Christmas
Nativity of Our Lord
December 24, 2008
Set I – Christmas Eve
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96 (11)
Titus 2:11-14
Luke 2:1-14 [15-20]
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you made this holy night shine with the brightness of the true Light. Grant that here on earth we may walk in the light of Jesus' presence and in the last day wake to the brightness of his glory; through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. 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 Messi- | ah, the Lord. Alleluia. (Luke 2:10-11)
1a. CONTEXT: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Chapters 1 and 2 of Luke's gospel appear to be unnecessary for a
complete telling of the story of Jesus, which begins with John the
Baptist's proclamation in chapter 3. This has led scholars to ask
where chapters 1 and 2 are truly Lucan material, or, if fashioned by
Luke, were they appended after the rest of the gospel was written?
What is perhaps MORE interesting as we consider this particular text
is the fact that chapter 2 is also quite independent of chapter 1.
The story could easily begin with "In those days a decree went
out..."
However, while chapter 2 is not dependent upon chapter 1 materials
for coherence, there is nonetheles a significant connection between
the annunciation/birth/naming narratives of John the Baptist and
Jesus contained in these chapters. Parallels abound. It is
therefore especially intriguing that specific references to
Elizabeth, Zechariah, and John the Baptist are completely missing
from Luke 2.
For our purposes, it is unnecessary to enter the debate of authorship
and sources. There is enough of a connection to the rest of the
gospel in word usage, style, and theological intent to make it seem
likely that one person fashioned all the material for his purposes.
While the independent units are intriguing, their independence is not
what makes them significant. What such independence does allow,
however, is a recognition by virtue of the texts' form that the story
in Luke 2:1-20 can (and does) stand by itself. This is an important
factor to understand as we approach preaching on this familiar and
beloved text. It has, in a sense, a life of its own that must be
respected. Rather than viewing such familiarity as a hindrance to
preaching, we must attempt to use it to enhance the incarnational
message. This story itself is,after all, a kind of miracle; it is
completely familiar and yet still fascinating to us, as is a person
we have loved for a long time.
1b. Text: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
ESV:
The Birth of Jesus Christ
2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when [1] Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, [2] who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” [3]
[ 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. ]
[1] 2:2 Or This was the registration before
[2] 2:5 That is, one legally pledged to be married
[3] 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men
Greek:
1εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις εξηλθεν δογμα παρα καισαρος αυγουστου απογραφεσθαι πασαν την οικουμενην. 2αυτη απογραφη πρωτη εγενετο ηγεμονευοντος της συριας κυρηνιου. 3και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι, εκαστος εις την εαυτου πολιν. 4ανεβη δε και ιωσηφ απο της γαλιλαιας εκ πολεως ναζαρεθ εις την ιουδαιαν εις πολιν δαυιδ ητις καλειται βηθλεεμ, δια το ειναι αυτον εξ οικου και πατριας δαυιδ, 5απογραψασθαι συν μαριαμ τη εμνηστευμενη αυτω, ουση εγκυω. 6εγενετο δε εν τω ειναι αυτους εκει επλησθησαν αι ημεραι του τεκειν αυτην, 7και ετεκεν τον υιον αυτης τον πρωτοτοκον: και εσπαργανωσεν αυτον και ανεκλινεν αυτον εν φατνη, διοτι ουκ ην αυτοις τοπος εν τω καταλυματι. 8και ποιμενες ησαν εν τη χωρα τη αυτη αγραυλουντες και φυλασσοντες φυλακας της νυκτος επι την ποιμνην αυτων. 9και αγγελος κυριου επεστη αυτοις και δοξα κυριου περιελαμψεν αυτους, και εφοβηθησαν φοβον μεγαν. 10και ειπεν αυτοις ο αγγελος, μη φοβεισθε, ιδου γαρ ευαγγελιζομαι υμιν χαραν μεγαλην ητις εσται παντι τω λαω, 11οτι ετεχθη υμιν σημερον σωτηρ ος εστιν χριστος κυριος εν πολει δαυιδ: 12και τουτο υμιν το σημειον, ευρησετε βρεφος εσπαργανωμενον και κειμενον εν φατνη. 13και εξαιφνης εγενετο συν τω αγγελω πληθος στρατιας ουρανιου αινουντων τον θεον και λεγοντων, 14δοξα εν υψιστοις θεω και επι γης ειρηνη εν ανθρωποις ευδοκιας. [ 15και εγενετο ως απηλθον απ αυτων εις τον ουρανον οι αγγελοι, οι ποιμενες ελαλουν προς αλληλους, διελθωμεν δη εως βηθλεεμ και ιδωμεν το ρημα τουτο το γεγονος ο ο κυριος εγνωρισεν ημιν. 16και ηλθαν σπευσαντες και ανευραν την τε μαριαμ και τον ιωσηφ και το βρεφος κειμενον εν τη φατνη: 17ιδοντες δε εγνωρισαν περι του ρηματος του λαληθεντος αυτοις περι του παιδιου τουτου. 18και παντες οι ακουσαντες εθαυμασαν περι των λαληθεντων υπο των ποιμενων προς αυτους: 19η δε μαριαμ παντα συνετηρει τα ρηματα ταυτα συμβαλλουσα εν τη καρδια αυτης. 20και υπεστρεψαν οι ποιμενες δοξαζοντες και αινουντες τον θεον επι πασιν οις ηκουσαν και ειδον καθως ελαληθη προς αυτους. ]
Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26th edition © 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart;
The Greek New Testament, 3rd edition © 1975, United Bible Societies, London
2. ANALYSIS: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Lk. 2:1-2 - apographesthai pasan ten oikoumenen - " that all the
world should be enrolled" (AILL) - Despite numerous attempts to
preserve Luke's historical accuracy, no evidence of a census either
during the reign of Caesar August or of Quirinius under Herod the
Great exists. Luke appears to have used the census as a literary
device not only to get Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem (where tradition
held that Jesus was born) but also to make some important theological
points. See Brown, Birth of the Messiah, pp. 412-18, for an
illuminating discussion. Brown suggests that a subtle contrast is
being set up between the Roman emperor (also called "savior of the
world" and "son of God") who ordered the census and this infant, the
true savior. Also, it is an appropriate moment to present the birth
of Jesus, "the savior of all those people who are being enrolled"
(Brown, p. 415).
2:4 - polin David neis kaleitai Bethleem - "to the city of
David,which is called Bethlehem" (AILL) - While Jerusalem usually
bears the appellation of "City of David," Bethlehem was David's
birthplace and where he spent his boyhood as a shepherd (I Samuel
16:11). This sets the stage both for Jesus as the Messiah ("A king
like David") and for the shepherds who receive the heavenly news of
Jesus' birth. It is as if David, the great king who was a shepherd
boy, hastens with the other shepherds to the manger in order to
worship the newborn Christ.
2:7 - A packed verse, and the source of much of our Christmas piety
(i.e., the heartless innkeeper, the stable, the friendly beasts, the
poverty of Jesus). Yet it is remarkably short and understated. Much
is left unsaid. This,too, may be a hint for Christmas preachers
--seek brevity and simplicity on this occasion.
2:8 - kai phulassontes phulakas tes nuktos epi ten poimnen auton -
"keeping watch over their flock by night" (AILL) - The angels appear
to those "keeping watch," who are awake to hear and see.
2:10 - evangellizomai humin charan megalen,hetis estai panti to lao -
"I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the
people" (AILL) - The angels' message to the shepherds forms the
centerpiece of the story. It makes public the announcement made to
Mary (1:26-38), and it is characteristic of Luke that such a
revelation would be made to shepherds, some of the "lowly" (1:38,52).
This is an exuberant cry: good news, great joy, coming to all people.
