02 - The Feast Of The Nativity - The Infancy Of Christ And The Experience Of Christmas

Introduction:

The nativity feast offers so many rich themes (Shepherds, stars, wise men…) But rarely do you hear a sermon about the infancy of Christ and it’s impact on Christmas.

I do not think we give proper attention to the concept of God as a child. We often speak of the humanity of Christ, the divine nature of Christ, the resurrection of Christ, but far less about the infancy of Christ.

Proposition: The infancy of Christ opens to us the true meaning and experience of Christmas.

Sermon Preview:

There are three ideas I want to share with you tonight related to the infancy of Christ and its connection to Christmas.

The Humility Of The Child

The Accessibility Of The Child

The Victory Of The Child

Transition: So, let's start with

I. The Humility Of The Child

Luke 2: 11-12 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. [12] And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

Illustration:

I want you to imagine for a moment that by some strange act of magic, you find yourself inside the body of a dog. You forfeit the dignity, ability, and honor of being a human and embody the limitations and indignities of being an animal. While you understand art, morality, the sciences, mathematics, proper grammar, and interpersonal relationships, you find you are whistled into the house, told to lay down,and compelled to howl at the moon or bark when someone approaches the yard.

This does not even approaches the injustice Our Lord faced when He was incarnated. To understand the injustice of the Nativity, we would have to multiply the level of humiliation by an infinite amount.

Observation

The mystery of the humanity of Christ, that He sunk Himself into human flesh, is beyond all human understanding.

That God would become man is mystery enough for a lifetime of contemplation, but that He would come in abject poverty sends our minds spinning even further.

Let us focus on three keywords - babe, swaddling, the manager:

Babe - Jesus comes in absolute poverty, total vulnerability, complete defenselessness.

Swaddling - Not a king's garment but wrapped in a single white cloth, the clothing of a pauper, merely covering his nakedness. He is not trying to impress us with His image.

Manger - The opposite of a king's palace, instead, a cave, riddled with animal feces and urine. From His birth, Christ identifies with impoverished humanity.

Interpretation

We find the most striking revelation about the Christmas mystery in this imagery. That we need not fear God. He enters our hearts not by frightening us, proving his power and authority, but by love alone.

Illustration

In the movie "love actually," a quirky blonde secretary falls in love with the prime minister of England. She can not express her feelings to the Prime minister, as she perceives him far too important to care for her, so she keeps her feelings to herself and does not mention them to anyone.

In a crazy turn of events, the prime minister is also in love with her. On Christmas eve, unable to hide his passion any further, he sets aside his position and honor, drives to the poor side of town, and proclaims his love for her.

Once the Prime Minister made it known his feeling for her, she was free to love him back, express her feelings, and enter into a love relationship.

Application

Similarly, this is what God has done for us. He has entered into the humiliation of taking on human flesh to say I love you first in order that we can safely say I love you back.

1 John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

The humility of Christmas is God willing to suffer the great indignity of becoming human, even a poor child, to demonstrate His love for the world.

Transition:

So we have seen the humility of the child, now let’s look at…

II. The Accessibility Of The Child

Matthew 18:3 "Truly I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

The child narrative does not end with Our Lord at the Nativity; it extends to us also.

While the theology of Christmas can take a lifetime to understand, the experience of Christmas is immediate.

Today most people are unchurched. Most Christians do not read the bible; they do not study theology or even have a consistent prayer life. Because of this, the deep mysteries of Christmas can be elusive, but what is not elusive is the emotional connection to Christmas.

Let me explain what I mean...

Illustration:

When I was a child, the most popular cartoon was Superman. Now Superman was a superhero from another planet. He looked like an ordinary man (Clark Kent), but as it turns out, he is extraordinary. He comes to Earth to defend the innocent, overcome evil, and save this broken world.

Now, I probably do not need to point out the similarities between Superman and the Gospel narrative. Somehow, intrinsically the comics knew that what the world needed was a superhero; he needed to come from the outside and fix the inside. He needed superpowers because this world could not heal itself or restrain evil.

What is most interesting is that it's a comic for children. It was not an adult show. Why?

Observation

Adults, even those most sympathetic to "religious themes," desire and expect religion to give explanations and analysis; they want it to be intelligent and serious.

Opponents to Christianity are just as serious, and in the end, just as dull, as they confront religion with a hail of "rational" bullets.

In our society, nothing better conveys our contempt than to say "it's childish." In other words, it's not for adults, for the intelligent and serious. So children grow up and become equally serious and boring.

Yet Christ said, "become like children "Truly, I tell you," He said, "unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

We gain access to the message of Christmas when we approach it as children. What does this mean?

Interpretation

What has been choked, drowned, or deafened by a thick layer of adulthood?

Above all, the ability to wonder, rejoice, and, most importantly, be whole in joy.

Adulthood chokes our ability to trust, let go, and give oneself wholly to love and believe with all one's being.

