Matthew 1:18-2:18: What’s Your Choice?

This is the 2021 version presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries on 26 December 2021 by Captain Michael Ramsay

 

In this passage that we have just read, Matthew’s version of the Christmas story, we are faced with three responses to the miracle of the birth of Christ, the coming of the Messiah:

1. 1)    That of Joseph (his legal father),
2. 2)    Herod (King of Judea), and
3. 3)    Some magi (astrologers, astronomers, magicians or wise men, traditionally ‘we three kings’).

 

I want to look a little bit today at their three different responses to the news that Jesus was to be born and the news that he was actually born.

 

JOSEPH

First we have Joseph: Joseph is a carpenter/stone mason. He is from the tribe of Judah and – of course – a famous ancestor of his is King David. We are told in our text today that Joseph, verse 19, is righteous. In our world these days when we think of a righteous person what would we think that they would be like? They would pray, read the Bible, love God and love their neighbour (cf. Luke 10:27)?. This was very much what it would have meant for Joseph too. Joseph served God and to the first century Jews righteousness meant that one was very good at keeping the religious law of the day.

 

Matthew tells us also, Verse 1:18, that Joseph is pledged to be married to a girl named Mary - Now, betrothal in first century is not like it is today. When you are engaged then you are already bound. You are already considered as husband and wife and the union can only be dissolved through death or divorce but before Mary and Joseph ever ‘know each other’ in the Biblical sense, Mary becomes pregnant. Imagine this scenario with me, if you will: you are engaged, you have not had relations with your fiancée and all of a sudden you find out that she is pregnant. What would you do? What would you say? What would you feel? What would you think? What would you think and what would you do if your girlfriend to whom you are engaged becomes pregnant – and not by you? Would you still get married? Joseph, when he finds out that Mary is pregnant, is planning to call off the wedding altogether. Verse 19 says that he wants to do this quietly so as to not bring any disgrace upon Mary. He is a righteous man.

 

Then something happens. Joseph has a dream. He dreams about an angel and in the dream this angel tells Joseph that he should ‘take Mary home as his wife’, Verse 20, ‘because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit’. He then dreams about what to name this child and how this son will save people from even their sins. It is now that Joseph has a number of decisions to make.

 

1)    Does he believe in visions in general and does he believe in this vision in particular?

2)    Does he believe that an angel actually has spoken to him and does he believe that what this angel has told him is true?

3)    And how will he respond to his belief? Will he ignore his conviction that this vision is from God and press on with the separation/divorce anyway or will he accept the commission given to him from God through a messenger in a dream? What would you do? Do you believe in your dreams?

 

Joseph does. Joseph is a righteous man. When Joseph awakes from his sleep, Verse 24, he does everything the angel from the Lord tells him to do including taking Mary home as his wife and not having any sexual relations with her until this child is born. This is Joseph. Joseph is a righteous man. He follows his dream. He follows God.

 

KING HEROD

Our Bible reading today mentions Herod. History tells us about Herod. Herod is a regional king. He works for the Romans and he is known as ‘Herod the Great’. Herod is a great political leader and as such is involved in all the political intrigue of his era in all the ways that political intrigue is carried out in his time.  He is a king but his job is no more secure than that of a contemporary politician and Herod defends his title and his job no less vigorously: in order to secure his position, Herod needs to back the right horse and defeat all his rivals. He – like many contemporary politicians – switches his allegiances more than once as to whom he backs for Emperor – first he backs Mark Anthony’s coalition government and later crosses the floor to support Caesar Augustus. Herod is a king who leaves behind a good legacy of building and growth but he is an adept politician, cruel and insecure. The title awarded to him by Caesar Augustus is Herod, King of the Jews.

 

Imagine what it must have been like for him. Imagine you are King of the Jews and these privileged academics come to you from a foreign country and they ask, “Where is your replacement?” Matthew 2:2, they ask “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.” Imagine, you have this job that you have fought hard for all your life and your job title is ‘King of the Jews’ and these strangers come up to you and ask to meet your replacement, the new King of the Jews. How would you react?

 

I was a dishwasher once for about a week as a teenager; the job didn’t go well and I didn’t get along with my co-worker and one day I met a friend for coffee; he was excited as he told me that he had just been hired for a job at this SAME restaurant. When we talk for a while it becomes apparent that they have hired him for MY job. That is how I found out that I was going to be fired. This could be what it is like for Herod when he hears this news that a there is going to be a new king of the Jews. This news is a shock to him. This news is a threat to him. Current kings can be killed when new kings take over. Herod is the king. Who is this new King of the Jews? If you were Herod, what would you do? Herod is determined to eliminate his would-be-rival so Herod sends in the troops. The military massacres male babies two years and younger in order to wipe out any possible rival who may have been recently born. This is Herod’s reaction to the birth of Jesus. He tries to remove him.

