Loving God, it is often in the times of deepest darkness that your light shines the brightest.  With that same light, grant us the vision to be able to see your power at work, even during our times of greatest need; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

    The gospel that we heard today is not one that I would probably choose to preach on if I were choosing my own readings.  In fact, it’s probably a part of the story that many people would prefer to ignore.  After all, couldn’t we find something happier with some more good news in it?  However, under the Revised Common Lectionary, which is the cycle of readings that we use, this particular gospel is heard once every three years on the first Sunday of Christmas.  In fact, it is part of Matthew’s telling of the Christmas story.  

    And so, we might actually be led to ask the question as to why Matthew chose to include this part of the story.  He could have finished with the wise men bringing their gifts and worshiping the Christ child, but he doesn’t.  Instead, he goes on to tell about King Herod’s rage, and the flight of the holy family to Egypt, and the slaughter of the innocents.  It seems that the birth of Jesus was not a happy occasion for everyone, and others suffered because of his arrival.  And so, why is it important that we hear this part of the story?

    For one thing, we most certainly become aware of the risk that God took when Jesus was born as a human child.  As much as so many people had been longing for a saviour, there were others (like Herod) who were absolutely threatened by the idea of a Messiah who would bring justice and righteousness.  From what we know about Herod, he had a tendency to be paranoid, and thought nothing of killing members of his own family if he thought they were plotting against him.  Because of this, Jesus’ mission in this world almost ended before it could even start.

    At the same time, we get another glimpse of how life was not all sweetness and light for Mary and Joseph, even though they had been chosen as parents for Jesus because of their faith in God and their desire to do what is right.  Not only did they have the whole virgin birth thing to deal with from the outset, and then the search for a place to have the baby, but now we hear about how they essentially became refugees – forced to leave home and go to another country in order to keep their baby safe.  Serving God did not guarantee them a good life without any tragedies.  However, you can bet that their faith continued to grow stronger as God continued to provide what was needed.

    Some of this, as we have seen, came through angels, and some actually came though the wise men.  It is Martin Luther, in one of his Christmas sermons, who points out that the gifts brought by the wise men would have provided enough money to pay for the trip to Egypt and the time that the family spent there (For All the Saints, Vol. III).  At the same time, there seem to be angels all over the place, not only in today’s gospel, but in the Christmas story as a whole.

    In Joseph’s case, the angels always seem to appear in a dream in order to give their messages, telling Joseph when they need to flee to Egypt, and when they can return to the land of Israel.  At the same time, there is a painting in the Church of the Visitation in Ein Kerem that shows another angel.  It is a story that is never directly mentioned in the Bible, but that makes sense nevertheless when you put it all together.  This particular painting shows Roman soldiers going after some of the baby boys, while an angel is shielding Elizabeth and the infant John the Baptist.  We know that Jesus and John were only about six months apart, and the traditional birthplace of John the Baptist is not far from Bethlehem.  And so he, too, would need to be spared in order to carry out his mission as the forerunner of the Messiah.

    However, as in so many other tragedies from throughout history, some are spared, while others are not.  Of course, this leads into a lot of very deep questions.  While it is impossible to address every question today, there is another passage from later in Matthew in which Jesus makes it clear that a slaughter like this is never the will of God.  Jesus is speaking about children and little ones and about their angels who continually get to see the face of God in heaven (Mt. 18:1-14).  He concludes, “So it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost” (Mt. 18:14).

    Still, it happens – right?  God could have made us good or free, and God chose to make us free.  Every single person in today’s gospel is free to make their own choices.  Joseph is free to listen to the angel’s warning or not.  Herod is free to make his choices, no matter how bad they may be.  Those whom Herod sent to Bethlehem – it was up to them whether they were going to follow orders or not.  And, when Mary and Joseph return to their own land, they are free to decide where to make their home, especially when they learn that Herod’s son is now ruling over Judea.  Sometimes the choices that people make involve seeking God’s direction, and sometimes people only think about themselves.

    Throughout history, God’s people have lived through times of pain, and times of sorrow, and times of persecution, and times of tragedy – and many people during these times have asked where God is.  It is actually out of some of these experiences that some of the most hopeful passages in the Bible have come.  A number of these passages are found in Isaiah.

    Hear the words of Isaiah 49:

But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.”  Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb?  Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.  See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands (Isa. 49:14-16a).

This is God’s message for those who feel forsaken.  “You are my child,” says God.  “I would never forget about you.”

    There is also a well-known passage in Romans where Paul asks, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ?” (Rom. 8:35).  He mentions violence and persecution and famine and distress and even being stripped naked, and asks if these things can separate us from the love of God.  His answer is a resounding “No!” – nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).  And he speaks out of his own experience.

    In thinking about this passage, one of the authors of the Interpreter’s Bible says this: “Though pain strikes like a sharp sword on the bond between the soul and God, it cannot break the bond for those who trust and pray” (Vol. 7, p. 261).  Even in the midst of pain and sorrow, God is with us.  In fact, it is God’s presence and power that carries us through.

    Today’s first reading from Isaiah reminds us that God “became [Israel’s] savior in all their distress” (Isa. 63:8-9).  God also became our Saviour in all our distress and continues to provide what is needed, especially when we are most in need.  Thanks be to God!  Amen.

Christmas 1(A)                                Matthew 2:13-23
December 29, 2013                            Isaiah 63:7-9
St. Luke’s Zion Lutheran Church
Pastor Lynne Hutchison

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