And finally, children take seriously what adults are no longer capable of accepting: dreams, which break through our everyday experience and our cynical mistrust, that profound mystery of the world and everything within it revealed to saints, children, and poets.

Illustration

Last year, just before the liturgy of the Nativity, Will (my altar boy and nephew) entered the candle-lit sacristy and said to me - "this is my favorite part of Christmas, referring to Holy Mass."

Notice he didn't say presents, the Christmas tree, or time with the family. He was expressing something profound, the experience of God without precondition. The knowledge of God without theology, without analysis, and fear. Letting go entirely and entering in wholly to the moment of Christmas.

Application

Listen to our Lord again - "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

Only when we break through to the child living (hidden) within us can we inherit as our own the joyful mystery of God coming to us as a child.

We are given a child, and only as children can we, in turn, love him and give ourselves to him.

God replaces intellect with faith, analysis with dreams, and rationality with wonder.

Through the feast of Christmas, the Church reveals to us a joyful mystery: the mystery of freely given love imposing itself on no one and received by children.

Transition:

So we have seen the humility of the child, the Accessibility of the child, finally, let us look at ...

III. The Victory Of The Child

Matthew 2:8 "Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."

Too often, we ask the questions this story undoubtedly raises for modern readers: who were these wise men who came from the East to worship Christ? How do we understand the star that led them to Bethlehem? Which prophets foretold the birth of the Savior in Bethlehem? And so on.

These questions have all been researched by many scholars of Holy Scripture, and while their conclusions are interesting, the most crucial aspect of the story is elsewhere: Herod's reaction.

Illustration

In the same way that a small vine can slowly choke the life out of a great oak, so does the humility of a tiny babe claim victory over the evil of this world.

Observation

Historically, we know that Herod reigned in Palestine with the consent and protection of the Roman occupiers and that he was a cruel and unjust tyrant.

In his reaction to the birth of Christ, the gospel gives us an eternal portrait of earthly authority whose sole purpose and full strength is devoted to holding, wielding, and defending its power against any perceived threat to its existence.

Don't we so well know this experience?

Interpretation

Above all, Herod is fearful and suspicious. How could a child possibly be a threat, a child for whose very birth no place could be found except a cave?

But for Herod it was enough that someone—in this case, those mysterious wise men from the East—gave the name "king" to this unknown, poor and helpless child.

Nothing more was needed to set in motion the machinery of criminal investigation, search, interrogation, and persecution.

"Then Herod secretly called the wise men …" It had to be in secret, for this type of authority knows it can operate only when its work is carried out in secret, and that means without law, without justice.

And then, "Go," Herod tells the wise men, "and search diligently for the child."

He gives the order to investigate, to "build a case," to prepare it carefully, so there are no slips or blunders as the reprisal is readied.

And then a lie: "Bring me word, that I too may come and worship Him." How often we have seen this kind of lie that takes shape so methodically as it prepares to strike.

And finally, the insane and bloody reprisal: to destroy one, kill hundreds. Take no chances; stop at nothing.

And all to protect the coveted power which has no other means of support except violence, cruelty, and readiness to kill.

The light of Christmas meets the darkness of evil power corrupted by fear and suspicion.

On one side: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace, goodwill among men."

And on the other side, a terrifying, perpetual bad will, the dying breath of a dead regime which hates the light, the world, freedom, love, and desires to utterly uproot them with no pity whatsoever.

What do these authorities care about the crying and weeping of mothers who cannot and will not be comforted?

Application

Two-thousand years have passed since that time, but the same two forces continue to face each other on our long-suffering planet: the authority of naked power, blind in its fear and terrifying in its cruelty; and the radiant authority of Bethlehem's child.

It may seem that all power, all might, is in the hands of that earthly authority, its police, its interrogators, its immortal cadre of late-night operatives.

But only apparently: for the star, and the image of Mother and Child never stop shining; the song is not silenced, "Glory to God in the highest"; and faith, hope, and love live on. Christmas has come and gone, but its radiance remains.

This is the victory of the Child.

Conclusion:

Restate Proposition: The infancy of Christ opens to us the true meaning and experience of Christmas.

Restate Sermon Preview: Christmas is open to us in:

The Humility Of The Child

The Accessibility Of The Child

The Victory Of The Child

Final Illustration:

Invitation:

Tonight let us take a moment to meditate on what God has done for us this Christmas in Christ, the infant.

He has loved us first, as a humble child, opened the kingdom of Heaven as we become like children, and defeated evil, sin, death through the innocence of a child.

It is in the child that we find the true meaning of Christmas; God's love for humankind, His offer to us to rest in that love, and His victory of evil.

Let us worship this child as did the shepherds, wise men, holy family, and so many others.

That we might hear and understand these words - "Glory to God on high and on Earth, peace, good will towards men."

Amen.