Luke 2:1-20: The Light Shone All Around

Presented to The Salvation Army Alberni Valley Ministries on Christmas Day, 25 December 2023, by Major Michael Ramsay

Last night, like every night, our staff were working all night at the Bread of Life. We are open all day everyday and all night every night. Last night, today and tonight are no different. Our staff all has to take their turn working. Those who had last night, today, or tomorrow off, will need to work New Year’s Eve, night, or day – and they will need to be sober.

 

This is not entirely dissimilar to the shepherds in our text today. They are working the night shift. They have the important job of protecting the lives of the sheep from predators just like our staff have the responsibility to protect the lives of the homeless under their care from predators. Without our shelter, many of our friends would not have a safe warm place to sleep. The shepherds in our text were not in a safe warm place.

 

The text says that an Angel appeared and stood before them. The word angel just means ‘messenger’ but the appearance of this messenger certainly alludes to something more, something much more. It says the Glory of the Lord shone all around him and the shepherds were terrified. Now, I don’t know what the Glory of the Lord looks like, but if a messenger appeared before me in the middle of the night (or anytime) with anything shining about him, I would probably be a little terrified myself.

 

I can only imagine how my overnight staff would feel if the doors were locked for the night, our friends were all tucked into their beds – it is set up for communal sleeping at our shelter, there are rows of bunkbeds – and all of a sudden someone showed up shining or with something shining all around them. I imagine our staff would be quite startled. I can actually picture them telling me about it the next day. The words that would come out of their mouth when they were surprised may not be pulpit-ready words!

 

2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see--I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 2:11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 2:12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger."

 

Again, I can picture my staff telling me this. They would be half laughing in incredulity as they expressed the nervousness or uncertainly of this experience to me and whoever else would be there. And then, they would tell me that they were still processing the person with shining all around them…

 

2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom He favours!"

 

Can you imagine? What if you were working the night shift at your work and all these people, angels, hosts showed up and they were praising God all around you and proclaiming peace for all those who are on God’s side: all those who find favour with God. Put yourself then in the place of my staff in my story or the shepherds in Luke’s story. It would make you want to be peaceful, I am sure.

 

2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 2:16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 2:17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 2:18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

 

If it was the staff at the shelter, I can see them waking up the people who are staying the night with them – I think there was only a half dozen last night - and heading out for a little walk. I don’t think they needed to go that far – maybe the distance to Boomerangs or something like that. They would then walk that distance with all those in their care. Can you imagine the excitement? They must be just buzzing retelling each other what they had just seen and joking about one another’s reaction – and then I imagine, as they got close to where the child was, they would all of a sudden become deadly serious, very sober in thought and deed. I imagine they would come into the place very humbly. As they find the child and his parents, the shelter workers, the shepherds themselves become angels in the sense that they are messengers; they tell them and everyone else around what the angels, the heavenly host has told them.

 

Then Verse 2:20: “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” Again I can just picture our staff if this happened to them – they would be telling the next shift, they would be telling their bosses, they would be telling their families, they would be telling all the clients. I am sure the shepherds must have even told the sheep whom I imagine were right there with them when they took the trip into town in the middle of the night.

 

Now we know what happens in this child’s life. He is God for starters but also he becomes quite famous and then he dies, and then he is raised to life again before he goes off to heaven where he is waiting even now to return someday soon.

 

Can you imagine what it would be like for the shepherds? Every time they hear of another miracle he performs or a controversy he is in the middle of, they would tell their story about how they saw him when he was a baby and everything that happened that night. I imagine a lot of people probably became interested in Jesus or more interested in Jesus because of the testimony of these shepherds. I imagine that when they heard the news years later of his death and resurrection, if any of them were still alive, they would say, ‘huh… I guess that all makes sense now.’

 

So we know from the rest of the story that this baby is going to be killed and raised from the dead 30 or so years later. And we know that after he was raised from the dead he went to be with his Father and that he is coming back and we know that when he comes back, all upon who his favour rests will be at peace. He is the Prince of Peace. The title by which we call the baby Jesus is of course, ‘Christ’, and people who purport to follow him self-identify as Christians. One of the ways that we can tell followers of the Prince of Peace is that they are peaceful.

