The Night and
Christmas
(a sermon in
two voices)
Dr. James Mayfield
Tarrytown United
Methodist Church
December 24,
2003
Text: Luke
2:1-7 (also
Matthew 25:31-46
& 5:14-16)
#1: Once again
it is Christmas
Eve
and time to
celebrate the
light
coming into
the darkness.
This is truly
a proclamation
deserving celebration
because in more
ways than one,
it really is
dark out there.
#2: Each of
us can describe
that darkness
by making lists
of what is wrong,
what is unfair,
unjust, cruel.
#1: Some lists
will focus on
what is wrong
with people
we have to deal
with.
#2: Some of
the lists will
focus on
what is wrong
with ourselves.
#1: Some lists
will focus on
social and economic
problems in
our nation,
or the economic
inequities in
the world.
#2: Some will
focus on
the war in Iraq
and other violent
upheavals
of international
conflict or
tension.
#1: That there
is darkness
out there is
beyond debate.
The question
that is really
a question is
whether or not
there is any
hope
for the mess
we are in.
#2: The question
is whether or
not
what the Gospel
of John proclaims
is true.
Is there light
shining in the
darkness?
If so, where
is it?
Where is the
evidence?
#1: As I thought
about this question,
I remembered
a parable
from the 25th
chapter of Matthew.
It is the parable
about the final
judgment.
Jesus said:
"When the
Son of Man comes
in his glory,
and all the
angels with
him,
then he will
sit on his glorious
throne.
Before him will
be gathered
all the nations,
and he will
separate them
one from another
as a shepherd
separates
the sheep from
the goats."
#2: "Then
the King will
say to those
at his right
hand,
"Come blessed
of my Father,
inherit the
kingdom prepared
for you
from the foundation
of the world;
for I was hungry
and you gave
me food,
I was thirsty
and you gave
me drink,
I was a stranger
and you welcomed
me,
I was naked
and you clothed
me,
I was sick and
you visited
me,
I was in prison
and you came
to me."
#1: And these
will say:
"When did
we see you and
do these things?"
Then the King
will answer
them saying,
"In doing
these things
to those the
world sees as
unimportant,
you have done
these things
to me."
#2: In this
parable or story
it is clear,
Jesus is telling
us we serve
him
when we serve
those in need.
#1: On this
night we celebrate
Christ being
born,
but where is
the Christ to
be found?
Where can we
discover the
light of God
coming into
the darkness
of the world?
#2: This parable
tells us,
we will find
Christ among
those who need
us.
According to
this story,
it is through
the needs of
people
that we encounter
Christ,
whether we are
aware of it
or not.
"Whenever
you served one
of the least
of these,"
Jesus said,
"you were
serving me."
#1: But we
are more accustomed
to thinking
about encountering
Christ
in situations
in which
God's grace
serves us and
meets our needs.
Many of us can
tell stories
about
God's grace
coming into
our lives,
such as stories
about times
we did not think
we could go
on,
and yet, by
the grace of
God, we moved
on.
#2: Or, we can
tell about
times when our
lives were in
such a mess
we felt we were
lost in the
dark,
and we prayed
for some kind
of light,
and to us came
enough light
to take the
next step,
and then the
next,
and then the
next.
#1: We are
accustomed to
thinking about
Christ coming
to us,
giving us what
we need
to face what
we must face
and power to
move on.
#2: We are
accustomed to
thinking about
Christ coming
into our lives
with blessings
that enable
us to achieve
worthy goals
and to have
a sense of accomplishment.
#1: To be sure,
this is one
way grace comes
into our lives.
But this is
not the only
way.
As Matthew 25
makes clear,
Christ also
comes to us
in the form
of need.
#2: The truth
of the matter
is
Christ entered
the world as
one in need.
He came as a
baby,
a helpless,
vulnerable baby,
born to an unwed,
teenage mother.
His maternity
ward was a cave
that was used
as a barn to
shelter sheep.
In the midst
stink and hay
he was born,
and his first
crib was a feed
trough.
