A part to play in history... Advent 4C 2021

Micah 5:2-5a  • Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80:1-7  • Hebrews 10:5-10  • Luke 1:39-45, (46-55)

Image from: https://www.learnreligions.com/city-of-bethlehem-overview-700678

I have not travelled anywhere near as much as I would have liked, and so, places like Israel are completely unknown to me, except for what I read.  Some of the Christmas cards that we sometimes see would have us believe that Jesus was born at a time of deep snow, a fact which some have used to say that our celebration for the birth of Christ is at the incorrect time.  And so I have done a little research….. 

 

I have found a picture of the city of Bethlehem that I really love as it looks to me like one of the places I have actually seen, briefly.  The place of my heritage, Malta and the city of Valletta.  The city of Bethlehem is located about six miles southwest of Jerusalem.  The climate is similar to the typical Mediterranean climate, but milder because of its altitude and nearness to the sea.  Winter time temperatures are between about 14c and 5c and Summer 30c and 19c.  It does snow sometimes in December, but more likely in February.

 

To be more accurate, from the Website  https://www.myweather2.com/City-Town/Israel/Bethlehem/14-Day-Forecast.aspx  

 "Over the next 14 days the Bethlehem forecast suggests the average daytime maximum temperature will be around 11°C, with a high for the two weeks of 12°C expected on the afternoon of Friday 17th. The mean minimum temperature will be 8°C, dipping to its lowest on the morning of Monday 20th at 4°C."

 

Some other facts that we should know about Bethlehem are that it is the place where the favourite wife of Jacob (AKA Israel) was buried.  Rachael died after giving birth to her second son Benjamin. 

Something else of significance about Bethlehem is that this is where Naomi and Ruth returned to after having lost husbands and sons.  This is where the story of Ruth and Boaz took place and where Obed was born.  Who is Obed?  The grandfather of the great King David.  Therefore, Bethlehem is known as the city of David.

Bethlehem was a little village and it rose to prominence because of the connection with King David, but at the time of Christ’s birth, it had once again diminished in size.  This is where Joseph went with the very pregnant Mary to be registered because he was of the line of David.

 

Our first reading comes from the book of Micah and the prophecies of this book are most important because they tell of the coming of Christ.  They also tell of the reign of Christ where all the nations worship him and live in peace… a time yet to come with the second coming of Christ. 

 

Our familiarity with the Bible and the reading of Micah may numb us to the implications.  Let me try to put you into the picture.  This very same scripture which was written something like 700 years before the birth of Christ, is likely the one that was shown to the Magi when they came to Herod to look for the King whose star they were following.  We are reading the ancient prophecy, other than the translation, exactly that which was shown to the Magi.

 

The prophecy includes a promise made for all the nations and clearly shows that the Messiah is for people of all nationalities.   Another interesting fact is that Bethlehem means “House of Bread”.   Jesus referred to himself as the bread of life.  All things are more that mere coincidence, but show the design of God.

 

Bethlehem is described as one of the little clans.  King David was little and the youngest of his family.  Time after time we read of how God chose people that were either insignificant, without hope or rejected. The whole tribe of Israel fits in with this theme of choosing the rejected ones, as Israel was a nation without a home.  A tribe of slaves, but favoured, cared for and delivered by the very mighty hand of God.

The message for us in this, is that we should treat all with care, but especially those most rejected, because they are the ones through whom God is most likely to show his might.  God often chooses to speak through those we are inclined to dismiss.

 

In this same tradition a young girl, Mary is chosen to bare the Messiah.  Mary’s role is confirmed by Elizabeth when Elizabeth greats her as the Mother of her LORD.   I can imagine that this was great reason for Mary to proclaim the good that God had done for her.  Let me explain; It is one thing to have a vision and message from God, but as every prophet knows, to pass that message on is another thing completely.

 

Mary had to face telling Joseph about her condition.  And he doubted her and was going to divorce her quietly.  This is the bit the Bible tells us.  What it doesn’t tell us is what the rest of the community was saying.  It doesn’t tell us what her parents were saying.  I do however, imagine that the buzz around the community was NOT that the virgin was going to bare a child. 

