The Nativity of Our Lord I - 24 December 2011
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Titus 2:11-14
St. Luke 2:1-20
Background: The Celebration of Christmas
The actual date of Jesus birth is unknown to us, and the celebrations that might have been, prior to the middle of the Fourth Century are equally hidden. There are some precursors, however, that influenced not only the choice of date, but also some of the traditions that surround the celebration. In 274, the Emperor Aurelian introduced a new festival in Rome. The festival of the Invincible Sun, Natalis Solis Invicti, was celebrated on 25 December. Some scholars surmise that the church reshaped the festival to honor Christ (the Sun of Righteousness) at his birth. By 336, at least in Rome, the liturgical year began with Christmas, which was celebrated on 25 December. The variances between the Julian and Gregorian calendars have made for a variety of dates on which the birth of Christ is celebrated. The Eastern Church celebrates the Nativity on 7 January. In the Western Church, the celebration stretches from the 25th of December to the 6th of January, the Epiphany of our Lord. Christmas trees, logs, ornaments and such all flow out of the Teutonic north.
Isaiah 9:2-7
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who lived in a land of deep darkness--
on them light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation,
you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you
as with joy at the harvest,
as people exult when dividing plunder.
For the yoke of their burden,
and the bar across their shoulders,
the rod of their oppressor,
you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For all the boots of the tramping warriors
and all the garments rolled in blood
shall be burned as fuel for the fire.
For a child has been born for us,
a son given to us;
authority rests upon his shoulders;
and he is named
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
His authority shall grow continually,
and there shall be endless peace
for the throne of David and his kingdom.
He will establish and uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time onward and forevermore.
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.
In the ancient near east, kingship was not so much a matter of administration and military might (although they were certainly components) but rather it functioned liturgically as well. In the religions of Sumer and the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, kingship was connected to the fertility of the land and the union with the gods. Israel and its neighbors were not shy of this influence, and in this reading, Isaiah utters an oracle that describes the “ideal kingship” that God had deigned for Israel. The king was the adopted son of God, and the attributes of his kingship flowed from the desires that God had for the people. Thus, in this oracle, we do not have a description of any particular king, but rather the hope for all of them – the hope for the ideal kingship. These virtues and authorities will soon be translated into the messianic ideals that will inform Christianity, especially the hopes around the ministry of Jesus.
Breaking open Isaiah:
- What is the “great light” that the people have seen?
- What might an ideal ruler look like to you?
- How has the church helped in calling leaders to this ideal, or how has it not done so?
Psalm 96 Cantate Domino
Sing to the LORD a new song; *
sing to the LORD, all the whole earth.
Sing to the LORD and bless his Name; *
proclaim the good news of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations *
and his wonders among all peoples.
For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised; *
he is more to be feared than all gods.
As for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; *
but it is the LORD who made the heavens.
Oh, the majesty and magnificence of his presence! *
Oh, the power and the splendor of his sanctuary!
Ascribe to the LORD, you families of the peoples; *
ascribe to the LORD honor and power.
Ascribe to the LORD the honor due his Name; *
bring offerings and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations: "The LORD is King! *
he has made the world so firm that it cannot be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity."
Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad;
let the sea thunder and all that is in it; *
let the field be joyful and all that is therein.
Then shall all the trees of the wood shout for joy
before the LORD when he comes, *
when he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness *
and the peoples with his truth.
The psalmist describes this psalm as a “new song”, although that description cannot be applied to its verses, which seem to have been selected from other psalm. It is a pastiche of familiar phrases, which would have made the psalm easily accessible to the people of Israel. What is new, however, is its world view. Taking an anachronistic take on God’s place among the other gods (described here as “idols” or in the Hebrew, as “non-gods”, the psalm does not share in the notion that God is the first among the gods. In this psalm God is the only god. Where the psalm takes a turn toward modernity is its notion that God is not just the God of Israel, but of all the earth. “Tell it out among the nations.” God’s kingship goes well beyond the troubles of Zion, for God will “judge the world with righteousness.” This psalm fits quite well with Isaiah’s oracle in the first reading.