2:11 - hoti etechthen humin - To you is born. To all the people, but
also to you. - soter - Savior, the first title of Jesus (cf. 1:47,
69). Only used by Luke among the synoptics. - Christos kyrios -
"Christ (Messiah),Lord." More common would have been "The Lord's
Christ" (Christos kyriou,v. 26). Luke is the only synoptic writer to
use "Lord" as a favorite title for Jesus (14 times). The others use
it once each. "Lord" and "Christ" as titles appear also in Acts
2:36.
2:14 - doxa en hupsistois theo kai epi ges eirene en anthropois
eudokias -"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among
those with whom God is pleased" (AILL) - A difficult construction
that is probably chiastic and should be rendered in two verses rather
than three (see Fitzmyer ,Anchor Bible vol. 28, pp. 410-12).
Fitzmyer, in basic agreement with Brown, translates it:
Glory in highest heaven to God;
and on earth peace for people whom he [God] favors.
A helpful discussion of the genitive eudokias (good pleasure, favor)
appears in both Fitzmyer and Brown.
2:19 - tauta sumballousa en tei charois autes -"pondering them in her
heart" (AILL) - "Tossing them together in her heart" (Fitzmyer) - a
sense of remembering and trying to find the correct meaning (Genesis
37:11).
3. STRATEGY: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
The Christmas sermon may just be the least important sermon of the
year, for so much is carried by the "simple" story itself, the
beloved carols, and the air of expectation among the worshippers, who
come already anticipating that they will experience something special
during that hour of worship. The sermon must fit--simply--into that
joy and expectation, but it can in great measure depend for its
impact upon the reading of the Lucan Christmas story, the singing of
the carols, and even upon the glow of the candles and the viewing of
the creche. The story and the carols touch something deep within us
and can even stand without comment, for which we have evidence in the
moving and popular Anglican tradition of "Lessons and Carols."
This does not, however, mean that less care and craft need go into the Christmas sermon preparation. Rather, it is a recognition that the sermon is of a different order and role than is the more usual case.
One may wish to preach this text differently depending upon whether
the service is being held Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, noting pericope differences. On Christmas Eve there is a sense of quiet joy, wonder, thanks, and
praise that permeates the worship; often the church is darkened and
candlelight is the light by which we see this mystery unfold. On
Christmas Day it is "the morning after," when the implications of
this event need to be considered in the clear, cold light of day. It
is akin to the "What now?" that a new parent feels the morning after
the arrival of a child. "This is going to change my life," he or she
realizes. "I haven't an inkling of what it's really going to mean;
but there's no turning back now." Mary keeping all these things and
pondering them in her heart would be a good entree into the sermon
for Christmas Day. It implies an ongoing unfolding of meaning, in
process, understood bit by bit, which is a way of speaking with some
insight about an oft-repeated and familiar text and occasion.
Another possible focus (for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day)
would be the angel's announcement to the shepherds. This is central
to Luke's birth narrative and also gives us much to consider
regarding who Jesus is and the extent of his Messiahship. (See also
the annunciation to Mary, Luke 1:26-38). Use the hymns ANGELS FROM
THE REALMS OF GLORY and ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH surrounding the sermon. (In general, stay away from unfamiliar Christmas hymns for the congregation, no matter how lovely they may be. And if you forget
to sing "Silent Night" on Christmas Eve, that will be all that anyone
remembers about the service.)
One would assume that the celebration of the Eucharist would be part
of any Christmas Eve or Christmas Day worship. It manifests in
sight, smell, touch, and taste the reality of the Incarnation--of
Christ coming in the flesh, taking on body and blood.
4. OTHER RESOURCES: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Martin Luther's Christmas Sermons. Luther preached on the Christmas texts (John 1:1-14 and Luke 2:1-20) over 60 times in his life; for
example, in 1530 he preached five different Christmas sermons on Luke
2:1-20. The late Roland Bainton's brief anthology (below) is a fine
resource, as are Bainton's audio recordings of some excerpts, available from
the Visual Educ. Svce., Yale Divinity School, 409 Prospect St., New
Haven, CT 06511; otherwise, Luther's sermons can be found in several
volumes of Luther's Works, a 56-volume set published by Concordia
Publishing House (St. Louis) and Fortress Press (Philadelphia), and available on CD-ROM.
5. REFERENCES: Christmastide
Bainton, Roland H. The Martin Luther Christmas Book. Philadelphia:
Fortress Press, 1948.
Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah: A Commentary on the
Infancy Narratives in Matthew and Luke. Garden City,NY: Doubleday, 1977.
Fitzmyer, Joseph A. The Gospel According to Luke I-IX. Anchor Bible
Series, vol. 28. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1981.
Exegetes: Our Savior Lutheran Church and Student Center in Hanover, NH, at the campus of Dartmouth College called Revs. Michael and Susan Thomas ato be co-pastors in August of 2002. At that time they were serving with the ELCA Division for Global Mission in Jerusalem as co-pastors at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer in the Old City. Susan began the co-pastorate at Our Savior Lutheran Church and Student Center at Advent, 2002, and Michael joined her in the fall, 2003, after completing their Jerusalem term. Michael and Susan are both graduates of St. Olaf College and Yale Divinity School. Michael did additional study at Harvard Divinity School. Their campus ministry experience began in Cambridge and Boston. Michael served as Lutheran Campus Pastor at Boston University and Northeastern; Susan was Lutheran Campus Pastor at MIT and a pastor at University Lutheran Church, surrounded by the Harvard campus.
Before going to Jerusalem, they did international ministry in Vienna, Austria, as co-pastors of the Vienna Community Church, an interdenominational English-speaking congregation in the center of Vienna. The Thomases have three sons, two of whom are in school. Interestingly, international ministry is not “foreign” to Our Savior Lutheran Church and Student Center. Our preceding pastor, Michael Fonner, left Hanover to do international ministry as well. After seven years in Hanover, he and Leslie were called by the ELCA Division for Global Mission. The Fonners have recently completed their service abroad and Pr. Fonner anticipates a congregational call somewhere in New England.
Nativity of Our Lord
December 25, 2008
Set II – Christmas Day
Isaiah 62:6-12
Psalm 97 (11)
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2: [1-7] 8-20
Prayer of the Day
All-powerful and unseen God, the coming of your light into our world has brightened weary hearts with peace. Call us out of darkness, and empower us to proclaim the birth of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and a- | dore the Lord. For today a great light has come up- | on the earth. Alleluia.
Nativity of Our Lord
December 25, 2008
Set III – Christmas Day
Isaiah 52:7-10
Psalm 98 (3)
Hebrews 1:1-4 [5-12]
John 1:1-14
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you gave us your only Son to take on our human nature and to illumine the world with your light. By your grace adopt us as your children and enlighten us with your Spirit, through Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. 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 Messi- | ah, the Lord. Alleluia. (Luke 2:10-11)
- or –
-
Alleluia. A holy day has dawned upon us. Come, you nations, and a- | dore the Lord. For today a great light has come up- | on the earth. Alleluia.
Here is another treatment of John 1, by the Anglican theologian O.C. Edwards, author of A History of Preaching (Abingdon, 2004):
Since the Lutheran and Common Lectionaries use this text (John 1) for the SECOND Sunday after Christmas, the Book of Common Prayer for the FIRST, exegetes are urged to consult the Lectionaryies before preparing homilies for these two Sundays.
l. CONTEXT: John 1:1-18
Any effort to discuss the context of the Johannine Prologue has to grow out of some theory not only of how the gospel as a whole came to be written but also of the relation of the Prologue to the rest of the gospel. Bultmann (Gospel of John, pp. 16-18), for instance, thought that the Prologue was a part of the Discourse source which had originally come from a Gnostic community around John the Baptist and that this source had been edited in a Christian direction after the Evangelist was converted. Haenchen (John I, 77),on the other hand, believed that the evangelist, who edited his source away from an emphasis on miracles as proof Jesus' identity, introduced his gospel with an early Christian hymn. Still others have offered the theory that the Prologue was written after the gospel to serve as an introduction to it (Harnack, reported in Schnackenburg, The Gospel According to St. John, I, 221).
