fasting to prepare for this celebration; originally, there was little connection between Advent and Christmas.

By the 6th century Advent became tied to the coming of Christ.

The “coming” they had in mind was not Christ’s first coming in the manger in Bethlehem, but his second coming --- the parosia --- in the clouds as the judge of the world.

It was not until the Middle Ages that the Advent season was explicitly linked to Jesus’ birth at Christmas.

So this advent season we watch and wait

·         Watching and waiting to see what might happen in our lives when we encounter Jesus in the manger

·         Watching and waiting for the return of the Christ in the world

To help us as we watch and wait --- we are going to look at four of the songs that are found in the Bible --- songs that are sung by various people at the time of Jesus birth.

This morning we are going to focus on Zachariah's song --- often called the Benedictus

This is our only story about Zachariah found in the bible --- but it is an important one.

But before we can talk about Zachariah and his song --- we need to go back a bit.

The Christian Old Testament ends with the book of Malachi --- and this is its rather cryptic final verses:

Malachi 4:5-6 (CEB)

Look, I am sending Elijah the prophet to you,

        before the great and terrifying day of the Lord arrives.

Turn the hearts of the parents to the children

    and the hearts of the children to their parents.

            Otherwise, I will come and strike the land with a curse.

Kind of confusing isn't it.

          But like so many movies today ---

                   it leaves you hanging ---

                             knowing there must be more coming ---

                                      some type of sequel . . .

We all know who Elijah was --- don't we?

Elijah, the Tishbite from Gilead was --- according to the Books of Kings in the Hebrew Bible, a prophet and a miracle worker who lived in the northern kingdom of Israel during the reign of King Ahab.

          He is known for taking on Jezebel and the prophets of Baal.

But he is also unique in that he does not die in the bible --- instead he is taken up to God in a whirlwind by a chariot of horses and fire.

Elijah --- since he did not die --- is seen --- according to Malachi --- as returning to usher in the day of the lord.

But after Malachi wrote those words --- there was a period of 400 years of silence. 

There was not any revelation from God.

          And the people waited and watched in silence

Silence

That is not something most of us like very much.

Friday morning, I had the opportunity to spend some time with our grand-daughter Hattie

She was not feeling good, and after having a little bit to eat I took her into her room to try to get her to sleep.

We sat in the rocking chair --- and as I rocked her in silence, I just listened

That kind of silence most of us like --- but other silence tends to make us uncomfortable

Most of you tell me that the hardest part of prayer is sitting in silence --- trying to clear the mind and just listen to God.

It takes practice to get good at sitting in silence

Maybe it needed to take the Israelites 400 years to be able to be prepared for the Messiah

Regardless --- our story that is found in Luke's gospel tells us the story of Zachariah

In verse 5 we hear about Zachariah for the first time

We learn that he is a priest in Jerusalem who is married to Elizabeth who is the daughter of a priest

But we also learn that they are now elderly and childless

With the incredible cultural and family pressure to have children, childless parents often felt deficient, as if passed over by God.

If you've ever longed for something with all your heart, then you know the kind of self-examination and surrender that Zechariah and Elizabeth experienced

You know how disappointment can turn into sorrow --- sorrow to despair, and despair into resolve.

Now, with the passing of the years, they had long-since packed away their hopes.

The story begins on what was most likely the most important day of Zachariah's life.

Amy-Jill Levine sets the scene in the book we are studying this advent season: Light of the World.  She writes:

The magnificent building, priests and worshipers, Jews and pagans, from Europe and Asia and North Africa, sounds of Levites singing and children laughing, the smells of incense, and animals, even the tastes of the meat of the sacrifices.  . . .

It is the time of the afternoon incense offering and "all the people who gathered to worship were praying outside during this hour of the incense offering" (Luke 1:10).  . . . Some perhaps were praying, as Zachariah and Elizabeth had, for children; others for health or healing; still others for the well-being of the people, of for thanksgiving, or, perhaps for Herod to take a long vacation.  Or perhaps some were praying for the Messiah to bring about the kingdom of heaven.

Zachariah had finally been given the opportunity to serve in the temple --- it was the day every priest longed for --- because it most likely only happened once in a lifetime.

Zachariah is on incense duty inside the temple when suddenly an angel appears.

Now, I don't know about you --- but if an angel showed up one morning and started talking to me --- I think I would be a bit shocked and probably speechless.

Zachariah we are told was terrified

But the angel seems to pick up right where Malachi left off

The angel tells him that: he and Elizabeth are going to have a baby --- and that baby is to be the very one that Malachi promised would come. 

This child would grow up to be the same one that Isaiah seemed to also be speaking of and that Mark alludes to when he says John was a voice crying out in the wilderness

But at that moment --- Zachariah couldn't fathom such a thing.

Instead, in verse 18 he says: “How can I be sure of this? My wife and I are very old.”

The angel responds:

“I am Gabriel. I stand in God’s presence. I was sent to speak to you and to bring this good news to you. Know this: What I have spoken will come true at the proper time. But because you didn’t believe, you will remain silent, unable to speak until the day when these things happen.”

Zachariah is late leaving the temple and the people are getting antsy

We are told that they people could tell that he had had seen a vision

          And Zachariah tries to explain to them with gestures because he couldn't speak

It must have been quite the scene watching Zachariah trying to explain what had happened in the temple.

And wouldn't you love to be there when he goes home and tried to "tell" Elizabeth that she is going to become pregnant.

And then the story basically says she hid out for the next five months --- probably ashamed at her husband and unsure how to really explain the growing belly bump

Was Zechariah being punished?

          That doesn’t seem fair, does it?

I don’t believe the silencing of Zechariah was about punishment.

          I believe that in the silence, God was preparing Zechariah

For nine months --- Zachariah was silent

During this time Zechariah must have poured over the Hebrew Scriptures, trying to understand what was happening.

He must have spent long hours in prayer trying to understand exactly what the angel had said, and what role this son of his would have.

At some point, it all came into focus for Zechariah.

In the silence, God had prepared Zechariah to understand that this was bigger than just a miraculous birth to an elderly couple.

Zechariah sang, but it wasn’t a lullaby.

It was a song of faith.

Zechariah sang, not about his own son, but about another baby who would soon be born to a distant relative of Elizabeth's.

It’s not until almost the end of Zachariah's song that he addresses his own son (John), and the role he would play in this event we call Christmas.

Little baby John would grow up to be a messenger, to prepare God's people for the coming King.

This was the first song of the first Christmas.

          Before the shepherds and the wise men

          Even before the stable

          Zachariah sings his song of hope

Amy-Jill Levine reminds us:

When we feel the absence of the diving, when we think there is no reason to hope, we call out to God to remember, because we remember.  We can do so because we know that the covenant is permanent.

And the lesson for us is this:

          Even in apparent silence, God is preparing you and me for Advent.

We are not being prepared for the holiday of Christmas, but for the reality of Christmas: “God with us.”