Fourth Sunday of Advent (2)

Scriptures for the Day

Psalm 80:1–7 NIV

Hear us, Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh. Awaken your might; come and save us. Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved. How long, Lord God Almighty, will your anger smolder against the prayers of your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears; you have made them drink tears by the bowlful. You have made us an object of derision to our neighbors, and our enemies mock us. Restore us, God Almighty; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.

Luke 1:39–55 (NIV)

At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me—

holy is his name.

His mercy extends to those who fear him,

from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

but has lifted up the humble.

He has filled the hungry with good things

but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors.”

Sermon

Love: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

And still we wait. Here it is December 22, 2024. Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection and ascension took place sometime between 30 and 33 ad. That’s nearly 2000 years ago. Somewhere between 1994 and 1991 to be exact. Jesus told His disciples He would return and yet, here we are this morning, still waiting. But Jesus told His followers He would not leave them alone but He was sending to them the Holy Spirit and even today, you and I live in this world with the help of the Holy Spirit and with the gifts of God’s grace. The gifts of Hope, and Peace, and Joy.

But what unites these gifts together is the theme of this fourth week of Advent. Love. The only reason we have the gifts of hope, peace and joy is because God loves His children. God loves His creation. The Bible tells us over and over and over again it was God’s love that moved Him to see us in our sinful state and send His Son into the world to live and then to die for us.

The most famous of all of these comes from John 3:16-17 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

This morning, we heard a passage of scripture some call the Magnificat. It is Mary, the mother of Jesus, praising God for what He is doing for His people through her. She recognizes, humbly so, she is a part of God’s restoration of all humanity to Himself. There were a lot of things she did not understand at this point, a lot of experiences she had not had but she believed God was working and somehow she was a part of that. It was confirmed by Elizabeth and the proof of the child growing inside of her. God was up to something.

Now, just like the first three, we have a movie that helps us this week. It’s called, “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”. Now, unlike last week’s A Christmas Carol with over 135 versions, there are only 2. One from 1966 and the other in 2000. I suppose there may be some plays or whatever, but none that I know of.

Now, in this movie, we are introduced to “The Grinch”, a character who despises Christmas and everything it represents. His heart, described as being "two sizes too small," reflects his bitterness and isolation. Determined to ruin Christmas, the Grinch steals the Whos’ decorations, presents, and food. Yet, to his surprise, Christmas comes anyway. The Whos gather to sing, celebrating not the material trappings but the joy of being together. This act of love and community changes the Grinch’s heart, which grows "three sizes that day."

On Christmas morning, the Grinch is listening for the wailing of the Who’s waking up to no Christmas but instead he hears them singing. (Play clip).

Both Mary’s Magnificat and the Grinch give us three critical lessons to learn about love. First, love requires action. Just like God, in love, gives us Christ, so we too, in love, care for others. In love we help those who need help. We encourage those who need encouraged. Second, love is transformational. Just like the Grinch was changed as he experienced the love the Who’s had for each other, so too, our hearts should be changed. If we have been followers of Christ but we have not seen any real significant change in our spirits in all that time, we probably have hearts that are two sizes too small. Third, love witnesses. God sent His Son. Mary testified to what God was doing. The Who’s impacted the Grinch’s heart. You and I are living testimonies of the grace of God and of what He can do in a person.