These notes will not try to decide whether the Prologue came into existence independently of the rest of the gospel. The canonical form of the gospel includes it and thus (a) it must have made sense that way to whomever put it into its present condition and (b) that is the canonical form that the church accepts as authoritative.
This decision, however, means that the fascinating question of whether some of the verses are poetic or hymnic and others are prose insertions and thus later redactions cannot be answered in as thoroughgoing a way as they could be when they were part of an integrated theory of the origin of the Prologue. The decision, however, will not exclude issues of the background of the thought of the Prologue.
The position to be taken about the authorship of the gospel as a whole will be similar to that advanced by Raymond Brown in The Community of the Beloved Disciple. The original tradition of the Johannine community came through the Beloved Disciple, a disciple of Jesus who was not one of the Twelve. Someone in that community wrote that tradition down around A.D. 90, incorporating a higher christology that had come into the community with a group of Samaritan converts. The gospel was probably written after the community had moved to Ephesus and also reflects some gentile influence.
A modern context parallel to that in which the gospel first appeared is the situation of contemporary Christians who wish to profess the christology of the councils as that is understood today from the standpoint of a critical hermeneutic. We are surrounded by a secular world that disbelieves in anything outside the sphere of natural explanation, others who call themselves Christian who have a much lower understanding of the person and work of Christ, and still other Christians who hold the historic faith in such an uncritical way that it is hard to feel that they and we mean the same thing by the affirmation. Anyone affirming the faith which developed from the Johannine Prologue it bound to feel like a lonely voice.
2. ANALYSIS: John 1:1-18
Jn. 1:1 - en archei en ho logos, kai ho logos en pros ton theon, kai theos en ho logos -"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (AILL, An Inclusive Language Lectionary) - The "beginning" is the time before creation. Brown insists that pre-existence in the Pauline hymns in Phil. and Col. do not go back so far; in Col. 1:18, God's Son is "the first- born of all creation" (Community, p. 46). As he points out in The Birth of the Messiah (pp. 29-32), the moment at which the divine identity of Jesus was made clear is understood differently by different NT writings: the resurrection, baptism, or birth.
John pushes that moment back before creation (cf. Haenchen, I, 124).Although Johannine use of the term logos (which occurs in the gospel only in the Prologue and only in reference to the pre-incarnate Lord) has been studied at various times in relation to OT concepts such as "the Word of God" and against a range of Greek thought, most scholars now consider it to be a development of the concept of personified Wisdom as seen in Proverbs 8 and Wisdom, as evolved through speculation on the Aramaic concept of memra and Philo's understanding of logos.
The New English Bible says that the Word "dwelt with God" and Brown translates "was in God's presence" (The Gospel according to John, I,3). There is much debate about theos without the article. Brown says "God," Haenchen says "divine"; perhaps NEB handles it best by saying: "what God was, the Word was." It is essential to remember that we do not have a Trinitarian understanding, but only the raw material that made such an understanding necessary.
Jn. 1:3 - panta di' autou egeneto, kai choris autou egeneto oude hen ho gegonen -"all things were made through the Word, and without the Word was not anything made that was made" (AILL) - The Word not only pre-existed but was the divine agency in creation (cf. Proverbs 8:22-31). Haenchen (I,114) argues convincingly that ho gegonen should end vs. 3 (as in KJV) rather than begin vs. 4; there is little difference in meaning.
Jn. 1:4 - en auto zoe en, kai he zoe en to phos ton anthropon - "In the Word was life, and the life was the light all."(AILL) - "Eternal life" is John's basic term for salvation; thus life and light are virtually interchangeable. They belong to a series of antithetical concepts that John uses to refer to the absolute good in Christ and that which is outside it.
Jn. 1:5 - kai to phos en te skotia phainei, kai he skotia autou ou katelaben -"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (AILL) - Haenchen (I,114f.) makes much of the difference between the present tense of phainei and the aorist of katelaben. He argues that this verse is not a reference to the incarnate Lord, but rather to the attempts of the Logos to offer salvation to humanity before the incarnation, relating this passage to the Wisdom myth in Enoch 42:2: "Wisdom went forth to make her dwelling place among the children of men; and found no dwelling place."
Brown, on the other hand, relates it to Gen. 3. In either case it would appear that vss. 6-8 misunderstand, treating vs. 4 in relation to the incarnation and thus feeling it necessary to introduce John the Baptist at this point. They also are more prosaic than the rhythmic vss. before and after, which reinforces the impression that they are redactional.
Jn. 1:10 - en to kosmo en, kai ho kosmos dictionary autou egeneto, kai ho kosmos auton ouk egno - "The Word was in the world, and the world was made through the Word,yet the world did not know the Word." (AILL) - If vss. 6-8 are a prose insertion, then 10 and 11 could still be referring to the Word's pre-incarnate activity, as Haenchen argues. But to agree with that, one would also have to admit that vss. 12 and 13 are redactional. Brown, on the other hand, thinks that 12a and 12b belong to the hymn the evangelist is using for an introduction (ibid., I,11). For preaching, the issue is not important since both pre-incarnate and incarnate activity of the Logos are referred to somewhere in the Prologue; both are taught in the passage.
Jn. 1:14 - kai ho logos sarx egeneto kai eskenosen en humin, kai etheasametha ten doxan autou, doxa hos monogenous para patros, pleres charitos kai aletheias - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld the Word's glory, glory as of the only Child from [God]the Father [and Mother]."(AILL) - As Bultmann says (ibid., p. 60), "Just as the incarnatus est marks a turning point in the Mass, so too here the character of the Prologue changes....Now the riddle is solved, the miracle is proclaimed: the Logos became flesh!" As Haenchen pointed out (I,119), the Wisdom myth is left behind and the Christian experience of Jesus Christ takes over.
As St. Augustine says in Confessions VIII.ix,13, the Christian doctrine that he did not find among the Platonists was that the Word became flesh. "Became flesh," of course, means "assumed full humanity." If space permitted, every word in the sentence could be studied profitably, e.g., those that pick up and apply to Jesus the OT concept of the Shekinah, the "tabernacling presence of God's glory." Vs. 15 is regarded by most scholars as a redactional interpolation. Thus 16 follows 14 in the original, whether it was written by the Evangelist or his source. Vs. 17 makes the transition to the story of the life of Jesus by mentioning Jesus by name at last as the human being the Logos became. The significance of the enfleshment of the Logos is the subject of vs. 18.
3. STRATEGY : John 1:1-18
This Sunday provides a rare opportunity for thoroughly theological preaching. The community has just gone through the feast of the Nativity with the Lucan focus on "sweet baby Jesus in the manger" that has permitted the clustering of everyone's sentimentality. This, of course, is not to blame Luke but to recognize what so often happens in our society. By getting all goose-fleshy over the scene in the stable, we are able to avoid any consideration of its impact on our lives. John's pushing the christological moment back before creation does not allow such self- indulgence. (Unless, God forbid, someone simply becomes intoxicated over the language and renders it harmless by treating it as if it were mere poetry--as if real poetry were ever "mere" and was only supposed to sound good and not to mean anything.)
John reminds us that we need a christology that is adequate to our soteriology, which, in turn, must be adequate to our anthropology. Thus we can begin with an analysis of the human condition and go on to see what it would take to save us from that and what sort of Savior would be necessary to do that. When that is done well, no one is likely to imagine that the doctrines of the creeds and councils were just something thought up by the theologians to make it hard.
4. REFERENCES: John 1: 1-18
Brown, Raymond E. The Birth of the Messiah. Garden City,NY: Doubleday, 1977.
_______________. The Community of the Beloved Disciple. New York:
Paulist Press, 1979.
_______________. The Gospel According to St. John, 2 vols. Anchor Bible Series. Garden City,NY: Doubleday, 1966/1970.
Bultmann, Rudolf. The Gospel of John: A Commentary, transl. G.R. Beasley- Murray, et al. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971.
Haenchen, Ernst. A Commentary on the Gospel of John, transl. R.W. Funk,
2 vols. Hermeneia Series. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984.
