St. Patrick: Intimacy with God

Christmas 2, Year A, January 5, 2014 The Episcopal Church of the Ascension

Danger and Deliverance The Reverend Dr. Howard J. Hess

I. Introduction. Today is the Last of the Twelve Days of Christmas. As is readily apparent, there is a dramatic change in the plotline of the story of the infant Jesus. Once we had heard the prophetic words of John the Baptist, the Christmas story became incredibly tender and gentle. Granted, the housing accommodations in Bethlehem were sketchy, but Mary and Joseph coped well, and the discomfort of the stable was quickly overshadowed by the reassurance of the star overhead, the angelic choir, and a group of dazed but highly impressed shepherds. And later, there is the visit of the three magi or kings arriving after a long journey from the east, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense. and myrrh. Overall the story is peaceful and harmonic and has formed the core plot for many a pageant. But lest we think that the story of Jesus will be all goodness and light, in the second chapter of Matthew we receive an incredibly abrupt reminder that there are forces for good and forces for evil. In the life of Christ, these forces will vie for the upper hand over and over again.

II. One of the takeaways for today is that Jesus’ birth, his life, and his message should not be sentimentalized. Neither should we underestimate the harshness of the trials that both Jesus and Jesus’ followers would encounter. The beauty of gift giving, decorated homes, Christmas trees, and Christmas greetings are only a part of the story – and a fairly modern one at that. Let’s look more closely at how the details of the wise men’s visit foreshadow the challenges that lie ahead for Jesus. The three Magi each brought a gift – one, gold, which is thought to symbolize the Kingship of Christ; frankincense, his priestly divinity; and myrrh, his suffering and passion. There is speculation that the Holy Family might well have used the gold to support their lengthy journey to Egypt in order to escape from Herod. The third gift, myrrh, was used to anoint bodies after death, such as following the crucifixion. Even Jesus’ very early life had significant hardships and dangers. Based upon greed and fear, Herod became obsessed with the desire to kill Jesus.

One of the distinctive themes in Jesus’ life was the way in which danger and the evil intentions of others followed him incessantly. Before he began his ministry, he was tempted for 40 days in the desert; his former neighbors attempted to throw him over a cliff in his hometown; and the Pharisees and other religious leaders constantly tried to trap and discredit him. Yet what we see over and over again is the determination of Jesus to neither shrink away from his mission by trying to escape or avoid danger nor to allow that danger to transform him into a fearful, vindictive, or violent person. One aspect of the beauty of who Jesus was and is, is that his desire to redeem us has never been compromised by the evil forces around him.

III. Our Challenge. This is exactly the challenge faced by all of us who follow Christ – to live in a way that is true to our vocation as Christians rather than being derailed by our fears or our anger. As many of us know, and some may be facing now, this can be very difficult. As I prepared this sermon, I was reminded of a period in my own life that was supremely difficult. I was a faithful and practicing Christian, enjoying many of the advantages of a successful professional career, never imagining that a sharp curve lay ahead. The actual content of the challenge is not particularly germane, but suffice it to say that within a matter of weeks I faced a crisis for which I did not believe there was a solution and became increasingly overwhelmed. I do not think that I am unique; often at the very times when everything seems to be at its best, we experience a curve ball. Many Christians have had this kind of experience. The specifics differ, but the dynamics of the experience are similar. In fact I know that many of you here this morning have confronted such crises. In such situation, the question we all ask is “How do we survive this, let alone, rebound and restore our lives?”

IV. Back now to Jesus’ story. Although danger is a constant in Jesus’ life, there is a second experience of equal significance – that is deliverance. If we follow Jesus’ life carefully, we see that danger and evil may prevail for a time, but deliverance is always at the end of each challenge. In today’s gospel, an angel warned Joseph in a dream to escape to Egypt. Later the angel again spoke to Joseph, reassuring him that it was safe to return home to Israel: Danger and deliverance. In this trip to Egypt the Holy Family replicated the steps of the nation of Israel. As described in Exodus, the Israelites fled to Egypt to escape a famine and later were led by Moses out of slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land: Danger and deliverance.

In my own personal situation, God sent both a spiritual director and a Christian therapist who helped me put the broken pieces back together again over time. For anyone who might be facing such dangers and challenges right now, I would share two things: first, during a time of “not knowing” how a dilemma will be resolved, we must cultivate the practice of patience, waiting upon the Lord. I have struggled with this virtue, in part I believe, because the prevalent belief in my generation is that the best way to resolve a problem is to tackle it and wrestle it to the ground. Such an approach presupposes that we will be able to rely upon our own strength and wits to deal with all challenges. There are times when this assumption is just not accurate. Just as Joseph had to wait for the angel to tell him when it was safe to come home and Moses had to encounter God in the burning bush, we often have to wait for God to give us clarity and guidance.

I would also like to share that during that time of waiting on the Lord, the good grace and generosity of others sustain us. As some of you know, one of my most treasured books is The Interior Castle by Theresa of Avila. She likens the spiritual life to a castle with many levels, each deeper than the level before. Her primary thesis is that the deeper one goes into one’s spiritual life, the more likely one is to encounter challenges that are increasingly complicated and demanding. We may come face to face with aspects of ourselves that are troubling, and need the guidance and steady hand of others journeying through the castle with us. But the journey is critical because it is only by deepening self-awareness and the willingness and courage to change that one becomes more like Christ.

V. Conclusion. Even in the Incarnation of Christ as a baby born in a manager, Scripture tells us unequivocally that for Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the three magi, there were dangers and even evils to be faced. Did God protect and deliver each of them during this period? Absolutely yes! The Holy Family and the three magi had faith and relied upon the messages that God sent them. Like them, we as followers of Christ need to have faith that, as potent as any danger might be, our God is able to help us overcome and will deliver us.

Tonight we celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany – this feast demonstrates to us that light always ultimately overcomes darkness. Always. Just as resurrection always prevails over death and destruction. Always. Thanks be to God. Amen.