Dashing the Darkness: Luke 2:1-20 - The Nativity of Our Lord

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. (NRSV)

Christmas 2017 Lawrence OP on Flickr. CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 

About two weeks ago, my mom called me and asked, “what would you like me to cook for Christmas dinner?”

I didn’t need to think about my answer. I immediately said, “the same things you always cook! Honeybaked Ham. Broccoli and Cheese Casserole. Strawberry Pretzel Salad. Pumpkin Pie”

Why? Because rule #1 at Christmas is: “we’ve always done it this way.” In no other occasion is tradition more important than at Christmas. There’s a sacredness to the foods we eat, the Christmas trees and decorations, the places we go, the people we see—and even the dates and times we choose to do them. We go to great lengths to keep things the way they’ve always been.

Nostalgia is the name of the game. That’s the reason why most of the Christmas carols playing on the radio are from the past; and why TV stations will broadcast one single movie round-the-clock. That’s the reason why they sell little ceramic houses and buildings modeled after the Victorian Era, instead Starbucks or Dollar General. Nostalgia makes us feel good. And yet, we do ourselves a tremendous disservice by looking to the past for the comfort and joy we all long for.

If something or someone is missing this Christmas, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

We call it “the most wonderful time of the year,” but it’s not very wonderful for you if you’ve lost a loved one, if you’ve lost a job or your home, or you can’t afford to buy gifts this year. Maybe, Christmastime has never been wonderful to you. All that Christmastime does for you is dig up painful memories that you’d much rather forget.

But don’t forget that all was neither merry nor bright on the night God came to earth. Jesus was born into a world where the darkness was even more foreboding than the darkness we face today. God’s people were captives of the godless, brutal Roman emperor. His lust for more power sent Mary and Joseph are on a grueling 90-mile journey to Bethlehem, with a baby due at any moment. When the time came for Jesus to be born, the world refused to make room for him. Perhaps because his parents could not buy their way in, or because people didn’t want their night to be disrupted by strangers about to have a baby.

God could have chosen a birthplace of comfort, privilege, and prestige for Jesus; but instead God chose poverty, hardship, struggle, and pain. God said yes to entering this world in a cold, smelly, unsanitary manger. And God chose some shepherds; people who were regarded as the scum of the earth, to be the first to greet the savior of the world. Suddenly, amid the darkness, difficulty, and despair, there was light. God breaks the darkness by showing up. And on that Holy Night, heaven and nature sang out the praises to the God who brings light into our darkness.

There’s something about the light shining the darkness: it’s difficult to see him for who he is when many other things in life are bright. You’re not seeking light when everything’s going your way. So many attempt to light up their lives with possessions and personal success; prosperity and popularity, and to an extent, they succeed. But what happens when those lights go out?

So many believe that for the future to bright, you need to recreate the past. But Jesus doesn’t save us by remaining an infant and sleeping forever in the manger. Jesus grows up and goes out to bring God’s light to all those who dwell in darkness: the helpless, the poor, and the forgotten. Ultimately Jesus will die in a manner not all that inconsistent from the manner of his birth: despised, rejected, and humiliated. We will reject his light and bury it in a tomb. But the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness will not overcome it.

I wish I could tell you that Christ’s birth made everything better for Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. But we all know better. The shepherds will return to their flocks and fields. Mary and Joseph will take the baby Jesus and vacate the manger. Called by God to nurse, feed, clothe, shelter, raise, and educate Jesus—they will face many dangers, toils, and snares. Instead of going home, Mary and Joseph will be forced to live for years as refugees in Egypt. But God will light their way in Jesus Christ.

So on this Christmas Eve, what is the darkness you dread? With 2020 just a week away, what fears and worries are weighing you down? Name these things—because these are where Christ will be your light.

While you’re at it, where do you see darkness? Who needs the light you can bring? Who can you bless with forgiveness? Whose hunger can you bless with bread? Whose loneliness can you bless with your presence?

Christmas comes and Christmas goes, but you won’t find Jesus at the manger. That was only true 2,000 years ago. You will find him here, in our worship—as he feeds you his body and blood. He will go with you when you depart this place, and into the darkness you dread. He will be your light when the future looks bleak. And he is the light you will shine, wherever God’s love takes you. Always remember: the light of Christ doesn’t shine behind you; it shines before you.

We who put our faith in Christ need not fear the darkness, when it comes, and however it comes. God breaks the darkness by showing up. No matter what, “the light will in the darkness, and the darkness shall not overcome it.”