SETTING THE CONTEXT

The letter to Titus was written to a missionary on Crete. He definitely had his hands full. Earlier the letter says “there are also many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers.” The writer wants Titus to teach them correctly about the promise of Christ and to help them apply that promise into their own lives.

Read Titus 2:11-14

THE SERMON

Over the last four weeks during the Advent season we have journeyed to Bethlehem. Each week a different group of characters pointed us to Bethlehem. The first week the prophets pointed the way, the second the Holy family (Mary and Joseph), the third the shepherds and the fourth week the wisemen. Each group’s journey was set in motion by God. The prophets heard the word of God directly and were compelled to share it with their countrymen and women. They helped us see that this coming King, Jesus would demand change. The promise was that this new king would lead us to a better life, to a life of wholeness, peace, justice and righteousness. How can we possibly expect any different results unless we take a new direction? This baby in the manger will call us to new directions, new attitudes and new ways of being.

The Holy family was compelled by forces beyond their control. From the unexpected pregnancy to the long journey to Bethlehem to the place of birth, they were out of control and had to trust deeply in God’s care and in God’s purposes that were unknown to them at that moment.  God promised them that God was doing something extremely important through them even if they didn’t feel it at the time. And of course it was through them the greatest gift came into the world. We also see that through Jesus’ birth circumstances and hardships, the grace of God was and is communicated to the poor, the oppressed and the homeless over centuries for God identified with them coming as one of them.

The shepherds were compelled to the manger by a dramatic heavenly revelation. Some of us occasionally have a life-altering experience of God’s presence that cannot be explained away or denied. It can only be responded to with wonder. The shepherds were promised that a Savior had come into the world and that his salvation was for all people. By their call as first witnesses God once again demonstrated that “all people” included them, course, working folks, people who do what others may consider menial tasks.

Finally the magi or wisemen lead us to Bethlehem. While this story comes from another gospel writer, it tells us that still others come to the manger through great learning. The wisemen saw the promise of a new king for Judah and came to find him. The wisemen took their studies and watched what was going on around them and put the two things together which led them to the Christ child. Again the story shows us that this child came for all people for the wise men were foreigners from the Far East. The religious folk of Jesus’ day would have thought them outside salvation. From rich to poor, from educated elite to working stiffs, from reputable to disreputable this Christ child has come for all people.

God promised the prophets that the Messiah or Chosen One would come to bring wholeness. God promised the Holy Family, the shepherds, and the wisemen that a king was coming. Through Jesus that promise was fulfilled, only this king was not like the kings they had seen before. This king would have no army, no riches, but he would change everything through the power of love and example. As the letter to Titus tells us “for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all.” This salvation, this wholeness that only God can bring, is not some abstract idea for musty books, but it can be lived out in the here and now. The thing is we must follow him, if we expect to experience the salvation he offers. Why would we think we could have what he promises without following the path that allows us to experience the promise? It’s kind of like wanting to experience Prescott by driving to Casa Grande.

God expressed God-self in human form so that we might see how to live, so that we might see the character, the righteousness of God lived in this world. As we see even from his birth, Jesus did not live an easy life. In Jesus, we see the character of God lived out in “real world” conditions, you might say, with all its temptations, pettiness, ups and downs. As the letter to Titus continues, “We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life and how to take on a God-filled, God honoring life”^[i] living in the here and now the promise that will be fulfilled for all creation at the end of time. When Jesus calls us to change, he shows us how to change. He leads the way to God’s vision for us as individuals. He leads the way to God’s vision of community by showing us how to use our power and eventually he will lead all creation into the fullness of God’s intention. As we peer over the manger’s edge, we see the fulfillment of God’s promises emerging into this world.

I experienced my own Journey to Bethlehem this year only the journey took me to Ethiopia. Eleven of us from this church traveled to Addis Abba, Ethiopia to see a ministry that moves children off the streets (where some as young as 3 are abandoned) into foster homes. We didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know how we were going to be helpful. We just knew that God called us to go. A group of Protestant Christians called Hope Maranatha have been and are working diligently to care for as many of the abandoned street children as they can, but their resources are very limited. So we who have far greater resources felt the call to join with them and we traveled thousands of miles seeking something. During our time there we realized that Jesus had drawn the Body of Christ from Prescott and the Body of Christ in Ethiopia together to show these orphaned, “throw away” children that they are children of God, loved by God. One of our first acts together was at the Drop-In Feeding Center. We held a worship service that included the body of Christ from both places and some of the older street children who were receiving help and treatment at the center. As we shared Holy Communion together, I realized that most of these children had been kicked out of sidewalks and gutters. They had been cursed and chased away, treated like rubbish and here we were inviting them to the table of Christ. They were not sitting under the table gathering crumbs or serving at the table, they were coming to the table as guests of Christ, the Son of God. It was the promise of God through Jesus fulfilled in a moment. Christ comes for poor and rich, the hungry and the well-fed, the reputable and disreputable gathering us all around one table. Christ, “God with us” comes for all people to save them, to bring them wholeness. Through our combined efforts in the name of Christ, we were able to bring these children food, shelter, education, clothing, spiritual nurturing, a new family and probably most importantly the knowledge that they are loved. We saw the promise fulfilled; “for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all.” The memory still leaves me in awe and wonder. The promise of God’s saving grace finds fulfillment again and again when we allow Jesus to enter our lives and change us again and again, when we follow his leading.

As we listen to this great story and journey to Bethlehem once more, let us receive this first Christmas gift, the promise fulfilled and the promise yet to be fulfilled. As we peer over his manger’s edge, may we not only hope for a better today and tomorrow, but may we participate in it for he has come and he is coming. Amen.

Sermon delived by Rev. Nancy Cushman on Christmas Eve December 24, 2006.