Breaking open Psalm 96
- What does it mean to call this psalm a “new song”?
- What is new in your faith?
- How do you express that to yourself, to others?
Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly, while we wait for the blessed hope and the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own who are zealous for good deeds.
This reading is from a group of materials that were addressed to companions of Paul who were in charge of Christian communities in the region of Ephesus (Timothy) and on Crete (Titus). They are clear in their focus of defending the faith as delivered by Paul from the apostles, and looking at the administration of these new communities. The selection from Titus is concerned with the “graces of the redemption” and the fulfillment of all the promises concerning Jesus. The hope is the parousia, the completion of Christ’s work in the world. Paul passes on the wisdom of separation from the world, and admonishes his young companion to await Christ’s presence along with the whole community (the purified people, anxious to do good deeds). The reading serves as a summary that moves us beyond the Christmas story to the actualization of the incarnation in the world. It does not want us to pause, tantalized by the lights of the festival, but rather to await the full promise, and the fullness of Christ in eternity. But as is usual for Paul, this is not a passive waiting, but rather an active response to the world for the sake of the Gospel.
Breaking open Titus:
- How are you involved in the world?
- How do you separate yourself from the world?
- For what do you hope in this life?
Saint Luke 2:1-20
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph 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. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And 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.
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- 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 Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"
When 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." So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
These words are so familiar to us, having heard them at least once a year during our lifetime. The familiarity here does not breed contempt, but rather a sense of disconnection from all the levels of meaning that appear in Luke’s birth narrative. Of special interest is that his narrative is so firmly rooted in the thought of Israel and the Hebrew Scriptures. Several notions should be noted, so that we can see these connections with ancient prophecies and promises. Luke makes an effort to connect Jesus to David and to David’s kingship (see the notes on kingship in the First Reading). Jesus is the final expression of the messianic king who will usher in a new age. Other phrases hint at this hope for the ideal rule of an ideal ruler. Some of this is lost in modern English translations, such as the phrase, “the time came for her to deliver her child” which sounds like a medical observation. Rooted in that phrase is the Greek word that speaks of “fulfillment”. This is a special time, not only noting the completion of a gestational period, but also the fulfillment of ancient hopes and promises. This human act, for Luke, is the completion of divine intentions. Jesus is called the “first born son”, and in the traditions of Israel this notion carries the weight of the continuance of the family name, the recipient of patriarchal blessings, and the on-going nature of the traditions of the fathers and mothers. Luke could have used the creedal phrase “the only-begotten”, but chooses rather to connect Jesus to the ancient thought.
Shepherds were a special class not only in Israel, and not only in the ancient near east, but in the Greek world as well. Shepherds were the “innocents” through whom divine revelations were revealed. In addition, in Luke, the shepherds can be seen as a part of Luke’s focus on the “poor” and the “lowly ones.” David and the patriarchs were shepherds, and later in Christian theology, Jesus becomes one as well. There is another tradition about the shepherds as well; seeing them as ever destitute, they were regarded as untrustworthy. So the divine word is revealed to the least of these. The shepherds express the desire to see “this thing” which has come to pass. The word used there can also be translated as “this word”, or “this event”, both of which enrich the notion of what was happening in the fulfillment of time.
Finally there is Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, who at the end of this great event “ponders”, and there by is placed by Luke in the tradition of Daniel and other great seers. Mary is seen as holding the treasure of their visions and prophecies.
Breaking open the Gospel:
- How do you make this Gospel reading new for yourself?
- With which of the characters do you most identify?
- What about this Gospel and Festival do you treasure the most?
After breaking open the Word, you might want to pray the Collect for Sunday:
O God, you have caused this holy night to shine with the brightness of the true Light: Grant that we, who have known the mystery of that Light on earth, may also enjoy him perfectly in heaven; where with you and the Holy Spirit he lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
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