“Love Story”

“Love Story”

Luke 2: 1-20

Sermon by Rev. Caela Simmons Wood

First Congregational UCC of Manhattan, KS

When all the waiting was done….When Mary was certain there was no way her belly could get any bigger...When Joseph had prayed fervently for God to come to him in an another dream and deliver an instruction manual for being a parent….When the midwife had shared words of encouragement and care….

The time for the child’s birth arrived. 

God - that force of Love that had been coursing through and above and within and beyond all of Creation since before Creation was even a THING…..God-with-Us, Immanuel drew near to humanity once again. This time entering our world as an infant. 

Love with a human face. 

But first….before the labor, before the sweat and blood, before the exhilaration and exhaustion, terror and tenderness….BEFORE the birth, we are told that these young parents traveled to Bethlehem….because our story takes place under the shadow of empire. 

And empires run on oppression…empires require that every person be accounted for….every person must have a number. Else, how can an emperor keep the peace if he doesn’t know what he’s working with? Rome didn’t build itself, you know. 

And so….great with child, Mary and Joseph are required to make the trek to Bethlehem, about 90 miles south of their hometown of Nazareth. 

No Ubers or public transit in those days. It likely took the young couple the better part of a week to make the journey. Truly an astounding feat that late in pregnancy. 

Joseph and Mary traveled to Bethlehem because Joseph’s people were from there. He was descended from King David….who, once upon a time, had been a young shepherd boy in Bethlehem. Bethlehem means City of Bread. It also means City of War. The name itself reminds us of two fundamental parts of our humanity….the need for sustenance, which we take from the earth, and our tendency towards conflict and strife. 

The author of Luke’s gospel tells us that Mary gave birth to her first child and swaddled him, laying him to rest in a feed trough. It seems there was no room for them in the main house and so they were relegated to the small side room, likely just outside the kitchen, where the animals came in from the chill of night. 

Despite the crowds present in most Nativity scenes, the only characters in our story at this point in Luke’s gospel are these: Emperor Augustus, who ordered the census; Quirinius who was the Roman governor and gets his name dropped; Mary, Joseph, baby. 

No magi in Luke’s version of the story. No innkeeper anywhere in the gospels. We aren’t told if the animals were housed somewhere else that night or not. For Mary’s sake, I hope so. Though perhaps the presence of gentle beasts would have been a comfort for these two teenagers as they labored together to bring new life into the world. 

The scene so far is this: Mary, Joseph, Jesus. 

Parent, parent, child. A tight circle of love and wonder. 

Upon making this quiet, mundane entry into the world, the Christ-force’s first call out into the world around Bethlehem was to shepherds keeping watch over the flocks that night. 

You know, I’ve heard many-a-sermon about how shepherds were looked down upon. They did dirty work, that’s certain. And they spent a lot of time alone, out on the literal margins of society. They traveled with their flocks….seeking pasture, shade, and water during the day. At night they guided their animals to caves or other safe areas to sleep. They must have been brave…..wandering all over the countryside with just  a big stick and a sling for throwing stones. They must have been rock-solid dependable and dedicated….I am guessing there are no real vacation days from shepherding. They must have possessed the kind of quiet confidence that makes others feel safe. 

In short, I’ve never fully bought the idea that shepherds were lowly. In fact, shepherds were also connected, symbolically, to those most revered and feared in the ancient near east. Time and time again in ancient texts we see various kings referred to as the shepherds of their people. In fact, the scepter that royalty carry is probably closely related to the rod that shepherds carry to defend their flocks. 

As so, shepherds seem to occupy one of those multifaceted spaces in our collective imagination…we look at them and see the full complexity of humanity. They are all of us. And that’s exactly who God called out to first upon arriving earth-side as the infant Jesus. 

Parent, parent, child….shepherds. And, finally: angels. 

First just one, with that classic angel-opening-line “fear not!” The angel basked in the shining glow of the Ancient One and said to the shepherds, “I bring good news….great joy. It’s for all people. This day in David’s city a savior is born, the Anointed One, your ruler. Go now and find the baby, swaddled tightly and lying in a manger.” 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of God’s messengers…..together singing out out, “Glory to God! And on earth peace and goodness for all people.”

The circle is drawn wider, wider still. The Holy Spirit dwells within Mary...and Joseph accepts the invitation to play a role. The Christ child is born...and Love issues the invitation to the shepherds - everyday people just doing their everyday jobs in everyday places. Finally, the angels join the chorus. All of creation singing together of good news, great joy, peace for all people. 

And we, too, are invited to be a part of this story. Whatever our doubts or questions, there is room for all at the manger with Jesus. Whatever our fears or uncertainties, there is room for us at Jesus’s feet. No matter our failures, our messiness, our insecurities, there is room for us at the table of Jesus. 

Christmas is the story of a love that never ends. A love that cannot be broken. A love that has chased humans across the centuries, relentlessly. 

Parent, parent, child….Shepherds...Angels. 

The circle of love is drawn wider, wider still. And there is room for all of us at Love’s table.