Tuesday, December 24, 2019 – Christmas Eve Service – 7:00 pmRev. Dr. Scott Ramsey, preachingScripture Readings: Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-20

To access the Bulletin, click on SAVE PDF to download or open in new window

SERMON TEXTNote: Sermon begins at 19:09 in this videoThe audio contains the scripture and sermon only

The night is upon us, and the gift is come.  The newness

of God that brings good news to outcasts and that disturbs the rule of tyrants

has arrived; the freedom of God that

liberates hostages and that plucks up and pulls down mighty empires has

arrived. Wherever in your life you are wrestling with old habits that no longer

serve you, with a loneliness or a deep wound that haunts you, or with anxieties

and worries about the future that wake you up in the middle of the night, the

news of this night is that you are not

alone, that the Creator of the universe knows your troubles and will not

abandon you to face them on your own, Jesus will give you everything you need

to face those trials, and Jesus goes before you to prepare a way for you to

follow.

So do not be afraid, just as the angel said to the shepherds. The angel said, I am bringing you good news of great joy, not just for some, not just for a few, but for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah.  In case you were wondering, the word “you” in that sentence is not the 2nd person-singular pronoun, because the angels were not just bringing this news to isolated individuals.  It is the 2nd-person plural, it is “I am bringing y’all good news, for to y’all is born this day in the city of David a Savior.”  This news is intended for the broadest possible audience.  The news is good, the joy is great, and the intended audience is everyone.

This great announcement from the angels has a three-fold invitation to us on this Christmas, for receiving this particular gift, the gift of Jesus, is not like receiving any other gift.  When we receive this particular gift, when we welcome Jesus into your life, it changes us.  It changes us in beautiful ways, but it does change us.

The first aspect of the invitation is to a life of humility, for when we receive Jesus into our lives, we realize that we are taking our place not among the kings, but among the shepherds.  You may have noticed that Luke 2 does not begin among the shepherds in the fields.  It begins in the corridors of power, where Quirinius is governor of Syria, and where Emperor Augustus decrees that a census be taken, so that the empire can know whom to tax and can know who is available to serve in the imperial army.  The gospel story is aware of those in power, the gospel is savvy about those who think they have all the power.  But the gospel quickly moves away from the centers of power and towards the margins, towards the fields where shepherds are working the graveyard shift.  The first ones to learn of the birth of the Messiah are not Emperor Augustus, nor Governor Quirinius, nor the high priests and religious leaders, but are the blue-collar shepherds out taking care of the animals.  The kingdom of God is an upside-down kingdom, inverting the ways of power to which we have become accustomed.  The poor in spirit, the weak, the meek, those in mourning, the humble ones are the center of the kingdom.  That affects our understanding of power and it affects the way we use whatever power and influence we may have.  This can be challenging, especially for those of us who have accumulated considerable privilege, or wealth, or education.  But the news of this night is that the good news of Jesus Christ invites us to a life of increasing humility.

The second aspect of the invitation is related to the first.  Receiving this gift, following this Messiah, growing in humility means devoting our lives to building communities of well-being for the poor.  Building the neighborhood so that the poor have enough – enough food, enough housing, enough health insurance