#1: Can you
think of anything
or anyone
that is more
vulnerable and
helpless
than a newborn
baby?
A baby is a
bundle of need,
and unless those
needs are met,
the baby will
not survive.
#2: There
is a lesson
in the birth
of Jesus.
The incarnation
of God
did not come
among us like
a powerful general
leading an army
of angels
to rescue us
from
all we need
to be rescued
from.
The Son of God
first came among
us,
like all other
babies who have
been born,
a crying bundle
of needs,
a helpless infant
who needs to
be fed,
who needs his
diaper changed,
who needs to
be held and
protected.
#1: The Christ
made his entrance
into the world
as one who is
in need.
So, it should
come as no surprise
that he should
try to teach
us
that one of
the places
we are most
likely to encounter
him,
is in situations
of need.
#2: This is
a major part
of the message
implied in the
Christmas story
and clearly
the message
made explicit
in the 25th
chapter of Matthew.
It is in the
needs of others
that we are
most likely
to meet Christ.
#1: It may
well be that
one of the greatest
gifts
God has given
us through Christ
is the gift
that comes in
being needed.
And perhaps
it is only those
of us
who at one time
or another have
experienced
the hell of
seeing ourselves
as
useless and
unneeded
who fully appreciate
this special
gift
of being given
the importance
of being needed.
#2: I suppose
most of us have
seen the classic
movie
"It's A
Wonderful Life."
The main character,
George Bailey,
is caught in
the midst of
a crisis
and is contemplating
suicide.
The way his
guardian angel,
Clarence,
saves him
is by jumping
into the river
before George
does
and crying out
for George to
save him.
#1: Clarence
intentionally
placed himself
in a situation
of needing help,
and when George
Bailey rescued
Clarence,
it was the beginning
of George Bailey
being rescued.
How often it
is true,
that in responding
to some significant
need,
we discover
our deeper needs
are met.
Grace that saves
us and leads
us to healing
quite often
first appears
in our lives
in the form
of need.
#2: A man who
was overloaded
with work
learned a colleague
who had few
friends
had received
heartbreaking
news.
The man put
his work on
hold
and went to
be with his
colleague,
just to say
he cared and
was there for
him.
It was an obvious
gift of grace
to the heartbroken
colleague,
but it was not
just this colleague
who was blessed.
When we are
engaged in doing
what we know
is the right
thing to do
and we know
it is truly
needed,
we often experience
a kind of joy
and peace
our agenda conscious
world
simply cannot
comprehend.
#1: A teenager,
suffering the
anguish of loneliness
that comes with
moving to a
new town,
in the summer
when school
is out
was in his front
yard mowing
the grass.
Another teenager
he had met at
church
happened to
drive by,
saw him, stopped
and asked
if he would
like to go with
him to a movie.
Both were blessed,
and neither
may have been
aware of Jesus
saying:
"I was
a stranger and
you welcomed
me."
#2: A law
that was focused
on improving
profits of the
wealthy
at the expense
of those
who have the
weakest political
voice,
was challenged
by someone with
power,
and that led
to changes that
instead of harming
the poor,
was of benefit
to those with
the least.
And Jesus said:
"I was
hungry and you
fed me,
naked and you
clothed me."
#1: God's
grace not only
comes to us
in what Christ
does for us
but also in
Christ's need
of us.
As we contemplate
the helpless,
vulnerable
Christ child
lying in a manger,
this is part
of the message
in Christmas.
#2: It is
in giving ourselves
to meet the
needs of others
that we are
most likely
to experience
the special
joy and peace
Christmas can
bring.
#1: And when
this happens,
when we reach
out to serve
the needs of
others,
the light that
has come into
our darkness
shines in us
and through
us.
#2: This light,
the light of
Christ,
as come into
the world and
its darkness,
and the darkness
has not overcome
it.
#1: Let us
pray:
God, the calendar
tells us this
is the night
we celebrate
the birth of
Christ. In ways
calendars cannot
measure, and
only you know
for sure, may
this be the
night Christ
is born in us
and among us,
shaping our
lives with both
his gifts and
his need. Amen.
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