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Christmas Eve/Day
December 25, 2003
The World's Child
Isaiah 9:2-7
Psalm 96
Luke 2:1-14 (15-20)
Titus 2:11-14
All the world is familiar with birth, but this birth is for all the world. “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end...” (Isaiah 9:7) “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Psalm 96:3) “In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled.” (Luke 2:1) “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all...” (Titus 2:11)
I can imagine the first readers of the first Isaiah saying to themselves, “This is nice, but how is God going to do this? Even if David returned to the throne in Jerusalem today, we would still be a puny nation among giants.” Of course, their perspective was as our is, that human beings are mightier than God and the sinful intentions of human beings will always prevail.” There is another way to look at life. It is the way of Christmas. It is the perspective that God is mightier than we, and that God’s saving intentions will prevail. Isaiah didn’t know how. The Psalmist didn’t know how. Caesar didn’t know how. Mary didn’t know how. But, they were all part of God’s power, each perhaps thinking all the while that God was strangely inactive.
My wife brought home a figurine scene for her angel and creche collection. Beside the infant in the manger were a lamb and two pre-pubescent children in training wings. When I turned it over to make the snow fall on the bare baby in the watery sphere, I saw the label, “Made in China.” “Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end...” I thought. How can a laborer turn out Christmas decorations all year and not ask what this is for? If I were whittling out prayer wheels for Tibet all my waking hours, I would want to know how they were used and why. There would be a readiness in me for the whole story.
So, originally, Caesar sent out a decree that all the world should be enrolled, and now he sub-contracts the production of decorations around the world, all the while thinking the prophet’s words are fanciful. Caesar acts; God watches.
Christmas eve is a night to stop acting and start watching. It is a night to watch God act. It is not a night to complain about the crowded inn or the commercialization of Christmas. It is a night to train a finer sense and conceive a different perception. Trained by every other sense throughout the year to think of the evil intentions of human beings as ineluctable; battle weary, convinced that it is by our might alone disaster has been delayed; grasping at the palest light of hope -- a global warming treaty; we sink into the pew waiting to be jerked up like the shepherds. What is it?! Not another birth, but the birth. The birth of a viable future for the world. The birth of hope. The only birth of God. Not Mary’s child. Not the Christian God. The world’s child. The creator of the world. Mary doesn’t say this is her child. She knows it was the world’s child. Bless us tonight to sense the birth of the world’s child.
December 25, 2003
The World's Child
Roland McGregor, Pastor
Asbury United Methodist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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