Greater Than The Sum

December 24, 2009                             Luke 2:1-20

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

Talk about prosaic! Our Christmas Gospel opens with an imperial decree, registration (for tax purposes!), lineage, rulers, places, names, trip, pregnancy, no vacancy. It seems so matter-of-fact, yet there is a sense of the romantic in it, along with poetry. We have the Emperor Augustus, that is Caesar Augustus, also known in history as Octavian, issuing a decree. Quirinius, firmly rooted in history is governor of Syria – speaking of Syria, not only is it historical but like Nazareth and Bethlehem, they are names and places that are the same today as they were then, and in pretty much the same place as well. Joseph, descended from King David, he of Psalms fame, the same David, the shepherd who went up against Goliath.

A young couple, going on a trip. She’s especially young, maybe as young as twelve years old, he’s older, but probably not by much, in all likelihood, not yet in his twenties. We have a romantic image of this trip, or maybe an image of the romance of this trip. This young couple, not yet married, but only betrothed. “Only” betrothed, much more serious than our modern day engagements, but not quite married. She’s nine months pregnant. We picture her riding on a donkey with Joseph walking beside her or perhaps at times leading the donkey. Since the area is roughly similar to that of northern California, we know that it gets cold once the sun sets, so we see them in silhouette as the sun is setting, then continuing on for a while in the dark because we know how early the sun sets this time of year. We see them in the light of the stars, getting ready to make a camp because it’s roughly 70 miles to Bethlehem from Nazareth so it probably took several days to make the trip. Thinking of the stars, no ambient light from anywhere, no light or air pollution and we can imagine them seeing even more stars then we might see on a dark night here in northern Minnesota. Stars beyond count! Oh!, it is romantic, but I’m not sure about the romance of riding on a donkey when one is nine months pregnant. I’m not sure about the romance of doing it this time of year even if there isn’t any snow on the ground.

Reality sets in – they get to the inn where they hope to stay and there is no room at the inn! Good grief – forgot to make reservations! But Mary is feeling a bit uncomfortable, there is a sudden sense of urgency. I wonder if Mary and Joseph knew the significance of their arrival, their stay, however long, in Bethlehem. Bethlehem is the place where the prophet Micah said the Messiah would be born. Now the angel Gabriel had appeared to Mary and greeted her with the words that she had the Lord’s favor, and would bear a son. Probably more than a little curious as to how since she was a virgin, she asks how it could be and is told that the Holy Spirit would come upon her and the power of the most high would overshadow her. She stays with her relative Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptizer, also pregnant at the time, unexpectedly so as she had been barren and along with her husband Zechariah had been getting on in years. So Mary knows first and second hand the power of God. But does it really register with her that this son that is to be born will be the Savior of his people, the Son of God, or does she know it in a way that is obviously much more than intellectual, but not quite understood at that point in her life.

Jesus is born, laid in a manger, a feeding trough, in a stable of some sort. Out of the elements at least, probably warm with the heat of whatever animals were there, but if you have ever been in a barn, even an older, no-longer-in-use barn, then you know what the odor might have been like. Reality has really set in! Jesus, the Savior of the world, born to young unmarried parents, basically born in poverty, not born to a noble family safely ensconced in a palace, arrives in the world. And who is there to greet him? Mary and Joseph certainly, but anyone else? Maybe some donkeys, goats, camels, a cow or sheep, but beyond that? Who knows.

But there will soon be visitors. An angel appears to shepherds. To shepherds!?! Why to shepherds? Is there some kind of statement here? Think about it – shepherds were at the bottom or near the bottom of the social ladder, ahead of lepers, but probably about even with tax collectors and prostitutes. Not only ceremonially unclean or ritually impure, but just plain unhygienic. After all, they are shepherds, they sleep with the sheep more often than not, no chance to bathe, or even wash on a regular basis, especially if they are outside and the water in the nearest stream is really, really, cold. And if you think that an old barn or a stable has a distinctive odor, think of the odor a shepherd might have carried; sheep, smoke, unbathed, clothes unwashed, who knows what else. Now add to that the fact that the rabbis said a shepherd was not allowed to be a judge in Israel. Why? Because they habitually (I know – a sweeping generalization) let their flocks graze on land not their own, so in effect, they were considered thieves. And an angel appears to who?

Yet fear gives way to joy because the glory of God shows in the angel, then in the multitude of angels, and even more so in their message – “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.” The true romance, the poetry of this Christmas Gospel shines forth and we like the angels can only proclaim “Glory to God in the highest heaven!”

And it really is true glory, all due to God, all to God! Because with all the facts, the prosaic account of this story, the cold reality of the situation, the truth of the matter is: the Christmas Gospel is greater than the sum of the facts that it communicates. The Christ child was delivered, and because of his birth, his death, his resurrection, because of the great gift of faith by grace, we too have been delivered!

Glory to God in the highest heaven, and Merry Christmas to you all!

AMEN

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