 

On this Christmas Day 2000 years closer to the return of the Prince of Peace, I encourage you to be and to act like his followers by being peaceful. Forgive those who harm you. Disarm your attackers with kindness. Turn the other cheek to people who strike you rather than striking them back. This world can be a very non-peaceful place. There are many wars around the world. There is much violence even in this country, this province, and this town. There is much violence down among our friends that we walk with everyday. People doing violence to them and even doing violence to ourselves. My encouragement to us is this: that when our lives and the lives of our friends, families, and co-workers are filled with strife that we may let the peace of God shine through us. May people see the Glory of God’s peace all around us. May we be a calming presence for all those around us, offering them the love of God and an amazingly powerful peace that can get them through all of life’s troubles: the peace that surpasses all understanding.

 

Let us pray.

 

Isaiah 40:1-8, 28-31 (Luke 3:1-6): Straight Paths

Presented to The Salvation Army: Alberni Valley Ministries, 05 Dec 2021 and 10 Dec 2023 by Major Michael Ramsay (and 614 Warehouse Mission in Toronto on 10 December 2017)

This is the 2023 version. To see the 2021 version, click here: https://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2021/12/luke-31-6-isaiah-401-8-straight-paths.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 used to run off and on. I haven’t really since I was injured during covid but maybe I will start up again one day. 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 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 our hope.

 

Last week we lit the candle of hope. Today we lit the candle of peace. First one has hope and then one can even dream of, let alone be at peace. One of the key things about hope and peace in the context of Isaiah and 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 – and where there is fear there is no peace.

 

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. (It is why I always try to raise $200 000 here – because I raised more than that there more than a decade ago.) 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, I did achieve good grades and made the Dean’s list and graduated with distinction – but I di become distracted by getting good marks and 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 does kill peace.

 

It was not always like that though in school – with my needing to achieve and over-acheive. 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 class 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 peace, 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 and at peace 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 fear for my finances. I can choose peace and hope instead.

 

Fear can rob us of hope. Fear can rob us of love. Fear does rob us of peace.  Our candle today is peace and peace is the opposite of fear. Jesus is the Prince of Peace! And He is who we are awaiting in Advent.

 

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 true peace 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. We can still have peace even in the midst of it all. God loves us.  There have been some troubles in the world recently – wars oversees some of which we are ignoring and some of which we are actively provoking, promoting, and pursuing. There are other things happening right here – in our very neighbourhood. For those of us who are experiencing tumbling down around us and 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 in peace and in love. Let us all walk in God’s hope, God’s love and God’s peace, 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.

 

www.sheepspeak.com 

 

 

Tied to Advent (Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:1-2; John 3:16-17, 10:14-15)

 Presented to Alberni Valley Salvation Army, 03 December 2023, the first Sunday of Advent (Hope) by Major Michael Ramsay

 

Advent is a time of waiting. Advent is remembering the wait for Jesus’ incarnation and the wait we have now for his triumphant return. It is about waiting with exiled Israel for a philosopher king and the Judean diaspora for a conquering hero: a wonderful counsellor, a mighty God, an everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. It is about waiting with Mary and Joseph for a baby to be born. It is like waiting with Abraham for a promise to be fulfilled. Advent is us remembering these waits even as we eagerly await now Jesus’ ultimate return.

Waiting can sometimes be difficult. As anticipation of Jesus’ return – as we really believe he is coming back - builds with every passing day. I think this growing anticipation of each successive Christmas contributed to the German Protestants inventing Advent Calendars in the nineteenth century to help with the wait. Many times when our children were growing up, Susan has made daily advent devotions with different symbols and treats in stockings leading up to Christmas.

In The Salvation Army we often remember Christ and mark the time before Christmas by preparing food, gifts, meals, and raising funds and awareness for those in greatest need in our community while we wait for Jesus and wait to commemorate the Incarnation.

One of the ways that I like to mark the Advent Season is to pull out the ties that my girls have made for me almost every Christmas since Rebecca, my eldest, was born. Today I am going to share the stories of some of these ties with us here.

2001: this is my first tie. It has on it the footprint on my 9-month-old daughter and the words, “Merry Christmas love Rebeca”. 2002 and 2003 each have a second footprint added to the first; this one is of baby Sarah-Grace. The first tie given to me by my first begotten child reminds me how God the Father gave us His only begotten child to live, die and raise from the grave for each of us and how we are now eagerly awaiting his return, hopefully even more than I eagerly await my new ties.

2004, 2005, and an unknown year shown here each then have handprints of my daughters and 2006 is something entirely new. 2006, when my daughters were 5 and 4, they created me a Christmas Tree on the tie (with help from mom of course). This reminds me that God loves each of us so much that He made all of creation. Every tree, every plant, every animal, everything for us… to take care of and to name. And He did this with even more love than children making a gift for their dad.

