Monday, December 15, 2014

A BURST OF PURE JOY
Luke 1:46-50 (NRSV)
46 And Mary said,
“My soul magnifies the Lord,
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.

 

Matthew 2:16-18 (NRSV)

16 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. 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
18 “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.”

Somewhere in the attic where my memories are stored, among the dust and clutter of bits and pieces of remembered sermons, lessons, books, articles and conversations, is a contrast between these two texts: two voices.
The first voice is Mary’s; a poor teenager from a small town; pregnant and unwed, in a culture in which such a situation could be grounds for the death penalty.
Mary is sent off to live with a cousin in another town—an old woman—married to a preacher. Imagine her expectations: suffocating supervision, curfews, daily lectures spiced with clever, original expressions like, "...you reap what you sew."  "...when you give a dance you gotta' pay the band."
But, to her utter amazement, instead of a cold slap on the wrist she’s is greeted with warm embraces! And there is joy over her pregnancy.
Instead of a dowdy old grump, cousin Elizabeth is a joy! I imagine a girlish twinkle in her eyes that contradicts the wrinkles that surround them.
The reason is evident, for Elizabeth also is with child—even at her age. Elizabeth also has had an angelic visitor, who confirmed the heavenly origin and destiny of both babies.
Was it just a hallucination born of her intense Jewish longing for freedom after six centuries of hoping and waiting—600 Passovers without the promised Messiah?
But here is confirmation: one whom she honors and respects has received the same word: "The Redeemer is near!" And Mary not only will see it; she actually will give birth to the Messiah!
And so, Mary says, "My soul magnifies the Lord!"
The second voice comes from Ramah: "the voice of Rachel, weeping for her children; and she refused to be consoled, because they were no more."
This voice triggers images of Herod raving in his pal­ace; Roman soldiers riding through the streets, knocking down doors, running down women in back alleys; women screaming and desperately clutching their children... 
"The Slaughter of the Innocents," it's called.
Why did the Spirit that inspired Holy Scripture include this event in the story of the birth of Jesus? Couldn't it have been left out? What does it add?
I believe God is one who celebrates and rejoices!  I believe the Kingdom of God is a place of joy!
Remember Jesus’ "Kingdom Parables"? A woman lost a coin, and cleaned her home until she found it. Then she called her neighbors and threw a party! The party probably cost more than the coin!
A shepherd counts his sheep at the close of the day and one is missing. He searches until he finds the sheep, and then calls his neighbors and throws a party. Probably served mutton! Jesus said the Kingdom is like that: a place of celebration.
But there’s that voice from Ramah.
Virtually every family gathering of any size this Christmas will deal with the memory of some loved one who has died since the last Christmas. It almost always happens, doesn't it? Or someone will remind us of the homeless children downtown.
Maybe we're just not meant to be happy all the time. After all, who can forget the immortal words of the blessed sage, Erma Bombeck:  "If life is just a bowl of cherries, why am I always 'in the pits'?"
Maybe life isn't supposed to be totally joyful! A part of the church's on-going ministry is helping the poor; and, didn't Jesus say, "The poor will always be with you?" And yet, that statement was in defense of an act of extravagance!
And in Luke’s text above, here is Mary, amid poverty, injustice, constant oppression and fear of death, amid personal circumstances that could not have been good: teenaged, pregnant, and unwed, with "A Burst of Pure Joy!"
Why is it so difficult for us to let go, even momentarily, and experience joy—pure joy—just for the sake of joy?
Maybe it’s theological reasons: our view of a vindictive God—stern and all rules and punishment—doesn't inspire joy.
Or there may be practical reasons: the stress of planning and shopping and cooking and cleaning up after a family gathering robs us of the joy of the event.
Or, maybe it’s the world situation: rockets falling in the Middle East, pictures of starving children and wailing widows and mangled bodies. It's hard to be joyful.
And why this scripture at Christmas: Rachel crying for her children:  does it mean that we're not meant for pure joy? Ever?
I remember an image from my teacher" the drums beat, the band plays, horses pull the carriage… Bobby runs to his room and digs out the old toy drum. Soon he's marching up and down the living room in front of the television, until Mother realizes what is going on and says, "No! Can’t you see our President is dead!"
Am I never to join a parade for fear it might be somebody's funeral? Shall I never laugh because children starve in India, or because Uncle Phil is gone?
And yet, with Roman soldiers everywhere, Elizabeth laughs. And Mary lifts her voice in joy: "My soul magnifies the Lord!"
How did they do it?
The joy of advent is the foolishness of faith that says I can rejoice because even in the darkness of Ramah, a child is born! It is the foolishness of faith that dares proclaim that this baby—born of peasant parents
            in a barn
                        in an oppressed nation
                                    in a primitive time
is the Lord of Christmas, and that the Lord of Christmas is also the Lord of Ramah, and the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever: King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Hallelujah!
That’s how I see it through the flawed glass that is my world view.
Together in the Walk,

Jim

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