 

THE MAGI

In our story today we also have the Magi. Our word ‘magic’ comes from the same root as ‘magi’. They are learned people who see this ‘star’. They come from the east (cf. Philippians 2:10-11). Remember that travel isn’t easy in that day and age: they can’t just hop a flight or drive the Trans-Palestine superhighway to Jerusalem. These wise men realize from their studies of the world around them that the King of the Jews has been born (cf. Numbers 24:17, Daniel 9:25, John 4:25, Romans 1). What do they do when they discover this? Remember that they probably aren’t Jews and they don’t live in the area. What do these foreign academics do when they find out a king of the Jews has been born? They put their whole lives on hold and come to find him in order to worship him (Matthew 2:2; cf. TSA d. 2,4).

 

Matthew provides us with these contrasting example to the birth of the king because people in the first century had a choice to make as to whether they were going to serve their contemporary systems of government or whether they were going to serve the NEW KING.

 

We have to face the same choice today. The king has already been born. That is what Christmas is all about. This King has, is and will change the whole world. Jesus proclaims a new world order. Jesus is an end to capitalism, democracy, consumerism, imperialism, and whatever other ‘ism’ people are tempted to serve. The systems that raised up Herod and the Magi; Biden  and Trudeau; Horgan and whomever, will come to an end. This world where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer is coming to an end. This world where man makes war against man will end. Like White Lion proclaims, ‘no more presidents and all the wars will end, then we will have one united kingdom under God.’ This is what the Christmas stories in Matthew and Luke are about. With Jesus birth, life, death, and resurrection, Sin has been defeated. Jesus birth in a game changer; the game has now been won; and when he returns (any day now) it will be over. Whenever each of us realizes this, we need to make a decision – do we love Jesus like Joseph and acknowledge Jesus as our Lord and leader and worship him like the Magi or do we rebel against him, trying to root him out of our life and our world like Herod. It is my hope that on this day after Christmas Day 2000+ years closer to the return of Christ than on the day of his birth, that we will each choose to live forever in this New Kingdom with this new King.

 

Let us Pray

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Luke 2:1-20: Christmas Day 2021

Vaguely similar to the message spoken to TSA's Alberni Valley Ministries, Christmas Day, 25 December, 2021 by Captain Michael Ramsay 

It was tough times in Judea in the 1^st Century when Jesus was born. They had been part of the Roman Empire for a while. They lived through wars and rebellions. Herod the Great, the king of this region, was instrumental in putting Caesar Augustus on the throne. This is a people torn apart by challenges, circumstances, differing opinions and sentiments - much like today.

 

Covid-19 in this country is polarizing many people. The rules, regulations, and restrictions by the governments and our organizations do not seem to be consistent. The pandemic is a real concern and each attempted solution seems to either make it worse, or at the very least, not make it any better.

 

Many people are getting sick, suffering physically: not only from Covid-19 but from our healthcare, hospitals, and/or governments being unable to treat people with other serious ailments. Many people are suffering emotionally – suicide is on the rise, as is Medical Assistance In Dying. Drug use is on the rise. The Opioid Crisis is a real concern and each attempted solution seems to either make it worse, or at the very least, not make it any better.

 

In BC, we have just had the floods that caused loss of life, destruction of homes, highways, businesses and farms and livestock – chickens and cows and other animals have perished. People have been cut off. Our supply lines have been disrupted.

 

The debt and deficit in this country are so bad that I don’t know if anyone has any idea how to find a way out.

 

And now winter is hitting our own community really very hard. We are expecting this week some of the coldest weather ever recorded in our Valley. We are partnering with many other agencies to try to find a way to keep the Drop-in Centre open so people don’t freeze to death.

 

It is into a time not unlike this that God sent His Only Begotten Son to our world in the First Century. Jesus was sent to a people who were struggling. Jesus lived and taught with a people who were struggling. Jesus died and rose again to save a people who were struggling - and he can save us too.

 

There are many struggles that we all corporately have today. There are possibly infinitely more struggles that each and every one of us has personally each and every day. Christmas Day marks the day God sent His Son so that we can be saved even in the midst of our turmoil and saved even unto eternity.

 

Advent Season is about remembering the wait for Jesus’ birth and Advent Season is about our waiting for His return. Jesus has saved us so that when He returns there will be no more death, no more suffering, no more pain, no more tears and until that time we have His Holy Spirit and Immanuel, God With Us.

 

God is with us in all of our struggles today. No matter what happens today, no matter what happens tomorrow, God is with us. We can bring all of our struggles to him – all or our pain, all of our sadness and all of our fears and He will deliver us from them. After all perfect love drives out fear and Jesus is perfect love.

 

And this my friends is what Christmas is all about. So on this Christmas Day let us celebrate the birth of our Saviour who has provided for our salvation us in the midst of all of our struggles and who has made it possible for us to live and grow in that salvation forever.

