What a Gift

These passages from Matthew and Luke, enlarge the story of the birth of Jesus. Matthew writes very little about the birth, but then writes about the visit from the Magi, the killing of the children, and Mary and Joseph and Jesus going to Egypt.

Luke includes the visit of Joseph and Mary and Jesus to the Temple, to make their offering for the birth of a child. Here they meet Simeon and Anna. Simeon who recognises Jesus as the Christ, Anna who praises God when she sees the child.

How did you feel when you heard about the birth of a child of a close friend, or a grandchild?

How did you feel when you first heard about the birth of Jesus?

For many of us, we have heard the story so often, we don’t remember the first time we heard it, and we have lost the sense of excitement or shock or emotion of first hearing about the birth of Jesus.

Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple when they went to make their offering for the birth of their son. And they meet Simeon, we imagine him to be old, but nothing in the story suggests that.
Simeon recognises the baby as the Christ,
speaks of light and peace
the honour this child will bring to his people
and … then … the words he speaks to Mary “you, will suffer as though you had been stabbed by a dagger.”

Anna, sees the baby and sings praises to God – “She spoke about the child Jesus to everyone who hoped for Jerusalem to be set free.”

The people who travelled from the east were excited, eagerly travelling for many days, weeks or even months to see who it was who born with such a star. Those in Jerusalem were not overjoyed, they were upset and frightened.  I find both responses amazing.

I can’t imagine following a star, just because it’s a special star. These people, probably astrologers, but maybe priests,
didn’t know where the child was to be born.
Didn’t realise that his birth was not into a royal family.
They had no idea who they were looking for.
They thought it was a baby born to be king,
but for them that was born into a royal bloodline, in a palace.
Not born in a stable.
To these people, someone born with such a star to mark their birth was special,
special enough for them to pack up and to travel,
to pay their respects to such a special child.

I also find the response of Herod and Jerusalem amazing. This was a baby, how much of a threat could a baby be – Herod would be unlikely to still be in charge by the time the baby grew up. But such was the family way of handing on power that even a baby was considered a threat. Not someone to keep an eye on, and see what eventuates, but a threat to be wiped out just in case, and kill a lot of others to make sure the threat was done away with. And as we know from the end of the story, Jesus was a threat to Herod, but not in the way Herod had thought.

There were people who followed a star to see this child who had been marked by the heavens as special. Travelling far, bringing gifts with them. There were people willing to kill many children to do away with the perceived threat posed by this one child. Today around the world, we celebrate the birth of Jesus, by having Christmas, a holiday in many countries, special food and traditions, including giving gifts. But beyond the food and celebration, how do we respond to God’s gift to us, this gift of ultimate love, of God becoming human.

Star Gifts

This morning, I have a gift for you. There is some information about this on the front page of the Grapevine.

In these 2 baskets there are stars, each has a word written on it. When the baskets are passed around please take a star, turn it over and have a look at the word. Just as the magi followed a star to be close to Jesus, I pray that this word will speak to you this year, and will encourage you in your relationship with God through Jesus. If you would like to talk with me about your word, we can do that.

Hand out Star Gifts – if you received one on Wednesday please don’t take another one.

We receive gifts from God in many forms. As we think about the gift of Jesus, from birth to crucifixion and resurrection, how do you respond to that gift.

How we respond to God’s gift is up to each one of us to decide.
But if we look in the manger, be prepared to be changed.

If we hang around the stable be prepared to see the light.

If we open ourselves up to God, prepared to know we are loved,
maybe we will find ourselves loving people,
and accepting that God loves even people we disagree with.