Schnackenburg, Rudolf. The Gospel according to St. John, transl. Kevin Smyth, vol. 1. NY: Herder and Herder, 1968.
5. MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: John 1: 1-18
NOT "Away in a Manger!" Most of the Traditional Christmas Carols would be inappropriate for a sermon such as is sketched above. Two possibilities are OF THE FATHER'S LOVE BEGOTTEN (HB 82, LBW 42) and JOY TO THE WORLD (HB 100, LBW 39). More christological hymns such as AT THE NAME OF JESUS EVERY KNEE SHOULD BOW(HB 435, LBW 179) and WHAT WONDROUS LOVE IS THIS?(HB 439, LBW 385) are more to the point. GOD HIMSELF IS WITH US(HB 475,LBW 249) and CHRIST IS MADE THE SURE FOUNDATION (HB 518,LBW 367) with the strong Purcell tune, "Westminster Abbey," are other real possibilities for this Day.
Exegete: O.C. Edwards, PhD
Lexegete / Year B / Gospel of Mark
Christmas: The Nativity of our Lord
December 24, 2008 [ Christmas Eve Service ]
Luke 2:1-20
Optional: Dawn Service or Julotta; For more on light and dark at Christmas, see Olov Hartman, THE BIRTH OF GOD, Fortress, 1969
1a. Context: Luke 2:1-20 ( OR 1-14 )
To no other section of Scripture is the designation "sacred text" more
aptly applied. The passage 2:1-20 of St. Luke's Gospel is indeed sacred,
sacred in content and sacred in Christian tradition. One has to maintain
a steady gaze not to succumb to the many distractions introduced in
the course of history when the scene this Gospel presents is held
before it.
Our Gospel for this Christmas Day (theologically speaking, not only the Nativity but the Incarnation of our Lord) is a portion of what New
Testament scholars term "pre-history," that is, events which serve
to introduce Luke's main story that begins with chapter 3. That story
is the account of the words and deeds of Jesus as the Christ, or Messiah.
Our Gospel is Luke's beautiful description of the long-awaited .Messiah's
Birth as he is expressly called in v. 11 by the angel.
Scholars have long debated the connection between chs. 1 and 2 with the
rest of Luke's Gospel. The chs. in question can indeed be omitted with no
damage to the intelligibility of the remainder of the account. On the other
hand, many and perhaps a majority of recent New Testament scholars
have concluded that the material in chs. 1 - 2, though perhaps composed
separately, is in harmony with the remainder of the Gospel and does much
to enhance it. (Which is stating the case mildly. Who can picture the
Church's witness to Jesus Christ without these chapters, especially 2:1-20!)
For the great majority of Luke's contemporaries, the birth of Jesus was an
episode that hardly deserved mention. For centuries ancient historians took
no notice. In startling contrast Luke views the birth of Jesus as taking
place "in the fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4). For him this "episode" is the
midpoint of all of history. Only from the standpoint of this "episode" does
Luke proceed to assemble the discreet happenings which lay before him into
a comprehensible whole, into history. That is why he connects the birth of
Jesus to world events. This is not due to what some suppose is Luke's bent as
a secular historian. In actuality, Luke's linkage is grounded in the conviction
that all events find their end and fulfillment in the history of Jesus
which alone is history in its deepest and fullest sense, that is, the deliberate
and intentional activity of God himself.
1b. Text: Luke 2:1-14
NRSV:
Jn. 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jn. 1:2 He was in the beginning with God.
Jn. 1:3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being
Jn. 1:4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people.
Jn. 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
Jn. 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.
Jn. 1:7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
Jn. 1:8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.
Jn. 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
Jn. 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
Jn. 1:11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.
Jn. 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God,
Jn. 1:13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
Jn. 1:14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.
Greek:
1εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις εκειναις εξηλθεν δογμα παρα καισαρος αυγουστου απογραφεσθαι πασαν την οικουμενην. 2αυτη απογραφη πρωτη εγενετο ηγεμονευοντος της συριας κυρηνιου. 3και επορευοντο παντες απογραφεσθαι, εκαστος εις την εαυτου πολιν. 4ανεβη δε και ιωσηφ απο της γαλιλαιας εκ πολεως ναζαρεθ εις την ιουδαιαν εις πολιν δαυιδ ητις καλειται βηθλεεμ, δια το ειναι αυτον εξ οικου και πατριας δαυιδ, 5απογραψασθαι συν μαριαμ τη εμνηστευμενη αυτω, ουση εγκυω. 6εγενετο δε εν τω ειναι αυτους εκει επλησθησαν αι ημεραι του τεκειν αυτην, 7και ετεκεν τον υιον αυτης τον πρωτοτοκον: και εσπαργανωσεν αυτον και ανεκλινεν αυτον εν φατνη, διοτι ουκ ην αυτοις τοπος εν τω καταλυματι. 8και ποιμενες ησαν εν τη χωρα τη αυτη αγραυλουντες και φυλασσοντες φυλακας της νυκτος επι την ποιμνην αυτων. 9και αγγελος κυριου επεστη αυτοις και δοξα κυριου περιελαμψεν αυτους, και εφοβηθησαν φοβον μεγαν. 10και ειπεν αυτοις ο αγγελος, μη φοβεισθε, ιδου γαρ ευαγγελιζομαι υμιν χαραν μεγαλην ητις εσται παντι τω λαω, 11οτι ετεχθη υμιν σημερον σωτηρ ος εστιν χριστος κυριος εν πολει δαυιδ: 12και τουτο υμιν το σημειον, ευρησετε βρεφος εσπαργανωμενον και κειμενον εν φατνη. 13 και εξαιφνης εγενετο συν τω αγγελω πληθος στρατιας ουρανιου αινουντων τον θεον και λεγοντων, 14 δοξα εν υψιστοις θεω και επι γης ειρηνη εν ανθρωποις ευδοκιας.
2. Analysis: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Lk. 2:6 -- egeneto de en too einai autous ekei eplesthesan ai hemerai tou
tekein auten.
Reference to the "days" having been "fulfilled" for Mary connotes more than
the normal course of the birth of a child. In the context of Luke's Gospel
time is always important. The implication is that centuries of hanging onto
the divine promise have ended. Something new is coming into the world in the
birth at Bethlehem.
Lk. 2:4 -- eis ten Ioudaian eis polin David etis kaleitai Bethleem.
That which is about to take place is a royal birth. The terms King and
Messiah were closely linked in Jewish tradition. In placing the birth of
Jesus in Bethlehem, Luke was once again pointing to him as the awaited Messiah.
Lk. 2:8 -- Kai poimenes esan en te xora.
Shepherds were far from the romantic characters in popular Christmas lore.
'They were social misfits of dubious honesty, sinners in the eyes of the
Pharisees for not being able to observe the Law in all its detail. But , as
one commentator puts it, "God, the true Shepherd of Israel, intended his
message for all social classes."
Lk. 2: 9 -- kai cloxa kuriou perielampsen autous
The glory of God, who dwells in light unapproachable (1 Tim. 6:16), shone
round the shepherds at Christ's birth. That is to say , in the birth of Christ
the shepherds experienced the presence of God as that presence was of
old in the Temple.
Lk. 2:10 -- kai eipen autois ho aggelos, me phobeishe.
idou gar euaggelidzomai umin charan megalen etis esti panti to lao.
The time of fear has ended, the time of joy has begun. The angel brings
"good news," a verb that was used by or about the Roman emperor in announcing what he was for the people and what blessings he
brought them. Once again, Luke stresses the royal status of the one
who is born, his messianic character. The new messianic era of peace
begins.
Lk. 2:12 -- kai touto umin to semeion, euresete brephos . . .
"Both the shepherds and Mary were given signs . !Mary was given the
sign of Elizabeth's son; the shepherds were directed towards the newborn
child that was to signify the presence of the Lord among his people, as
Saviour and Messiah ." (Peter Coughlan & Peter Purdue, Commentary on the Sunday Lectionary, Collegeville, The Liturgical Press, 1969.)