 

Let us pray.

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Isaiah 9:6-7 and John 3:16-17: Christmas Hope

Online presentation originally composed for the Salvation Army Christmas Services for the seniors' homes in the Alberni Valley by Captain Michael Ramsay

Isaiah 9:6-7a: 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: 

and the government shall be upon his shoulder: 

and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, 

The mighty God, 

The everlasting Father, 

The Prince of Peace. 

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, 

 

This was a verse that I had to memorize as a small child growing up on the Island here. It was my line in a church Christmas pageant many years ago. The Christmas pageants were always quite exciting and performing in them was always a little nerve-racking. The church was always filled to capacity – even the balconies and the lobbies were full. There were stage lights shining on us. There was a microphone in front of each of us as we spoke. With all of this going on it could be very difficult to remember your line. Thankfully, I did. And I still do. This memory verse has stayed with me decades later and there is not an Advent Season that passes without my reflecting on this passage. I am so thankful for that. 

 

This is a great reminder to me of what Christmas is all about. It is all about the birth of our saviour; the one who saves us! It is a reminder that Jesus is not only the leader of an heavenly government but He is also the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. I am reminded that at Christmas we celebrate how, John 3:16-17:

…God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

 

Jesus came into the world so that the world through Him might be saved. He came to this world so that we could all live peacefully with one another forever in His Kingdom to come.

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Luke 3:1-6 (Isaiah 40:1-8) Straight Paths

Presented to The Salvation Army: Alberni Valley Ministries, 05 December 2021 by Captain Michael Ramsay

 

To read a version of this presented to the 230pm service of Warehouse Mission 614 at 252 Carlton St., Toronto, on the second Sunday of Advent, 10 December 2017 by Captain Michael Ramsay, click here: http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2017/12/isaiah-401-8-sometimes-buildings-need_9.html

 

To see the 2024 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2024/12/isaiah-40-luke-31011-today-we-are.html

 

To see the 2023 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2023/12/isaiah-401-8-28-31-luke-31-6-straight.html

When we were stationed in Toronto, we participated in the Santa Shuffle, an annual fun race put on by The Salvation Army. Even Heather when she was very little participated and got a medal. I have been injured since the beginning of covid (hamstring and meniscus) but before then – off and on - since I was in my 30s, I have done a bit of running. When I lived in Vancouver, I faithfully ran every second day. I lived about 5km from my office – I used to run there and back. In Winnipeg I lived almost 10km from the College; a colleague and I did that run more than once. In Toronto I would run past the many Officers’ quarters regularly as we all seemed to live in the same area, and here in Port Alberni I even ran with Rebecca a bit before she moved and then I was later injured. Running can be fun – but when you get out of the habit and have to start again or when you start for the very first time it can be a chore. And sometimes those hills in your first few runs can feel like mountains and those valleys, ravines.  I can remember when I was first learning to run being near the end of my run and my energy... rounding a corner and seeing... another hill to try to run up...I then understand Luke 3:4-6 and Isaiah 40:3b-5:

“...make straight in the desert

a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be raised up,

every mountain and hill made low;

the rough ground shall become level,

the rugged places a plain.

And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,

and all people will see it together.

For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

  

This is a great verse to ponder when you are running up and down hills and around curves, looking towards a time when obstacles will disappear. Pre-covid we had a Salvation Army hiking group here that would go for walks on Mondays. There is a lot of hiking on the Island here and if one goes backpacking or on a very long hike, after a few hours following switchbacks up and down mountains, you can almost feel the relief of Luke and Isaiah’s valleys raised and mountains levelled. This is part of the Good News of Luke 3 and Isaiah 40. This is the Good News that John the Baptist proclaims: when Jesus returns with His Kingdom, obstacles will be removed. As during Advent we commemorate waiting for Jesus’ birth, we also hope for His return so our mountains of trouble will be levelled and our valleys of despair will be raised to abundance. The crookedness of our paths will be straightened. That is hope.

  

Last week we lit the candle of hope. Today we lit the candle of love. First one has hope and then one can dare to love. One of the key things about hope and love in the context of Isaiah and thus Luke is that both are to and from God and an humbled people, a conquered people, an exiled people. There is no hope when you are on top of the world...only fear that you will fall off.

  

Sarah-Grace is doing her first in-person year at college. She is going to the same college where I studied my first year or so. When I was in college, I remember looking at the marks going into one final exam and noticing that I had the 3rd highest mark in that class. I then heard the people with the two highest marks brag to each other about which of the two of them would finish top of the class, like no one else was their equal – it was at that moment that I resolved that I would beat them both.  And I did.

  

When we lived in Swift Current Saskatchewan, I believe each Christmas we would raise more money per capita for The Salvation Army than any other place. At first this was a victory – and then it was almost a fear for me. What happens if we are not the best? What if someone beats us? What if I do not beat my previous record? What if I fail?