The 2008 tie has a picture drawn by one or both of my daughters: it has a picture of Mary and Baby Jesus in a manger as well as the Star. It says “I love you” reminding us of the Christmas story and how Jesus was lain in a manger because their way no room for him in the inn – it recalls the Father’s great love for us as recorded in John 3:16 and 17: “For God so love the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send His Son to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.”

The 2009 tie from Rebecca and Sarah-Grace has the creativity of my young children on full display with Mary and Joseph and the baby Jesus under the Christmas star and a Christmas tree. This reminds us, as well as everything else, of the faithfulness of Joseph as told in the Gospel of Luke, how he loved Jesus as his own and served God with all his heart. Matthew 1:18-25:

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he did not consummate their marriage until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Next, we have two undated ties. The hand is the handprint of a baby Heather, so we know that this tie was made in 2010 or later. And the next one is really neat. Take a look: under the Christmas Star that led the magi and shepherds to Bethlehem are three figures: one in blue representing Mary, and one in red representing Joseph and the baby Jesus is in white. If you look at the three figures you will notice that each one is the fingerprint of one of my daughters: reminding us all the God came to earth as a small child, as a baby born to His mother and adoptive father and laid in swaddling cloths in a manger.

In 2013 I received 2 ties: one from all three girls and one just from Sarah-Grace. 11-year-old Sarah-Grace made me a cow because cows were her favourite animal and because she loved me, she gave me her favourite just as God gave us His favourite, His One and Only Son, on Christmas.

The other tie I received in 2013 which was made by my daughters is of a shepherd and a sheep. The sheep’s body is the print of my bottom on my three-year-old Heather’s palm. This tie references John 10:14-15, where it is recorded: “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

Next in 2015 we have a picture of a lamb outside of Jerusalem reminding us that Jesus is the Lamb of God and that as, as Revelation records, He is coming back with the new Jerusalem. This is ultimately what we are all waiting for even today – in Advent and always – Christ’s triumphant return.

Next, we have a reindeer and a Christmas tree. The words Feliz Navidad are written here. These words remind us of Iris, a friend of ours from when we served in Toronto. She was our corps administrator and more. She was from Latin America and was a faithful servant of God. She received her Promotion to Glory during Advent, one Christmas, while we were in Toronto.

2017’s tie says ‘Joy’. Joy is one of the candles that we often light during Advent. You will most likely see me wear this tie on that day. Beside the word ‘Joy’ is an Angel and beneath it is the earth harkening us to remember the good tidings of great joy that the Angels brought to the whole world. Joy to the World.

2018’s tie has an Advent wreath reminding all who see my tie of the importance of Advent and a profession of faith. 2019 and 2020’s ties don’t have quite as overt Biblical themes as the others. 2019’s tie references Bohemian Rhapsody, the Song by Queen, but if you look at the faces you may notice that instead of the band members they are pictures of Heather, Sarah-Grace, Rebecca, and Susan around a Christmas Tree. Christmas Trees, off course, like the Advent wreaths, symbolize eternal life – so there is that reference to Scriptures. 2020 is an animal – a cat maybe?, the Christmas Star, and two pineapples making up the zeros in 2020. That is an inside joke. In 2020 there were a lot of pineapples in the food bank here and it made me a little concerned that we were handing these out to people who had no food and no means to eat them and  - while there were a lot of inside jokes that I won’t necessarily share here but this tie was certainly a personal act of love – just as God sending Jesus was the most perfect act of love.

2021’s tie has a picture of Augustus Caesar, a bunch of numbers, and Quirinius – because who doesn’t need a tie of Quirinius. It cites Luke 2:1-2: “And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.”

Last year’s tie, 2023, which I wore at the Christmas Dinner and kick-off this year has a picture of someone standing at a kettle because indeed this is a tangible way that we can remember Christ and serve God by loving our neighbour this and every Christmas.

So today, I have shared with you a lot of my treasures; some of my most cherished gifts. Each time I put on a tie, I remember my children and how much I love them, all of them. And I remember how much God loves us that, as we commemorate at Christmas, He sent His only begotten Son as a child in a manger and even now we await his ultimate return, at the eschaton, where there will be no more suffering, no more death, no more tears; only joy to the world and the love of God. John 3:16-17: “For God so love the world that He sent His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life for God did not send His Son to condemn the world but that the world through Him might be saved.”

Let us pray.

www.sheepspeak.com