Christmas 1
Shelagh Balfour

Luke 2:22-40

In April of 1943, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was arrested for his involvement in Resistance to the Nazi regime. As a result, he spent the final two years of his life in prison. In letters he wrote to his parents and to friends, the reader sees the man behind such works as Life Together, which we studied a few years ago at St. Peter’s. His desire to protect his parents from worry is evident as are his hopes, his fears, his times of depression, and his times of joy.

As Dietrich Bonhoeffer approached his first Christmas in prison, he accepted that his hope for release before the holiday would not be realized. And, while he was disappointed, he was also resolved not to let the resulting loneliness get him down. To his parents he wrote:

For a Christian, there is nothing peculiarly difficult about Christmas in a prison cell. I daresay it will have more meaning and be observed with greater sincerity here in this prison than in places where all that survives of the feast is its name……That God should come down to the very place that men usually abhor, that Christ was born in the stable because there was no room for him in the inn – these are things which a prisoner can understand better than anyone else. For him the Christmas story is glad tidings in a very real sense.

Bonhoeffer closed the letter this way: It will certainly be a quiet Christmas for everybody, and the children will look back on it for long afterwards. But for the first time, perhaps, many will learn the true meaning of Christmas.

I don’t know about you but, over the years, I’ve heard a great many people weigh in on what the true meaning of Christmas is. Family being all together is one. In fact, along with gift giving, it is what our current secular celebrations are based on. It’s what’s made Christmas hard for lots of people this year. People also say that kindness to strangers, giving to those in need, or peace on earth, show the true meaning of Christmas.

Now, all of these are very good things. Bonhoeffer longed to be home with his family for Christmas and, in the heart of the Second World War, I’m sure he prayed daily for peace on earth. But, when he talked about the true meaning of Christmas he had something else in mind. This morning’s reading from the gospel of Luke helps us unpack what that is.

By this morning, presents have been opened and the wrapping cleared away, treats have been enjoyed, and the family Zoom visits made. The busyness of ordering gifts, writing cards, and connecting with friends is done. For many, that means Christmas is over. But the gospel tells us that the story goes on, the true meaning of Christmas continues to unfold.

Today’s reading comes from Luke and starts about halfway through the second chapter of the gospel. It’s worth looking at the first chapter-and-a-half because Luke has packed in far more than we might realize. Here he is setting the stage for the gospel that follows; you might say, telling us the true meaning of Christmas by telling us both who Jesus is, and what he has come to do. He does this through a variety of speakers beginning with the angel who comes to Mary. One after the other, Elizabeth, Mary, and Zechariah add their voice to fill out the picture. Some of them even break into song.

As a result, in one-and-a-half short chapters we know that Jesus is holy – that is, set apart. He is the Son of God, a Ruler in the line of David, and he is Messiah. We also know he is rooted in the history of Israel, promised by God through the prophets of old. Pretty significant credentials.

At the same time, we learn something about his purpose. Jesus is the promised Saviour, one who will turn the status quo upside down, and rescue Israel from injustice and oppression. Most of this we know before Jesus is even born.

We pick up the story in the Temple. The verse just before tells us that Jesus was circumcised when he was 8 days old, in accordance with the law. Mary and Joseph go to the Temple to offer sacrifice for her purification and present their new son, all according to the law. This adds important information about Jesus’ identity; that is, he is a Jew, born under the law. He is raised by devout parents who follow the observances of their faith. This further roots Jesus in the history and character of the people of Israel.

While they are in Temple, Joseph and Mary meet Simeon, an ancient and devout man who has been promised that, before he dies, he will see the consolation of Israel, the Lord’s Messiah. Simeon gives the most specific account so far of what this babe in arms has been born to do. And for the first time, we are given a sense of the cost of that mission. First, Simeon reveals that Jesus has not come just to the people of Israel. His rule will extend far beyond the physical boundaries set in David’s time and will encompass the whole world.

Second, Simeon turns directly to Mary and tells her: This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed, and a sword will pierce your own soul too. There will be opposition. There will be devastating heartbreak. This turning upside down of the status quo cannot be done any other way.

And yet, this is a story of great hope, a story of salvation, because this child brings light into the world, and this child is destined for the falling and rising of many. It is often thought that this phrase, the falling and rising of many is another example of the powerful falling and the weak rising, but that is not the case. What the Greek says is that Jesus is destined for the fall and rising again of many.

So here we find the true meaning of Christmas and we discover that what we are celebrating is the Incarnation. Jesus, Son of God, comes into the world, born into the line of David, to bring Salvation to all people. He will rule, but not the way people expect. Instead, he will turn the status quo upside down, laying bare people’s true thoughts and motivations. He will face opposition and suffering, which will lead to the fall and rising again of many.

And, of course, we know that the first to fall, and the first to rise again will be Jesus himself. He will bring salvation and conquer the world through an ugly death on a cross. And he will rise again to new life, inviting all of us to follow in his steps.

In the words of the Epistle set for today: When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

Amen. Thanks be to God.