RonBlog

Sunday 26th December, 2010 First Sunday after Christmas

Sentence
Because Jesus Himself was tested by what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested.
Hebrews 2:19

Collect
Almighty God, Who wonderfully created and yet more wonderfully restored the dignity of human nature; in Your mercy bring us to share the divine life of Jesus Christ, Who came to share our human life and Who now lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God now and for ever. Amen

Old Testament Lesson Isaiah 63: 7-9

I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD, the praiseworthy acts of the LORD, because of all that the LORD has done for us, and the great favour to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. For he said, "Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely"; and he became their saviour in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord from heaven: O Praise Him in the heights
Praise Him, all His angels: O praise Him all His hosts
Praise Him, sun and moon: praise Him all you stars of light
Praise Him, you highest heaven: and you waters that are above the heavens
Let them praise the name of the Lord: for He commanded and they were made.
He established them for ever and ever: He made an ordinance which shall not pass away.

Epistle Hebrews 2: 10 – 18

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, saying, "I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."
And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Here am I and the children whom God has given me."
Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

GOSPEL Matthew 2: 13 – 23

Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah: "A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead."
Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazarene."

NOTES ON THE READINGS
Old Testament
It is always worth the effort to check up on readings and look at whatever passage in involved to espy the context. Unless one does that, much of what is written in such a short passage tends to be rather useless.
What is more fascinating is to find that Isaiah – in the rather ghastly situation of being exiled in Babylon – sees quite clearly that it will be JHWH who rescues Israel, and will do so at great personal cost, so to speak. If the rescue involved struggle and conflict, then God will do it. This really is a remarkably supportive passage, even if it is expressed in terms that are no longer ‘politically correct’ in our own day and age. (That really does show, simply, how short-sighted is political correctness!)
Psalm
Brief this psalm may be, but read it over a couple of times, please. And then get something of the picture of God that this passage conveys. Not only creation rates a mention, but also ordinances, those ancient verities that underlie and uphold any useful community or culture.
Epistle
Why does God not stop or cut out the rough bits in life? We who live in a press-button age tend to think that all problems should be solved simply and press-button. If you want to grow and develop into mindless, hopeless, uncreative and inexperienced dolts, then keep on thinking that way.
God is into making us into useful, reliable, developing people. And there is only one way to go to reach such goals. Get used to it

GOSPEL
And that harsh reality is inflicted on the Holy Family as well. No excuses or exemptions even for them. Here is a real world faith for the real world, and no mucking about.

NOTES FOR A SERMON
I can only hope that the person of whom I speak never reads this, but .......
We have a rather lovely 21 year-old grand-daughter for whom life has not been all that happy. Her mother was involved in a ghastly motor accident when she was still a child, and she grew up finding it hard to make friends, except for people who either were no great help or were actually a great disadvantage to her. As she matured towards adulthood, she was in a couple of relationships that turned out to be very manipulative, and when the last one broke down, it left her feeling very low, her self-esteem shattered. It was an awful time for her, and even for us it was terrible enough. How does anyone get alongside a person who, quite sure she knew it all, seemed impervious to offers of support.
The point of mentioning this story lies in the outcome: like phoenix from the ashes, this young lady is emerging with great strength, wonderful poise, and great determination. One can look back and wonder, that if she had not gone through the trials and tribulations, she would not be half the person she is becoming.

I have more than a sneaky suspicion that this may be sufficient to set off any number of sermons. What is the most surprising for the Christian – surely- is that whilst one may suspect that if God is God then He can be quite distant from ordinary human struggles. And yet the whole matter of the Incarnation makes it quite clear that God works in more realistic ways than observing foolish humanity from a great height.

We have a Saviour Who knows what it is like to be you, and never stands in distant judgement of you but stands alongside of you right through it all , in the fond hope that, like our grand-daughter, you will ‘use the vale of misery as a well!