Monday, December 27, 2010

CHRISTMAS DAY
December 25, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: Word of Christian Worship Hymn #54 (Luke 2:8-20)

“WHERE SHEPHERDS LATELY KNELT…
WE KNEEL TOO!
1. In half belief.
2. Finding room and welcome for me.
3. Finding a voice to cry for me.
4. Surprised to find Isaiah?
5. Can I, will I?

Pretty much everybody loves Christmas Carols. Oh, we might quibble about whether the radio stations should start with “all carols all the time” before Thanksgiving. We might debate on how long they should go after Christmas. We can even have differences of opinions on which ones we like or don’t like. Still, pretty much everybody likes Christmas carols. Mostly old ones. Sometimes new. From the feedback I get one of new favorites is the one we just sang, “Where Shepherds Lately Knelt.” It was published in 1987, not that long ago. And yet the combination of the right tune with some meaningful words provides a great Christmas carol. So I’m going to step outside my box just a little bit and preach on the text of a this carol that helps us revisit the events of Christmas. Where shepherds lately knelt, we kneel too.
We kneel in half belief. Can you imagine being those shepherds that first Christmas night? An angel. The angel hosts. Did we really see that? Let us go to Bethlehem and see if it’s true. And it is. We find everything just as the angel said. And yet still it’s hard to believe it’s all true. He looks like an ordinary baby. Is He really my Savior? Half belief. Honesty is so refreshing isn’t it? So many people wear masks. They hide their true intentions behind syrupy smiles. Sometimes those who proclaim their Christianity the loudest really aren’t. Half belief in the wonderful truths God proclaims. Honestly that’s a good description of me. Is it of you too? That well turned phrase makes me think of the man we are told about in the Gospels who begged Jesus to heal his son who was demon possessed. Jesus told him everything is possible for those who believe. The man honestly replied, “I do believe. Help me overcome my unbelief.” I think of Jesus’ sweeping statement that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed you can tell a mountain to go and throw itself into the sea and it will. I haven’t tossed any mountains into the sea lately. Neither have you. Half belief. It’s the best we can do with the promises of God.
And you know what the neat thing is? My half belief doesn’t affect God’s truth! God’s truths are true even if no one believes them. God’s truths stand true when my faith is smaller than a mustard seed. Our half belief in the God man in the manger doesn’t change who He is. As we kneel where the shepherds lately knelt we are so glad that our weakness of faith does not diminish God’s greatness or what He will do for us.
We are glad of that because as our carol goes on to exclaim, “There is room and welcome there for me!” One of the more uncomfortable situations life presents is when you find yourself in a place that you are not really welcome. Now you’ve probably never had one of those made for Hollywood moments when you walk into a room and all the talk and music go silent as every head turns to look at you. But you have probably found yourself, maybe even at a family gathering, where people were uncomfortable around you. Sometimes that hurts. It hurts to know you are not wanted. On the other hand it sure feels good to be where you are wanted. When we kneel with the shepherds at the manger of Jesus we find there is room for us and welcome for us and this is a surprise. It’s a surprise because of who we are and what we have done. I remember a Seminary professor once reminding us, his students, to remember that there are generally more broken hearts sitting in church pews that hardened ones. I would suspect that on Christmas Day when many don’t really do church, that this is doubly so. We want to be here because we are broken hearted. We know our sinfulness. We know we don’t belong in God’s presence. Once again this past year we can see our betrayals of Jesus and our denials in our own ways. I know for myself and you know for yourself why all the music should stop and the heads turn and someone should be saying, “What’s he doing here?” But that’s not what happens. Jesus welcomes us and wants us. That’s why He came.
And it’s what we find as continue to kneel where the shepherds lately knelt, we find a still small voice to cry for us. At first that voice belonged to a baby. What do you think of baby’s crying? Do you like to hear them or not? It really depends on context, doesn’t it? For instance when a baby is just born you want to hear it cry. That’s a beautiful noise. Later when it’s the middle of the night and mom is hoping to get a little sleep it isn’t so nice. I don’t mind hearing babies crying in church, as long as it doesn’t go on too long. Babies crying in church means parents are bringing their little ones to hear God’s Word. That’s a good thing. At other times babies crying can simply be annoying. There is nothing annoying and there is only good at the baby in the manger who is going to cry for me, for you. He won’t stay a baby. He will grow to be the perfect God man who did His job, sacrificed Himself for us, was exalted by God and is at His right hand. Now His voice cries out to defend us. When Satan, the accuser comes and points out all our sins, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense, Jesus His Son. Remember that. Do you have a broken heart? Some sins bothering you? Jesus is speaking up for you. He is committed to having you in heaven.
Now we should know that and believe that because God said so. And yet how often don’t we find ourselves surprised when God comes through for us? Our carol writer puts it this way, “How should I not have known Isaiah would be there?” I probably would have said, “Duh!” The Scriptures tell us that often the prophets did not know exactly what their prophecies pointed to. They knew Who but not all the details and they searched the Scriptures to gain understanding. Yet they could only know what the Holy Spirit revealed. And still God’s people are slow to believe. It makes me think of the many times before He died that Jesus spoke plainly with His disciples telling them that He would die and rise again three days later. Yet they still were expecting to find a dead Jesus. How could they not have known? All the prophecies that the Lord revealed to His people through Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Micah, they all have the purpose of giving God’s people confidence that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of peace. We’re no different. How often don’t we find ourselves surprised when God came through for us—again? Next time you catch God again keeping His promises to you for help, provision, working all things for good, remember this carol and say, “How should I not have known?” or “Duh!” if you prefer!
Now can I, will I forget? That’s the penetrating question in the last verse of “Where Shepherds lately knelt.” It makes you stop and think and do something with the Christmas message. “Can I, will I forget how Love was born and burned its way into my heart unasked, unforced, unearned? That’s God’s way. The Gospel way. Not the law way of force and fear and manipulation. The way of love, unasked, unforced, unearned. It makes you ask, “Why me Lord?” Why do you put me into a family that believed your promises of Baptism, and brought me to the font where You did your work? I didn’t ask for that. I certainly didn’t earn it. And you came in love? Why me, Lord? You can ask the same question. The carol writer chose to focus our attention on another question. Can I, will I forget what has happened here? “Can,” am I able to. “Will,” do I want to? Will I really live the rest of today as a grump and a grouch? Will I live burdened by guilt? Will I leave to live like the people who don’t know Christ, wallowing in self seeking and self serving and never finding peace joy and happiness in Jesus? Yes, I can, but No I won’t. I will remember the one came to die and live for me and I will seek to serve Him with joy. I hope you will too.
For, this Christmas morning where shepherds lately knelt, we have knelt too. Not on our knees physically, but in our hearts with humility and reverence for our God has done great things for us. May His name be praised! Amen.

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