Divine interventions were often greeted in this way in the Old
Testament. Luke obviously wishes this one to be met with no less
reaction.
3. Strategy: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
From start to finish something is going on in the wondrous story of
the Birth of the Messiah that cries out to be named. And in the
reading that accompanies our Gospel it is named: "For the grace
of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all" (Titus 2:11).
Grace has appeared. About grace it might be said that you may not
know how to describe it but you know it when you see it. It is
undeserved kindness, goodness that is bestowed for no reason
other than for goodness' sake. It is not wrung from the benefactor,
is not done out of fear or favor, but wells naturally from a good
heart. Grace knows nothing of calculation or return.
It shines brightest when it is least expected or deserved.
It gathers luster when it is given at great cost of time, effort, or
money to the gracious person.
We speak of graceful actions or movements. Such is how the gesture
of kindness, generosity, assistance appears. Such is the birth of
Christ for us. The Letter to Titus describes the birth of Christ as God's graceful
action on our behalf. St. Paul is more explicit: "For you know the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ , that though he was rich, yet for your
sake he became poor, so that by his poverty, you might become rich"
(2 Corinthians )
He undertakes a great exchange,
Puts on our human frame,
And in return gives us his realm,
his glory, and his name.
(Lutheran Book of Worship , #47, stanza 4)
"What can I say?" we say when overwhelmed by someone's love
and generosity. Humbled , we can only stammer banalities.
The spirit of this Liturgy is to b found in a joy that expresses
amazement at what God has done. (Coughlan & Purdue).
As this was written, war had begun in the region of the Persian Gulf.
I recall a Christmas card once that carried this unsentimental legend:
"Into this poor, demented world in which there was absolutely no room
for him at all, He comes." He did not have to. It was not deserved.
Yet it happened, and forevermore God and humankind are bound
together . For those who reach out with faith and take the gift, there
is joy amidst the madness, light in the darkness, hope instead of
despair. For the grace of God has appeared. Its lines can be traced
in every detail of he story of Jesus' birth. There is God at work.
But says Martin Luther:
"This is the word of the prophet: 'Unto us a child is born, unto us a
son is given' (Is. 9:6). This is for us the hardest point, not so much
to believe that He is the son of the Virgin and God himself, as to
believe that this Son of God is ours. This is where we wilt, but he
who does feel it has become another person. Truly it is marvelous in
our eyes that God should place a little child in the lap of a virgin
and that all our blessedness should lie in him. And this Child belongs
to all humankind. God feeds the whole world through a Babe nursing
at Mary's breast. This must be our daily exercise: to be transformed
into Christ, being nourished by this food. Then will the heart be
suffused with all joy and will be strong and confident against every
assault. "
Looked at in any way, our Gospel is full of grace, graceful and,
if we are successful in our preaching of it, grat-i-fying.
4. References: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
In addition to Peter Coughlan & Peter Purdue's book, Fr. Raymond
Brown's The Birth of the Messiah (Image Books, 1979) was consulted
again as was Karl Heinrich Rengstorff's old but still useful
Das Evangelium nach Lukas, v. 3 of Das Neue Testament Deutsch
(Gottingen, 1949).
5. Music Suggestions: Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
The depth and breadth of Christmas music is so extensive that one can hardly do it justice. The following are hymns and carols which ought to be used at some point during Christmastide [ those marked ** are recommended as hymns deserving wider usage than they already receive ] :
All Hail to You, O Blessed Morn ( LBW 73)
All praise to you eternal Lord (LBW 48)
Angels, from the Realms of Glory (LBW 50, HB 93; descant: HB 368)
Angels We Have Heard on High (LBW 71, HB 96)
**A Stable Lamp is Lighted (poem by Richard Wilbur;LBW 74, HB 104)
Away in A Manger (LBW 67, HB 101)
**Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light (HB 91)
Christians Awake,Salute the Happy Morn (HB 106)
**Cold December Flies Away (LBW 53)
Come Rejoicing, Praises Voicing (LBW 66)
From heaven above to earth I come (LBW 51, HB 80)
**From Shepherding of Stars (LBW 63)
**From East to West (LBW 64, HB 77)
Go Tell it On the Mountain (LBW 70, HB 99)
Good Christian Friends Rejoice (LBW 55, HB 107)
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (LBW 60, HB 87)
He Whom Shepherds Once Came Praising (LBW 68)
**In a lowly manger born (HB 417)
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (LBW 44)
In the Bleak Mid-Winter (poem by C. Rossetti, HB 112)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (LBW 54, HB 89/90)
Joy to the World (LBW 39, HB 100)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence ( LBW 198, HB 324)
Love Came Down at Christmas (HB 84)
O, Come All Ye Faithful (LBW 45, HB 83)
Of the Father's love begotten (LBW 42, HB 82)
O Little Town of Bethlehem (LBW 41, HB 78/9)
Once again my heart rejoices (LBW 46)
**Once in Royal David's City (HB 102)
**On this Day earth shall ring (HB 92; Personent Hodie)
O Savior of our Fallen Race (LBW 49, HB 85/6)
Rejoice, Rejoice this Happy Morn (LBW 43)
Silent Night (LBW 65, HB 111)
Sing, O sing, this blessed morn (HB 88)
The First Nowell ( LBW 56, HB 109 )
**The Hills are Bare at Bethlehem (LBW 61)
** 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (Native Am.,French; LBW 72, HB 114)
What Child is This? (LBW 40, HB 115)
When Christmas Morn is Dawning (LBW 59)
**Where is this Stupendous Stranger? (HB 491)
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (HB 95,94: descant**)
Exegete: Richard E. Koenig, a retired ELCA pastor, was the first editor of Lutheran Partners magazine, serving from 1979-1987 when the magazine was published in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He currently lives in Cromwell, Connecticut, and is active as a pastor, editor of local news in Cromwell, and occasional contributor to w wide range of publications, including The Christian Century.
Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
December 26, 2008
2 Chronicles 24:17-22
Psalm 17:1-9, 15 (6)
Acts 6:8—7:2a, 51-60
Matthew 23:34-39
Prayer of the Day
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of Stephen the first martyr, who looked to heaven and prayed for his persecutors. Grant that we also may pray for our enemies and seek forgiveness for those who hurt us, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righ- | teousness' sake,
for theirs is the king- | dom of heaven. Alleluia. (Matt. 5:10)
John, Apostle and Evangelist
December 27, 2008
Genesis 1:1-5, 26-31
Psalm 116:12-19 (15)
1 John 1:1—2:2
John 21:20-25
Prayer of the Day
Merciful God, through John the apostle and evangelist you have revealed the mysteries of your Word made flesh. Let the brightness of your light shine on your church, so that all your people, instructed in the holy gospel, may walk in the light of your truth and attain eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. The Word became flesh and | lived among us,
and we have be- | held his glory. Alleluia. (John 1:14)
First Sunday of Christmas
December 28, 2008
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 148 (13)
Galatians 4:4-7
Luke 2:22-40
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you wonderfully created the dignity of human nature and yet more wonderfully restored it. In your mercy, let us share the divine life of the one who came to share our humanity, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Let the peace of Christ rule | in your hearts,
and let the word of Christ dwell | in you richly. Alleluia. (Col. 3:15, 16)
The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
December 29, 2008 (transferred from December 28)
Jeremiah 31:15-17
Psalm 124 (7)
1 Peter 4:12-19
Matthew 2:13-18
Prayer of the Day
We remember today, O God, the slaughter of the innocent children of Bethlehem by order of King Herod. Receive into the arms of your mercy all innocent victims. By your great might frustrate the designs of evil tyrants and establish your rule of justice, love, and peace, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righ- | teousness' sake,
for theirs is the king- | dom of heaven. Alleluia. (Matt. 5:10)
Eve of the New Year
December 31, 2008
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
Psalm 8 (1)
Revelation 21:1-6a
Matthew 25:31-46
Prayer of the Day
Eternal God, you have placed us in a world of space and time, and through the events of our lives you bless us with your love. Grant that in the new year we may know your presence, see your love at work, and live in the light of the vent that gives us joy forever – the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. O God, you have | been our refuge
from one generation | to another. Alleluia. (Ps. 90:1)
1a. CONTEXT - Matthew 25:31-46
Wedding apocalyptic imagery with Sermon on the Mount ethics, this
judgment scene is unique to Matthew and bears his theological stamp. It
is placed as the last word of Jesus to his disciples before the Passion as
well as the climax of the apocalyptic section (Ch. 24-25). Its content
sums up both Jesus' identity with the suffering, which he is about to make
complete on the cross, and his understanding of the life of faith, for which
the disciples will be held accountable.
