Merry Christmas!
“Do Not Be Afraid” SAPC, Christmas Eve, 2018; Luke 2: 8-20
In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 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: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,[a] the Lord. 12 This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,[b] praising God and saying,
14
“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”[c]
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.” 16 So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
Move 1: In the dark of night, our fears fester and grow.
When we put our children to bed we crack their doors so light from the hallway filters in their rooms and drives their fears away.
As adults, we leave a light on when we are going to return home at night so we do not have to walk into a dark house, afraid of what might greet us.
What's the first thing you do when you walk into a dark room, feel around the wall for the light switch to turn on the lights (hopefully before the monsters get you)
a. Darkness and its eerie, fearful feeling goes back to even before the beginning.
In Genesis we are told that before the world was created, darkness covered the face of the deep – the formless void with the scary, untamed name of chaos.
The first thing God commanded? “let there be light,” as if the fear of the unknown yet to be created world still in the dark needed light to chase its fears away.
The shepherds are watching the sheep in the fields at this hour for fear of thieves who stalk the sheep in the dark of the night.
Or in less biblical terms, there is a cartoon of Calvin and Hobbes. Calvin is Calvin is sitting in bed, darkness surrounding him, eyes wide open with fright. He says, "I think nighttime is dark so you can imagine your fears with less distraction."
b. We know what it is like to imagine our fears in the darkness of our lives.
I bet many of us arrive here tonight, in part because we long for a word of hope in the face of our fears.
I know, we gather in worship to hear and sing the glorious music;
we gather because it’s a family tradition,
we gather to come to our Lord’s Table and receive his amazing gift;
we gather because we do not want to miss the inspirational moment when candles are lit and we sing “Silent Night,”
c. but many of us also arrive knowing the fear deep within, the fear we hide from the world, the fear we try to hide from ourselves, the fear pushed deep down into the recesses of our lives.
the fear of medical issues with which we struggle
the fear of treatments that wait for us
The fear of death as we imagine our own mortality or grieve the death of loved ones.
The fear of helplessness - not sure what to do with our lives.
the fear of our self-doubts.
the fear that the world is racing in a direction we do not want to go
the fear that our relationships are too fragile to make it much longer
Even in our successes, we wonder will it be enough to satisfy us and give meaning to our lives or will can we sustain our success.
our fears hide in the dark shadows of our lives.
Move 2; So we gather to hear a familiar story - to hear the angel announce to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid!”
a. I wonder how the angel’s voice sounded to those shepherds in the fields.
1. Was it a dramatic (Dramatic) “Do not be afraid” - a bold statement seizing the attention of the shepherds who we just slinking through life, afraid to step forward; more a command than a reassurance.
2. Was there a hint of laughter (Laughing) “do not be afraid” a chuckle revealing the confidence of the angel, confidence in knowing that the mysteries in life the shepherds see will unfold as the plan God has for their lives is revealed.
3. Or maybe it was said with a question mark “Do not be afraid?” a tentative word, as if the angel knows that the shepherds are overwhelmed with fear, and it seems crazy to not be afraid; but, of course, the angel also knows how crazy it is to imagine what God has just done
4. Was it said with a (Swagger): “Do not be afraid” - the angel in effect announcing God has got your back, feel free to step out and do that thing you’ve always wanted to do, but never thought you could
5. Perhaps the shepherds heard is as words of comfort, “Do not be afraid” like a mother comforting a scared child with the soothing words of reassurance that she will always be there for the child and the child will never be alone; the angel knowing that God reminding the shepherd that God chooses to be with them, always.
b. My guess - the shepherds each heard the words of the angel differently because God met each of them, God meets each us in the places where we are.
1. Whatever you fear tonight in the darkness of your life, the angel speaks to you, “Do not be afraid.”
1. “Do not be afraid because into the darkness of our fears God sends light.
2. Just a little flicker - The baby born in Bethlehem does not look like much.
3. A baby born to non-descript parents who cannot even manage to find a place to stay except out with the animals.
4. A baby who is flesh like we are .
5. But the flicker grows into a man who is not a warrior, but a teacher.
6. Not a great politician, but a healer.
7. Not a man who overwhelms people with his demands, man who serve people as a servant.
8. Not a man who conquers people with power, but a man who saves people with love.
9. the flicker grows with his death on the cross and becomes light the cannot be extinguished in Christ’s resurrection.
The light that comes into the world as the Christ-child who was, who is, and who will be God with us, in all things, in all places.
Conclusion: W.H. Auden, The Christmas Oratorio
…We are afraid
Of pain but more afraid of silence; for no nightmare
Of hostile objects could be as terrible as this Void,
this is the Abomination.(As quoted by Fleming Rutledge, 84, “The End of the Ice Age,” Advent: The Once and Future Coming of Jesus Christ)
Conclusion: Into the silence of our fears, God has spoken through the angel:
(Bold) “Do not be afraid”
(laughter) “Do not be afraid”
(Question) “Do not be afraid”
(Swagger) “Do not be afraid”
(Comfort) “Do not be afraid” because “to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
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