Strangers - A Sermon for Christmas Eve 2024
GOSPEL: Luke 2:1-14 [15-20]
The holy gospel according to Luke.
Glory to you, O Lord.
God’s greatest gift comes as a baby in a manger. Angels announce the “good news of great joy” and proclaim God’s blessing of peace.
1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
[
15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.]
The gospel of the Lord.
Praise to you, O Christ.
When I was growing up,
we had a doorbell that would play various tunes,
including Christmas carols.
Each year, as Christmas came closer,
we would choose a Christmas carol for our doorbell.
Jingle bells,
Joy to the World,
Deck the halls.
Then came the truly exciting part:
when someone would finally come to our door
and ring the doorbell.
Joy to the world - a visitor has come!
Maybe it was the musical doorbell,
maybe it was the surprise and anticipation,
but as a child,
I used to love hearing the doorbell.
I would often run to the door to see who came to visit.
Fast forward to today,
and we have a similar musical doorbell in our home.
We chose The First Noel to play
when someone rings the doorbell.
But it feels a little different than when I was a child.
When the doorbell rings these days,
it is not my friend from down the street:
it is often someone ignoring my
“No Soliciting” sign
and trying to sell me something.
These days, I do not like when my doorbell rings.
I don’t want the interruption,
and once the doorbell rings,
already I am grouchy, and skeptical about
who is on the other side of my dead-locked door.
Perhaps you can relate.
Times have sure changed.
We live in a time of unprecedented opportunity to connect.
Smart phones and land lines,
email and snail mail, Postal strike aside.
Doorbells and deadlocks,
Social Media and coffee shop;
we have so many ways to connect
with our friends and family.
But connection is changing.
I heard anecdotally from a University of Calgary professor:
she shared that 10-15 years ago,
she would enter the classroom and say:
“Okay people, quiet down, we will begin.”
However these days, she enters the classroom
to people looking at their smartphones
sitting in silence.
It makes me wonder:
in this time of unprecedented connection
are we are choosing to disconnect from one another?
Growing up, I was taught “never talk to strangers”
and now it is easier than ever.
(pause)
I hear the nativity story, year after year,
and as I’ve dwelt in the story these past weeks,
I’ve been struck this year
by the visitors and strangers in the story.
Consider Mary and Joseph,
visiting Bethlehem because of the government census.
We hear the familiar words,
“Mary gave birth to her first born son,
and wrapped him in bands of cloth
and laid him in a manger,
because there was no place for them in the inn.”
When we hear Inn,
we might imagine some kind of ancient hotel,
but there was no “Holiday” before the word inn.
The word translated as inn
is better translated as guest quarters or guest room.
It is unlikely that Mary and Joseph
were looking for public lodging:
they were poor, and couldn’t afford it.
We know that Bethlehem was full of people
registering for the census,
and since this is Joseph’s home town,
They were probably looking to stay
with Joseph’s extended family.
This is an image of what an average home in Palestine
would have looked like 2000 years ago.
You can see the outer walls
would have been constructed with mud and straw,
and there may have been an upstairs living space.
You can see the animals
living inside the home with the people.
The living quarters would be tight;
there would be little room for privacy.
I wonder how many doors Joseph knocked on
until someone welcomed them?
It is likely that Joseph’s family
knew about Mary’s unplanned pregnancy,
and doorbells may have been met with deadlocks.
Eventually someone did welcome them in:
and by welcoming these travelling strangers,
they welcomed God.
When Mary and Joseph did find space,
the guest quarters of the home were likely already
full from visitors that had arrived earlier,
so Mary and Joseph found themselves in the living room.
Jesus, being laid in a manger
might evoke images of a stable,
but more likely,
Jesus was born in a regular living room
with regular people.
Practically speaking,
I’m sure it was not comfortable for Mary;
giving birth away from home,
without her family,
without privacy,
perhaps without a midwife,
perhaps without abundant water and clean sheets,
likely surrounded by animals
and likely some other strange distant family
who may have volunteered to help her
through her labour.
(pause)
And then come the Shepherds.
But don’t think kids colouring book kind of shepherds.
Think regular human beings,
living in the fields,
keeping watch over their flock by night;
these are strangers working the night shift,
on a job no one wants.
Shepherds were dirty, and considered social outsiders.
But these strangers are the people that God chose
to be the first to hear about Jesus:
regular human beings,
just trying to make a living.
The angel says to these strangers
“Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy
for all people. For to you is born, this day, in the city of
David, a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord.
This will be a sign for you: you will find the child
wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.”
The shepherds leave their flock behind
and run to Bethlehem.
And this is exactly what they find.
I wonder how long it took them to find the family?
I wonder how many people sent them away
before finding Jesus?
These shepherds were kind of like the people
that ring our doorbells today.
Outsiders.
Unwanted visitors.
Strangers.
Interruptions.
And shortly after giving birth,
Mary and Joseph welcome these strangers
into their lives
at the most inconvenient time.
These shepherd strangers
tell everyone around the manger
what the angel of the Lord had said,
and they all are amazed.
It’s another little clue for us,
that Mary and Joseph were not alone.
They were welcomed into the home.
But Mary, quite likely an outcast from her family,
lying in straw and dirt,
in someone’s living room;
treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
As Mary gave birth to Jesus Christ,
the Saviour of the whole world,
As Mary holds in her arms the baby
that is the good news of great joy for all the people,
these strangers bring her good news.
These shepherds bless Mary by their presence.
As Mary holds the Word of God in her arms,
the Shepherds bring God’s Word
when they come to visit her,
whether she wanted their visit or not.
As Mary holds the Prince of Peace,
through the welcome,
in the interruption,
the shepherds too bring her peace.
God is at work in the welcome.
God works through the strangers.
When we welcome strangers; we welcome Jesus.
When we welcome strangers, we welcome peace.
People coming door to door
probably aren’t bringing you good news,
unless you’re in the market
for lawn aeration or a better phone plan.
But God chooses unexpected people
to bring about God’s good news.
Jesus, the baby lying in straw, is Immanuel,
which means God with us.
Jesus is the Messiah,
the Saviour of the whole world.
Jesus is good news of great joy for all people -
strangers and non strangers alike.
You welcome Jesus
each time you open the door to your home.
You welcome Jesus
when you listen to that person
that no one wants to listen to.
You welcome Jesus
when you welcome someone
who is asking for help.
This Christmas,
I believe God is inviting us to unlock the deadlocks
to our hearts,
to listen for the sound of God’s doorbell,
and to connect,
to welcome the stranger,
to be open to the other,
the neighbour
the stranger.
That might mean a welcome for:
the person standing beside you at the grocery store,
or the person tailing you on the Crowchild,
or the family member
who is treated more like a stranger,
or whoever it is that rings your doorbell.
Let us practice this:
Can you please turn to someone beside you,
in front or behind,
and tell them “God loves you. You matter.”
Peace is made possible when strangers are welcomed.
God works in the strangers.
God works in the interruptions.
Because of Christmas,
You and I, we are strangers to God no longer.
As Jesus was welcomed into the world
in a living room in Bethlehem,
so Jesus welcomes you at the Lord’s table.
At this table, strangers become family.
In God’s grace,
by the love of our newborn Saviour
by the calling and gathering of the Holy Spirit,
you and I are strangers no more:
we are siblings,
we are the body of Christ.
Thanks be to God! Amen!