Immediately preceded by the parable of the wise and foolish
investors, our text further develops the parable's settling of accounts and
concern with how one uses the time when the master is away. But it
stands out in three ways.
1. The scene is bracketed by apocalyptic imagery which carries
with it dramatic expectations of the coming of the Son of Man and
judgment, (cf., Mt. 13:41ff., 24:27ff., Daniel 12:2).
2. The criteria for judgment are given ethical content, sounding
much like the Sermon on the Mount. (See especially Mt. 6:1-4 [give alms
unself-consciously] and Mt. 7:15-27 [on hearing and doing Jesus' words
and knowing false prophets by their fruit]). One wonders if Matthew's
community was plagued by false prophets whose lives bore little
compassion or humility, giving rise to the evangelist's special concern
with those qualities of faithful living--qualities which remain important
for the community of faith in a proud and self-centered culture.
3. Holding apocalyptic and ethic together is a radical Christology of
incarnation. Jesus is present in "the least." Matthew expresses such
identification with the "little ones" elsewhere (18:5, 10:40-42; cf.
Proverbs 19:17). But uniquely here it is the King, the Son of Man in his
glory, whose presence is known in the vulnerable ones. (Note also that the
extrahistorical nature of apocalyptic thought is abrogated in service to
incarnational Christology.)
1b. TEXT - Matthew 25:31-46
ESV:
The Final Judgment
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, [1] you did it to me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
[1] 25:40 Or brothers and sisters
Greek:
31οταν δε ελθη ο υιος του ανθρωπου εν τη δοξη αυτου και παντες οι αγγελοι μετ αυτου, τοτε καθισει επι θρονου δοξης αυτου: 32και συναχθησονται εμπροσθεν αυτου παντα τα εθνη, και αφορισει αυτους απ αλληλων, ωσπερ ο ποιμην αφοριζει τα προβατα απο των εριφων, 33και στησει τα μεν προβατα εκ δεξιων αυτου τα δε εριφια εξ ευωνυμων. 34τοτε ερει ο βασιλευς τοις εκ δεξιων αυτου, δευτε, οι ευλογημενοι του πατρος μου, κληρονομησατε την ητοιμασμενην υμιν βασιλειαν απο καταβολης κοσμου: 35επεινασα γαρ και εδωκατε μοι φαγειν, εδιψησα και εποτισατε με, ξενος ημην και συνηγαγετε με, 36γυμνος και περιεβαλετε με, ησθενησα και επεσκεψασθε με, εν φυλακη ημην και ηλθατε προς με. 37τοτε αποκριθησονται αυτω οι δικαιοι λεγοντες, κυριε, ποτε σε ειδομεν πεινωντα και εθρεψαμεν, η διψωντα και εποτισαμεν; 38ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ξενον και συνηγαγομεν, η γυμνον και περιεβαλομεν; 39ποτε δε σε ειδομεν ασθενουντα η εν φυλακη και ηλθομεν προς σε; 40και αποκριθεις ο βασιλευς ερει αυτοις, αμην λεγω υμιν, εφ οσον εποιησατε ενι τουτων των αδελφων μου των ελαχιστων, εμοι εποιησατε. 41τοτε ερει και τοις εξ ευωνυμων, πορευεσθε απ εμου [οι] κατηραμενοι εις το πυρ το αιωνιον το ητοιμασμενον τω διαβολω και τοις αγγελοις αυτου: 42επεινασα γαρ και ουκ εδωκατε μοι φαγειν, εδιψησα και ουκ εποτισατε με, 43ξενος ημην και ου συνηγαγετε με, γυμνος και ου περιεβαλετε με, ασθενης και εν φυλακη και ουκ επεσκεψασθε με. 44τοτε αποκριθησονται και αυτοι λεγοντες, κυριε, ποτε σε ειδομεν πεινωντα η διψωντα η ξενον η γυμνον η ασθενη η εν φυλακη και ου διηκονησαμεν σοι; 45τοτε αποκριθησεται αυτοις λεγων, αμην λεγω υμιν, εφ οσον ουκ εποιησατε ενι τουτων των ελαχιστων, ουδε εμοι εποιησατε. 46και απελευσονται ουτοι εις κολασιν αιωνιον, οι δε δικαιοι εις ζωην αιωνιον.
__________________________________________________________________
Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26th edition © 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart; The Greek New Testament, 3rd edition © 1975, United Bible Societies, London
2. ANALYSIS: Matthew 25:31-46
Matthew 25:31 - Son of Man - This title is used three principle ways in
Matthew's gospel: (1) as Jesus' self-referent (16:13), often emphasizing
servanthood (11:19) or authority (9:6); (2) in passion and betrayal
predictions (17:12, 26:2,24,25); and (3) in apocalyptic imagery of the
coming one (16:27, 19:28). Although our text reflects the last usage most
clearly, it implicitly embraces the other two, giving unity to the text in
spite of the confusing shift to "king" in vs. 34.
25:34 - King ( ho basileus) - The Son of Man is identified with judgment
and a kingdom (16:27-28) but never as king. In Matthew, Jesus is directly
identified as king only sarcastically (except in 2:2), and parabolic usage
points to the first person of the Trinity, not the second. Only in Revelation
and the pastorals is Jesus ascribed the honor as "king of kings," (1 Tim.
6:15), perhaps reflecting the hesitancy of the early church to use such a
political term. The shift in titles has raised the question whether this
text originally referred to God as judge, with the superscription (v.31),
and thus the Christological focus, added later. But the King is so
incarnational that it is hard to imagine this text not referring to and
fundamentally defining Jesus the Christ.
25:32 - all the nations - Ethnos is translated either as "nations" or
"Gentiles," with context being the judge. Were this to be only a Gentile
judgment, our text would carry significantly different meanings. However,
"nations"--including Israel--is the generally preferred meaning of ethnos
(TDNT, vol. 2, p. 369), and the qualifier panta confirms the choice (cf.
Mt. 28:19).
25:37, 44 - Lord - Both the blessed and the cursed call the king "Lord."
(cf. Mt. 7:21)
3. STRATEGY: Matthew 25:31-46
Christology is primary, in both the text and the day, and preaching
on the sublimity of the incarnation or the uniqueness of this king is
tempting. But doing either without also emphasizing unself-conscious
love of "the least" is to violate the text's meaning for the Christian
community. Yet such an emphasis leads right into the "problem" of the
text--salvation by works. This is like other texts which some argue with
as "not Lutheran enough," says Krister Stendahl. "But if it's good enough
for Matthew, it's good enough for me," (1984 Beecher Lectures, Yale
Divinity School). Furthermore, far from prescribing a rigid legalism of
service--the surprise of both sheep and goats undoes such a notion--this
text describes the integrity of a simple faith blessed with unpretentious
compassion for people in obvious need, and warns the Christian community
against a satisfied, unincarnated faith cut off from deeds--and thus cut
off from Jesus himself.
There are other problems for the preacher--chiefly that there's
just too much to preach about, too many good images, too many
contemporary issues addressed. But clarity of focus on the central energy
of both text and day will serve our communities well. Besides, what
intense ironies the day presents us! Christ the King comes to us naked.