  

It was the same in university, once I became addicted to ‘A+’s, a ‘B’ was infuriating. There was no inherent joy in achievement anymore only a fear of failure – and that fear of failure can stomp out hope and it can stomp out love.

  

It was not always like that though in school. I remember a time when I would hope and pray and celebrate even a passing grade. I remember Grade 11 French. The only French words I remember from that year we’re ‘ne lancer pas la papier’ which means ‘don’t throw the paper’. Apparently the teacher didn’t like that we threw paper airplanes in class. Every time we made one, we could hear her say, ‘ne lancer pas la papier’.

  

I don’t think I was her favourite student. One day I was in the counselling alcove and I saw my French teacher and she asked me what I was doing. I told her I was switching out of her French in 3rd period... ‘That is a very good idea to be out of my class’, she said. ‘...to your class in fourth period,’ I continued. She was not impressed.

   

But forget my tales of youth. Don’t we all have stories of a more carefree time? Look back on those times: these are usually times when you didn’t have a lot except the love of a few good friends and the hope that the future will be better. There is a lot of freedom in not having much. Is it Janet Joplin who sang that freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose?

  

Sometimes this is right. Sometimes I think we get to a place of fearing loss so much that we no longer have hope and we no longer have love. Sometimes when we have enough to get by, we don’t share what is ours for fear that we might not have something. This is reflected very much in tithing. When a person who has tithed or knows they should tithe, does not tithe... this is a sign that we are not doing well. This is a symptom that we are not free but instead bound up in fear or pride or something else that keeps us from tithing. I remember when we were Corps Officers in Tisdale, there was Ralph. He had a limited income. He only made $52.30 a week and you know what? Every week he tithed $5.23. This is an example of love. This is an example of our hope in the Lord. I think of him when sometimes I am tempted to keep God’s tithe from Him, when sometimes I fear for my finances. I can choose hope and love instead.

Fear can rob us of hope. Fear can rob us of love. In our pandemic, fear is gaining great power. Fear is grabbing a hold of many people and making them insensitive to the plight of others. Fear is making people mean to each other. Fear can be a crippler of hope and fear can detract from Love. Our candle today is love and perfect love drives out fear.

  

In Advent we talk about the Good News of the Salvation of the world. Do you know where in the Bible this Good News shows up for the first time? Genesis 12:1-3: “All the nations of the earth will be blessed” and do you know what happens just before then... Genesis 11: the tower of Babel. God told the people to move and fill the earth. The people said, ‘No. We are going to stay here, build a city and a tower, and make a name for ourselves instead.’ God levelled their tower, their city; their pride and their fear, in order to give them the hope of salvation.

  

Isaiah records how God’s own temple was destroyed, the holy city of Jerusalem, and the independent nations of Israel and Judah - until the day He will return. Their country was conquered, their city was leveled, their temple was destroyed and through this, God provided them with hope. In Isaiah comes this hope of flattened mountains, raised valleys, straight paths and the joy and love that can only come from trusting God.

There are many things in our world, our country, our province, our time, and our life that are coming crashing down all around us these days. God loves us. This is the love that God has for us: He loves us so much that if there are any untraversable valleys, mountains, crooked paths or Babel-like buildings of traditions, pride, fear, hate, or something else in our lives; He will fill in those valleys, flatten those mountains and tear down those buildings, so we can be rebuilt on His foundations.

  

There is a song by a Canadian Band, Glorious Sons, whose first two lines get stuck in my head whenever I hear it on the radio:

I spent all my money on a pack of cigarettes,

for a lady that I love with a name I forget.

The song tells a story about someone’s troubles as it moves to the chorus which proclaims, ‘everything will be alright.’ There have been some troubles in the world recently. For those of us who have already had things come tumbling down around us and are now feel as if we are in exile in our own lives, for those of us who are fearing or grieving, for those of us who feel like all is lost, God is here. When the people were scattered from the ruins of Babel, God was there with Terah and his son, Abraham, offering salvation. When Israel was slave to Egypt, God was there with Moses offering salvation; when Judah was exiled from her city, her temple, and her life, God was there pointing her towards Salvation: Jesus’ Advent; Jesus whose imminent return we eagerly await today – at that time all the insurmountable mountains in our life will be levelled, all the impassable valleys raised, and all our crooked paths made straight – and right up until that time, right until the end of this age, He is here with us in the midst of it all.

  

It is Advent. Let us start (if we haven’t already) and let us continue in hope and in love. Let us all walk in God’s hope and in God’s love for we know He will see us through and we know He is with us even as we look forward to the day of Christ’s return when all those valleys will be raised, all those mountains will be levelled and all our paths will straightened for ever more.

  

Let us pray.

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