Sermon – St Oswald’s Christmass Midnight Communion 2022 - Luke 2:1-20
‘Fear not said he, for mighty
dread had seized their troubled minds.’
Why had a mighty dread seized
the troubled minds of the shepherds – what were they so afraid of?
Well, the story continues and
tells us that an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord
shone around them.
Not your average evening
watch out on the hills with the sheep then.
And if we have been reading
this story, we will have noticed this is a recurring pattern – fear when an
angel of the Lord appears.
Zechariah, husband of Elizabeth and father of John the Baptizer.
We are told of his encounter
with an angel and that he was startled and grasped by fear. And bear in mind
that Zechariah was a priest, and he was in the Temple offering up incense as
part of the ongoing worship.
Then Mary, a young girl, who
according to some scholars could have been as young as twelve or thirteen, when
she had an angelic visitor, she was ‘greatly troubled.’
The response of the shepherds
is totally understandable for all sorts of reasons, not least that the Jewish
people of this time would have known their Scriptures and that God, whose very
name they would not write down or even pronounce, was awesome, fearsome, a
consuming fire.
They would have known that
only one person, once a year, could enter God’s presence because of the awesome
glory of God was so mighty and powerful.
Like entering a dangerous
situation when you put on protective clothing, the High Priest had to go
through an elaborate ceremony of preparation before going beyond the special
curtain and entering the Holy of Holies in the Temple.
Is it any wonder then that
these shepherds were terrified.
But this awesome, powerful,
glorious God chose to come and live among us, born into a human family,
vulnerable and weak. God putting his trust in Mary and Joseph. Immanuel – God
with us.
Now that’s worth pausing and
pondering upon – just what does that mean?
Meanwhile back with the shepherds ‘watching their flocks by night.’
If one angel isn’t scary
enough suddenly there is a whole host of them, singing and praising God…
‘Glory to God in the highest,
and peace upon earth among
those in his favour.’
But as we sit here tonight, I
don’t imagine a fear of God is uppermost in most of our minds.
One of the reasons our fears
may be dissipated is that we know the story of the torn curtain in the temple that
barred access to God. And that now anyone can access Almighty God at any time
and at any place. That we are all invited into a deep and loving relationship
with this awesome, powerful, and almighty God mediated through Messiah Jesus.
This is where the story of
the birth of Jesus is heading – which is why it is Good News.
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 Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
There is a lot to unpack in
that pronouncement especially that last line with this little baby born as all
other babies had been and would continue to be – but this baby we are being
told is a Saviour, the Messiah and Lord.
However, I think if we are honest the fears most in our minds as we sit here tonight (but not watching sheep) are far more immediate and pressing than the fear of God, or an angelic visitation.
Fear of rising fuel costs,
watching those numbers on the smart metre climb and climb as you try to keep
warm.
Fear of food shortage. Fear
for friends and family from whom you are estranged, or they are far away
somewhere. Fear because it seems the world is going to hell in a handcart. Fear
of the war in Ukraine and the threat of escalation. Fear over environmental
issues. Fear for our own health or the health of someone we love. Fear of spending another Christmass alone or
of facing another year alone.
I wonder what fears you are
carrying in your mind and heart tonight.
Fear and being afraid is a
natural response without which we could not function.
For the most part fear is
perfectly natural and normal and warns us of dangers.
But we also know that fear
can become all-consuming and have a destructive power.
Here’s a question then – was
Jesus the Messiah every fearful and afraid?
The answer is yes – in the
Garden of Gethsemane when he knew what lay ahead of him. To be arrested, tortured,
and then put to death in one of the most painful ways ever devised.
The Gospel accounts speak of Jesus suffering a very rare condition now known as Hematidrosis, sweating blood due to extreme stress or fear.
Jesus faced a fear way beyond
anything we are likely to face.
And this Jesus said…
'I give you peace, the kind of peace only I can
give. It isn't like the peace this world can give. So don't be worried or afraid.
So
don't be worried or afraid.
Well,
I have already said fear is a natural part of our human nature to keep us from
doing daft things, so perhaps we need to explore a bit more of what our fears
are. Asking are they rational and explainable and perhaps even solvable.
For
me, about this time of year 48 years ago, I embraced the Christian faith with a
passion. And what I have found is the veracity of another statement by Jesus
the Saviour about having peace.
In
Me, said Jesus, you may have peace. In the world you have troubles but take
courage; I have overcome the world.”
Because
the story doesn’t end with the birth of Jesus, not even with the crucifixion,
but with the resurrection.
This special Easter candle, sometimes called a Paschal Candle, is lit on Resurrection Sunday, Easter Day.
A
sign and a symbol of light overcoming the darkness.
In
the opening words of John’s Gospel, we read…
In
him (Jesus) was life, and the life was the light of humanity. And the light
shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.
This
was Jesus, God with us, Perfect Love come down to us, overcoming all the worst
that the world could do to him and overcoming it.
And this Perfect Love that
has overcome the world is practically expressed through those who have heeded
and responded to the message of the angels….
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 Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This Perfect Love is practically
expressed through God’s people, so that we may find strength, comfort, and the
means to navigate through our fears, concerns, and worries. For example…
Food banks for the hungry,
debt counselling for those in financial difficulty, befriending the lonely,
comforting the bereaved, guidance for both young and old, a place of belonging,
a family.
And so much more, so much,
much more...
This Perfect Love, this Jesus,
invites us to live in a radical way and encourages us not to allow ourselves to
be squeezed into the way of the world, especially in its worst excesses of
greed and grabbing.
‘Fear not said he, for mighty
dread had seized their troubled minds.’
What ‘mighty dread’ is
seizing your mind?
I wonder if it is time you
took a fresh look at Jesus not only ‘away in a manger’ - but as Saviour – Messiah
– Lord – Immanuel.
‘Heaven's arches rang
When the angels sang
Proclaiming Thy royal degree;
But of lowly birth
Didst Thou come to earth,
And in greatest humility.
O come to my heart, Lord
Jesus,
There is room in my heart for
Thee.’
Well let me ask you straight
out – is there any room in your heart for Jesus tonight?
‘What can I give Him, poor as I am?
If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb;
If I were a Wise Man, I would do my part;
Yet what I can I give Him: give my heart.’
Right here and right now you
could invite Jesus into your heart as Lord and Saviour, saying….
‘O come to my heart Lord Jesus, there is room
in my heart for you.’
Who knows, if you do that, and
if you listen very carefully, you might hear angels singing!
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