The emperor has no clothes indeed. Christ the King in prison--South
Africa, take heart. Christ the King with food stamps in the check-out line.
THIS king is our judge. And therein lies our hope--not in our own
compassionate work but in our king's.
4. WORSHIP SUGGESTIONS
The ironies also keep this festival of Christ from lapsing into
triumphalism. Make use of them in worship. Daring congregations could
visualize the gospel's images with a crowned beggar at the door who might
also read the lessons, or have a trumpeted processional with banners,
cross, and the "little ones." It is an ideal Sunday to support ministry with
the "least"--refugees, sanctuary, a local food bank--with education and
offerings. Good hymns abound. AT THE NAME OF JESUS (LBW #179) is a
great hymn which should not be limited to a lesser festival. Two which
sing forth both the king's glory and justice are CHRIST IS THE KING (LBW
#386) and THE LORD WILL COME AND NOT BE SLOW (LBW # 318).
5. REFERENCES
Hamerton-Kelly, R.G. "Matthew," THE INTERPRETER'S DICTIONARY OF THE
BIBLE, Supplementary Volume, Keith Crim, ed. Nashville: Abingdon, 1976,
pp. 580-583.
Schmidt, Karl Ludwig, "Ethnos in the NT," THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY OF
THE NEW TESTAMENT, voll. II, Gerhard Kittel, ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdman's,
1964, pp. 369-372.
Schweizer, Eduard, THE GOOD NEWS ACCORDING TO MATTHEW. Atlanta:
John Knox Press, 1975.
Stendahl, Krister, "The Art of Preaching," 1984 Lyman Beecher Lectures,
available on audio cassette from the Paul Vieth Christian Education Center
of Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT.
Exegete: Rev. Jean Larson Hurd
Pastor, Our Saviour’s Lutheran, Bonner, MT
http://www.oslcbonner.org/
Name of Jesus
January 1, 2009
Numbers 6:22-27
Psalm 8 (1)
Galatians 4:4-7 or Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 2:15-21
Prayer of the Day
Eternal Father, you gave your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be a sign of our salvation. Plant in every heart the love of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. At the name of Jesus every | knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and un- | der the earth. Alleluia. (Phil. 2:10)
1a. CONTEXT: Luke 2:15-21
This gospel is traditional for January 1, which was formerly called the Feast of the Circumcision. The focus is not on the naming of Jesus, which took place at the same time, eight days [seven by our modern way of counting] after his birth. The date of the feast, like those celebrating the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Birth of John the Baptist, and the Presentation, depends on December 25 as the date for the Nativity of Christ.
This reading concludes the pericope that begins at verse 2:8 with the annunciation of the birth of "Christ the Lord" to the shepherds. There, in verse 12, the shepherds are told that, as a "sign" [semeion], they will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. The Nestle text points out an allusion to Isaiah 1:3: "The ox knows its owner, and the ass it's Lord's manger [phatnen tou kuriou autou in the LXX]; but Israel, does not know, my people does not understand." The manger thus functions in the original story, not as a way to bring in sentimental ideas about animals or to illustrate the extreme poverty of Jesus' parents, but as the token by which the shepherds recognize the child and, on a deeper level, as the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy interpreted in a messianic sense. At the same time, it is fair to say that Luke exploits the contrast between the humility of the circumstances and the momentousness of the occasion.
Although later piety came to view Jesus' circumcision as the first shedding of blood and thus a prefiguration of the Passion, there is not such stress here. Rather, Jesus' circumcision shows his obedience to the Law, a theme well brought out in the old Anglican collect, which began: "Almighty God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised and obedient to the law for man; Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit..."
The connection between circumcision and naming is problematical. Luke 1:59 is the only other evidence that naming took place at the time of circumcision rather than, as was the older custom, at the time of birth.
1ab. TEXT: Luke 2:15-21
ESV:
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles
Greek:
15και εγενετο ως απηλθον απ αυτων εις τον ουρανον οι αγγελοι, οι ποιμενες ελαλουν προς αλληλους, διελθωμεν δη εως βηθλεεμ και ιδωμεν το ρημα τουτο το γεγονος ο ο κυριος εγνωρισεν ημιν. 16και ηλθαν σπευσαντες και ανευραν την τε μαριαμ και τον ιωσηφ και το βρεφος κειμενον εν τη φατνη: 17ιδοντες δε εγνωρισαν περι του ρηματος του λαληθεντος αυτοις περι του παιδιου τουτου. 18και παντες οι ακουσαντες εθαυμασαν περι των λαληθεντων υπο των ποιμενων προς αυτους: 19η δε μαριαμ παντα συνετηρει τα ρηματα ταυτα συμβαλλουσα εν τη καρδια αυτης. 20και υπεστρεψαν οι ποιμενες δοξαζοντες και αινουντες τον θεον επι πασιν οις ηκουσαν και ειδον καθως ελαληθη προς αυτους. 21και οτε επλησθησαν ημεραι οκτω του περιτεμειν αυτον, και εκληθη το ονομα αυτου ιησους, το κληθεν υπο του αγγελου προ του συλλημφθηναι αυτον εν τη κοιλια.
Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 26th edition © 1979, Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart; The Greek New Testament, 3rd edition © 1975, United Bible Societies, London
2. ANALYSIS: LUKE 2:15-21
Lk. Luke 2:15 - rema - "Word here has the sense of the Hebrew DABAR, meaning "act as well as "word." There is no distinction between God's word, given through the angel, and the event that it brings to pass.
Lk. 2:15 - ho ho kurios egnorisen hemin - The angel is truly a messenger in the Old Testament sense; the Lord, not the angel, is the subject of the revelation.
Lk. 2:19 - He de panta sunterei ta remata tauta sumballousa en tei kardiai autes - Raymond E. Brown (THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH, pp. 428-30) points out that Mary is the only person who appears both in the infancy stories and later in the Gospel. Luke also has her present with the church at the Day of Pentecost. Mary thus becomes an image of the disciple. As such, she keeps these words and interprets them in her heart. Mary's quiet but fruitful reaction is contrasted with the amazement of those who heard the shepherds, which amounts to nothing. The point of this verse is not, therefore, to substantiate the account by implicitly claiming her as an eyewitness informant.
Lk. 2:21 - Kai hote eplesthesan hemerai okto tou peritemein auton, kai eklethe to onoma autou Jesous - This is an awkward phrase reading literally, "And when the eight days for circumcising him were completed and his name was called Jesus." Presumably Luke wishes to emphasize Jesus's parents' submission to the Law (Genesis 17:12 and Leviticus 12:3), which commanded circumcision on the eighth day.
Lk. 2:21 - to klethen hupo tou aggelou pro tou sullempghthenai auton en tei koilai - See Luke 1:31. Jesus, Iesous, is the Greek (including LXX) form fo the Hebrew name we know as Joshua, Yesu, or Yhosua in Hebrew, a common name among Jews in the first century. Etymologically, Joshua is a theophorous name containing the letters of the verb yasa, "save" and the short form of the name of God, Yah. Matthew 1:21, "And you shall call his name Jesus, because he shall save his people from their sins," clearly alludes to the etymological interpretation, also alluded to in Ecclus. 46:1 and attested in Philo (Mut. nom. 121), of Joshua "the Lord saves."
Luke probably had the same idea in mind when he had the angels announce "for to you is born this day a savior, who is Christ the Lord" (verse 2:11). Luke, unlike Matthew, does not allude directly to the etymology of Jesus' name but does have the angels refer to Jesus as "Savior," soter.
3. STRATEGY: Luke 2:15-21
Several approaches are possible in preaching this pericope. Two commend themselves to me. One approach would be to focus on the figure of Mary and her response as mother and as disciple. Mary represents and provides a model for us if we intend to be used for God's purposes. She not only allows herself to become the vessel of God's salvific purpose but also keeps in mind and considers seriously what those purposes are. [ For further comments on this theme, see also the exegesis of Luke 2:1-20, Christmas Day by Jessica Crist-Graybill; also, see the discussion of Luke 1:46-55 in LEXEGETE under the heading "MARYSDAY," Gospel pericope for August 15th in the LBW lectionary.]