 

When Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit and the supernatural knowledge of the enormity of situation, and then proclaims her greeting, this must have been a huge relief to Mary…. “At last someone else knows the truth…. I’m not alone”. 

 

It was thought to be a huge privilege to be the one who would bare the Messiah, but the fact is that many hardships went with it.  It honestly could have meant being stoned to death for Mary.  If God called her to it, then we expect God would see her through it, but from moment to moment, I can only imagine how frightening it must have been.

 

Where are we in the story of the Gospel?  Are we those who are believers in God, but not likely to believe the young girl who claims to be a virgin with child?  Are we like Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit and able to discern God’s hand?  Are we like Mary, saying yes to God?

 

Where we need to be is both Elizabeth and Mary.  Like Elizabeth we need to be discerning and filled with the Holy Spirit.  It is the Holy Spirit which gives us the supernatural ability to know when things are from God – or not (or just plain crazy). 

 

I can’t emphasize this enough, that we need the gift of the Holy Spirit.  We are living in times when there are many voices with many opinions all claiming to be right.  How can we make heads or tails of it all?  We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit to know, otherwise we will surely get it wrong and possibly be stoning when we should be greeting… or buying into things that are certainly not of God, when we should be standing against.  We will be walking in fear and acting out of fear, instead of walking and acting in courage and love.

 

Courage and love are attributes that we see in our Christmas story.  A privilege to bare the son of God – yes – but not without hardships and persecutions. Having courage is not the absence of fear, but about knowing what needs to be done and doing it regardless.  It doesn’t mean that there are not times to get up in the night and run – as we know Joseph and Mary did.  But there is a need to know the difference.

 

When we are called to God’s purpose he will bring us through it, but that doesn’t mean that all will be smooth sailing.  There will be times of great distress, especially from those who don’t understand.

 

Even among the church there are those who don’t understand – and at different times this is all of us as we struggle sometimes to understand.  There are those who believe Jesus came, but don’t understand his way of peace – and don’t quite understand the Good News of the New Covenant.  Our Hebrews reading explains that “when Christ came into the world he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body you have prepared for me;..”

 

Throughout the known world, at that time, it was normal to offer sacrifices of animals etc… to appease the Gods.  The Israelites had a similar but different system, as God always works within our ways of understanding.  The Israelite system of offering and sacrifices was all about their relationship with God.  It was a way that God tried to show them that all belonged firstly to him and the way in which there would be atonement for sin, so that His relationship with the people could remain intact.  Time after time, however, the people slipped into thinking that these sacrifices exonerated them…. Where as what God always preferred was that they turned their hearts to him.

 

When Jesus came, he abolished the sacrificial system by being the final sacrifice.  Our letter to the Hebrews explains, “And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”

 

This tells us that we have been sanctified – Made Holy – by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – Once and for ALL – there is no longer any need for anything else.  This is Good News.  We are acceptable to God and we can be sure because this is the purpose of Jesus death -to bring us true life by being united to God…. Nothing impeding our relationship.

It is done… It is accomplished. 

 

There are many who still don’t know or fully understand the Good News.  There are many that have not come to know Jesus.

 

We, the church, like Mary, are also called to bring forth the Messiah.  We are called to bring him into the community.  But it is something that happens with the cooperation of all of us.

 

To each of us God says that he does not require burnt offerings and sacrifices, but a heart that says “Yes” to God’s call.  We all have a part to play in history.  Elizabeth’s role in our reading was to affirm the call of Mary.

 

You may feel that you are very little and insignificant.  Rest assured, then you are the one that God is calling.  He chose the little town of Bethlehem, he chose the young girl, he chose the barren Elizabeth. 

 

The prophet Micah was one who was from a small village and lived among the poor.  About 700 years before Christ came he was to give a most important message.  Though only 7 chapters long, it is from this book that we have the most memorable quote about what God really requires and remember that this is more than 700 years before the sacrificial system was abolished by the coming of Christ.

"And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

 

The prophet Micah understood the heart of God.  Our call today is to heed the message and to also understand that God’s call to us is to say, Yes to the call of God. It will not be easy, but God who brings us to it, will mightily bring us through it and we like Mary will proclaim; "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour, for he has looked with favour on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;  for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”