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.
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