St. John’s Lutheran Church, Toluca, IL – Nativity of Our Lord I
Isaiah 9:2-7; Psalm 96; Titus 2:11-14; Luke 2:1-20
Gospel
1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
15When 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.” 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
NRSV
Intervention, Part II
You may be familiar with a TV show called “Intervention.” It was a mix of documentary and reality show where each episode would follow a person with an acquired pattern of destructive behavior. The show covered a variety of mental health conditions, from addiction to eating disorders to hoarding and everything in between. The inner circle of relationships, immediate family, relatives, friends, etc., would call an intervention either when the persons in question had become an imminent danger to themselves, to those around them, or because the level of hurt was too much for the closed loved ones to bear. Basic, those little communities of people were living in a land of deep, deep darkness for one reason or another.
The interventor – a mental health professional – would then assemble a team that could include, or not, other professionals and the closest loved ones. Together they would devise a strategy and then stage the intervention, which was the tensest moment of the show. All feelings would be left on the table, all words would be said, things usually got raw. Invariably, the sections would end with a plea for that person to seek help, healing, and restoration. The plea would come from the person’s beloved community, the closest loved ones.
The results would be hit or miss. Sometimes the person would seek help and be fully restored. Other times, the rehabilitation was not successful. Many times the person refused the assistance. Often restoration and peace would not come, and the walk-in darkness would continue. There were no assurances of a positive outcome.
I can tell you that things had become very gloomy for God’s people, again occupied or displaced, this time by the Divine Emperor of the World, Augustus Caesar. They were not exactly enjoying a land full of milk and honey when the scene we celebrate today took place, quite the opposite. The old covenant that had established a communal support system where all could live a life of dignity had been shattered by the Roman way. Many lost their lands, and a society of “haves” and “have-nots” was created. The “haves” were a minority and kept what they had by violence and patronage. The “have-nots” were the vast majority and were either struggling or had no way to go by. For the most part, God’s beloved people were confused, overwhelmed, hungry, sick, dying, walking, and leaving in a place of darkness, longing and praying for their God to intervene.
And so God heard. And so God did. But first things first, God needed to assemble God’s team.
The first recruit is a young woman named Mary, who has just been engaged. All indications are that her husband-to-be is a man with the professional skills to at least put them in the path to have something, if not being there already.
The next member of the team is Joseph, Mary’s groom. Joseph is not recruited by accident. He is a descendent of King David, which is important in constructing God’s intervention scene. One, this fulfills the promise that the child will remain in the house of David. Second, this sets Joseph and his very pregnant fiancee to the little town of Bethlehem from where both David and subsequently Joseph are from.
Last and least indeed, the lowly, maybe not trustworthy, yet diligent shepherds. Last and least indeed, but paramount to the success of the intervention, as we will see. The stage for the birth of the Savior of the World is set.
Not unlike in real life, things begin to go weary fast. The holy family makes to Bethlehem, away from everything, only for the incarnation of the Light of the World to arrive immediately. And the guest room is full. The only place left is with the life stock. Mary can only be confused. Is this for real?
God had assured her before. Greetings favored one, the angel said, do not be afraid. God is taking care of this. Your son, Jesus, will be great! A King from the household of David! When she went to visit her pregnant cousin Elizabeth, she received the assurance of the holiness of her child. She found more assurance when Joseph, engaged with a pregnant woman, was still willing to be with her in this journey despite the risk to his reputation, to their reputation.
Mary was not expecting a warm welcome, to be honest. The women at least assisted with the delivery. The birth and survival of any baby was way too important for the community and the covenant’s continuation. Therefore, being forced to place Jesus in an animal feeder was not a good sign. Is this baby for real? How certain is the future of her family now? Would ever be a place for them?
A knock at the door. It scares Mary, who awakens Joseph. The baby is still asleep. Joseph hesitates, but Mary encourages him to open the door. Maybe God had shown mercy upon them, and they were being invited to the guest room, or at least the infant.
A handful of unruly men enter the animal room with such haste that Joseph is thrown to the ground. He rises quickly, bearing something in his hand that Mary cannot discern, and charges for the men. They subdue Joseph, “we come in peace, friend, where is the child?”
This time is Mary who raises up standing between the men and the child now crying in the manger. Then one who seemed to be a leader said, “we are shepherds. We are not from here. We were watching our flock away on the other side of the hills. Do not be afraid, for we are bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: God heard our cry. An army of angels came to us. We were told that here in Bethelen, the City of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord is born. We were told we would will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger. There he is!!!”
“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among all those whom he favors!”
Then Mary pieced everything together. She had all the assurance that she needed.
God’s beloved, I suspect you come here tonight hoping to find assurance that things will be OK. The truth is we cannot predict the outcomes, but we can be assured that God hears our cries and God intervenes. The God who placed the faith in our hearts brings us together here tonight, to the little town of Toluca, IL, to remember the crib of our Savior because we believe, and this is all the assurance that we need. God brought you here tonight to remember the day when the Light was born for the word. God intervened with my ordinary life, with your ordinary life, to show us that there is still love and hope among God’s beloved people, that He still show favor to us. May we piece all things together and never forget that light always shines in the darkness. This is true.
Bridging Faith 