Scripture Text:
Isaiah 62:6-12
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20
Sermon:
I’d like to rewind from tonight to about three or four days ago. I’m sure many of you were running around, trying to get those few last-minute gifts, trying to get that one last item for your Christmas Day dinner, trying to get to the post office in time to ship an important package to a loved one far away. Or maybe you were doing it yesterday, like I was. I know some of you were, because I ran into three or four groups of parishioners yesterday. I was going a little nuts. I mean, I went to Target three times in one day.
If you’ve been to my office you may have seen my to-do list, which is kept on a yellow legal pad which is completely covered in things I have to get done, people to call, things to check on, stuff to write, and enhanced with little stars on the most important things, lots of arrows connecting one item to another, and several columns of added things to do. Most things I do on the computer, or on my phone, but the to-do list is just… well, it’s complicated. And I have another yellow legal pad at home, and it’s just the same- filled up with more stuff to do.
And it’s not just me. Most of us have lengthy to-do lists, either written or unwritten, all year long; and most of us get frantic leading up to Christmas, especially in the last week. We’ve got to get all of this stuff DONE! The tree must be trimmed, the gifts must be bought, the cards must be sent, the wreath must be hung, the lights must be put up, the roast must be bought and roasted, the egg nog must be drunk, the stockings must be hung by the chimney with care.
I’m also guessing that many of you looked at your list this week, and said, “Something’s gotta give.” You decided you couldn’t do it all, and you had to prioritize, and there was something that would not get done, and that had to be OK.
Well, here we all are- we’ve listened to the ancient prophecy of Isaiah, that salvation has come, and that God’s holy people will not be forsaken. We’ve heard again the familiar Gospel story of the shepherds running to see what angels have told them- that the Savior has been born in a stable and is lying in the manger.
But tucked away in the middle between these two blazing glories is the second reading- this brief little passage from the Letter of Paul to Titus. The Letter of Paul to Titus is one of those little corners of the New Testament that lots of Christians haven’t even heard of. We only hear it in Church on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. But there in that obscure Epistle is this little gem: “When the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy.” This is good news for everyone, but especially for us when we look at our lists and think, “I can’t do it all.”
This is the central principle of the Christian life- this is Grace. Grace is God’s favor toward us- God’s mercy and love, un-earned and undeserved. Grace is why Jesus was born in the first place- he came among us to bring grace. Tonight, the goodness and loving-kindness of God has appeared, for us. For all humankind. By God’s grace.
And grace has nothing to do with what we have or have not gotten done. Grace has nothing to do with any of the things that we freak out about, and nothing to do with any of the things our society tells us are important.
Grace does not depend on what we get done, or what we leave undone.
Grace does not depend on whether we got someone the right present.
Grace does not depend on whether we drive the right car or know the right people.
Grace does not depend on whether the stock market is up or down, or whether our favored candidate wins or loses the election.
Grace does not depend on whether we make enough money, or whether we are employed or unemployed.
Grace does not depend on whether we say “Merry Christmas,” or “Happy Holidays.”
Grace does not even depend on us being morally perfect.
Unlike some other matters we talk about this time of year, God’s Grace does not depend on who’s been naughty or nice.
Grace depends on God, and upon God’s decision to offer it to us. And Jesus Christ, both the baby we love on Christmas Eve/Day, and the adult Jesus who taught and healed and walked among us, and the Jesus who died and rose from the dead, is testimony and proof- that God has decided to be on our side, and to give us that grace which we have not earned and cannot earn.
The story of the Nativity is so familiar that we sometimes miss the details. A decree goes out from the Emperor Augustus to take a census. Governor Quirinius of Syria is in charge of making this happen in his part of the empire. And everyone has to hop to it and get to their home town. There are clearly important people in the world- kings, emperors, governors. They can issue orders and make things happen. They ought to be the kind of people who find our first that the Savior and Messiah of the Lord has been born. Because you’d think they would want to know.
But instead the news comes to shepherds- people who were not respected in their time. People who did not own land, or even the sheep they took care of. People who had no say in the world. People who had very little power to do much of anything, or make very many choices of their own. People that respectable citizens either looked down on, sneered at, or ignored entirely.
But when the Savior was born, they heard the news first- because of his grace, God chose them to hear it straight from an army of angels tearing through the sky with a song of Glory and Peace. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, or if the joys of your life have withered away, if you’re languishing in the emotional wastelands of grief, depression, or addiction, if you’re worried about your job or your house or your debts or your health, if you feel left out or beat up or just feel like a loser- this message comes to you first- Do not be afraid- there is good news of great joy- to you is born this day a Savior.
If you feel completely unable to get it all done, or even unable to make good things happen- take heart. It’s not up do you. The thing you need most has already happened. Grace has appeared, because God has made it happen.
One of the great things about Christmas is that it’s a fixed date- it’s the same every year. Year in, year out, it’s always December 25. And whether everything on your list is done or not, December 25 rolls around, and it’s Christmas again. No matter what. It’s the same with all of the feasts and observances of the church calendar- Easter, Pentecost, Epiphany, whatever- they all come around no matter what. They’re all celebrations of God’s grace, and love, and mercy, each celebration tied to time itself. Just as time keeps on ticking, God’s grace keeps on flowing, no matter what. No matter what.
Christmas is here. No matter what.