Another approach would be to discuss Jesus' name as a point of acces to God. Whereas "Christ" and "Lord" are titles, "Jesus" is a name of a person win all ways like us and able to understand our situation. Thus the very fact of Jesus' anem implies the Incarnation and all that that entails.
4. REFERENCE: Luke 2:15-21
Brown, Raymond E. THE BIRTH OF THE MESSIAH. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1977.
Exegete: Joseph Trigg, PhD, is Rector of Christ Church Episcopal in La Plata, MD (jtrigg@olg.com). He is an expert on Origen, and author of Origen: The Early Church Fathers (Routledge, 1998) and Biblical Interpretation (H.P.A., 1988) and other writings in Church History.
5. MUSIC SUGGESTIONS: Luke 2:15-21
Most congregations will still be singing Christmas music on January 1st, as well they should. Good hymns for this day include "Jesus, Name of Wondrous Love" (HB 252) and "At the Name of Jesus" (HB 435, LBW 179), both of which carry out the theme of Jesus' Name. Others include "To the Name of our Salvation" (HB 248), "All hail the pow'r of Jesus' name" (LBW 328/9, HB 450/1), "How sweet the name of Jesus sounds" (LBW 345, HB 644) and the great hymn of Charles Wesley, "Oh, for a Thousand Tongues to Sing" (LBW 559, HB 493).
If a more general focus on the New Year or a temporal theme is desired, one might also use "Now greet the swiftly changing year" (LBW 181, HB 250) , "O God, who neither time nor space" (HB 251), "O God, our help in ages past" (LBW 320, HB 680) or the Lowell Mason hymn "Great God, we sign that mighty hand" (red Lutheran Service Book and Hymnal,SBH 533).
For your convenience in choosing some of the lesser known Christmas hymns, here again is the list from the LEXEGETE listing for Christmas Day:
All Hail to You, O Blessed Morn ( LBW 73)
All praise to you eternal Lord (LBW 48)
Angels, from the Realms of Glory (LBW 50, HB 93; descant: HB 368)
Angels We Have Heard on High (LBW 71, HB 96)
**A Stable Lamp is Lighted (poem by Richard Wilbur;LBW 74, HB 104)
Away in A Manger (LBW 67, HB 101)
**Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light (HB 91)
Christians Awake,Salute the Happy Morn (HB 106)
**Cold December Flies Away (LBW 53)
Come Rejoicing, Praises Voicing (LBW 66)
From heaven above to earth I come (LBW 51, HB 80)
**From Shepherding of Stars (LBW 63)
**From East to West (LBW 64, HB 77)
Go Tell it On the Mountain (LBW 70, HB 99)
Good Christian Friends Rejoice (LBW 55, HB 107)
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing (LBW 60, HB 87)
He Whom Shepherds Once Came Praising (LBW 68)
**In a lowly manger born (417)
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly (LBW 44)
In the Bleak Mid-Winter (poem by C. Rossetti, HB 112)
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (LBW 54, HB 89/90)
Joy to the World (LBW 39, HB 100)
Let all mortal flesh keep silence ( LBW 198, HB 324)
Love Came Down at Christmas (HB 84)
O, Come All Ye Faithful (LBW 45, HB 83)
Of the Father's love begotten (LBW 42, HB 82)
O Little Town of Bethlehem (LBW 41, HB 78/9)
Once again my heart rejoices (LBW 46)
**Once in Royal David's City (HB 102)
**On this Day earth shall ring (HB 92; Personent Hodie)
O Savior of our Fallen Race (LBW 49, HB 85/6)
Rejoice, Rejoice this Happy Morn (LBW 43)
Silent Night (LBW 65, HB 111)
Sing, O sing, this blessed morn (HB 88)
The First Nowell ( LBW 56, HB 109 )
**The Hills are Bare at Bethlehem (LBW 61)
**'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime (Native Am.,French; LBW 72, HB 114)
What Child is This? (LBW 40, HB 115)
When Christmas Morn is Dawning (LBW 59)
**Where is this Stupendous Stranger? (HB 491)
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks (HB 95,94: descant**)
** - refers to less frequently heard hymns that deserve to be used!
6. FURTHER READING
Since it is customary for many pastors to address the theme of "time" or the passing of time at this point in the year when chronos and kairos seem almost to intersect, here are several interesting recent books on this theme:
First and foremost, Steven Hawking's remarkable little book A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME [From the Big Bang to Black Holes] remains MUST reading for anyone who seriously wants to stay abreast of what is going on in the physical sciences. Hawking, arguably the most brilliant human being alive [and certainly Albert Einstein's successor in the sciences] has synthesized an enormously rich and intricate understanding of the advances in scientific knowledge about the universe over past decades into a very concise and readable format. While those of us who are theologians will surely debate Hawking over various questions about how we all got here in the first place, his book deserves our careful consideration, perhaps most of all by those of us who are not scientists. Even more remarkable is the fact that Hawking himself has for decades survived and prevailed against the incredible onslaught of ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease. In a time when there are few worthy heroes, Hawking stands out like a star in the heavens. For more about his incredible intellect and fortitude, see STEPHEN HAWKING'S UNIVERSE by John Boslough (NY: Wm. Morrow, 1985).
Somewhat related, but written in a much more polemical tone, is Jeremy Rifkin's intriguing book, TIME WARS:The Primary Conflict in Human History (NY: Henry Holt, 1987). Rifkin, known for his trenchant and provocative analyses of problems arising from technology and change, has carefully studied the nature and role of time within culture. He argues, sometimes with compelling logic, that the great struggles within history have been fought over competing notions of temporality and that we are on the verge of exceedingly more intense strife regarding time and the pace of our lives. The very emergence of computers and especially the personal computer have shifted the focus with which many of us view our daily routine and the way in which we use time. Rifkin suggests that our ability to carry out our work in nanoseconds may rapidly outstrip our own ability to think, reason and function. Sometimes disturbing, often challenging, Rifkin's analysis of time's battles calls for more theological thinking on our part!
Finally, Michael Young's THE METRONOMIC SOCIETY: Natural Rhythms and Human Timetables (Cambridge,MA: Harvard University Press, 1988 ) brings these issues together in a deeply convincing assessment of how time has changed in our own lifetimes. Beginning with a discussion of the difference between linear and cyclical time, he points out how the modern industrial state with its view of straight-line progress continually undermines the cyclical dimension of time. By exploring the biological and cultural components of time, he suggests that we are in the midst of a serious crisis in terms of our "lack" of time. Our society continues to "progress" in a manner of speaking, yet we have more and more options to pursue and seemingly less and less time to pursue them. The result is a sort of temporal "famine" which afflicts our very souls. Like Young’s earlier studies in sociology and anthropology (like THE RISE OF THE MERITOCRACY, still an iinfluence on Malcolm Gladwell in his recent book OUTLIERS), THE METRONOMIC SOCIETY requires us to look as if for the first time at an area of life which we take for granted at our peril. Here, as with the books by Hawking and Rifkin, are the seeds for a wonderful dialogue between the sciences and theology (once "queen of the sciences").
Second Sunday of Christmas
January 4, 2009
Jeremiah 31:7-14 or Sirach 24:1-12
Psalm 147:12-20 (12) or Wisdom 10:51-21 (20)
Ephesians 1:3-14
John 1:[1-9] 10-18
Prayer of the Day
Almighty God, you have filled all the earth with the light of your incarnate Word. By your grace empower us to reflect your light in all that we do, through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
- or -
O God our redeemer, you created light that we might live, and you illumine our world with your beloved Son. By your Spirit comfort us in all darkness, and turn us toward the light of Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia. All the ends | of the earth
have seen the victory | of our God. Alleluia. (Ps. 98:3)
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