Christmas at Luke’s
December 15, 2024
Luke 2:1-14
Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified.
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city. He is Christ the Lord. This is a sign for you: you will find a newborn baby wrapped snugly and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great assembly of the heavenly forces was with the angel praising God. They said, “Glory to God in heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors.”
Luke 2:8-14
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Let’s just be honest. When it comes to Christmas, Luke’s house is messy. Mark didn’t even decorate and Matthew stuck to a deeply traditional family gathering with guests worthy of the royal occasion. Luke, on the other hand, will invite anybody to the party, even filthy shepherds on night watch.
One can imagine Luke at the grocery store that morning handing out invitations to every cashier and bagger, and then there’s one for the lady at the drive thru window and one for the mail carrier and the garbage collector. Oh, and don’t forget the homeless guy under the bridge and the drunken crowd with no place to go after last call at the bar. Any chance we can get a special day pass for the local convicts while we’re at it?
“Hey, there’s a new baby at the little run down shack at the end of the dirt road! Actually he’s in the shed in the back yard in an old cattle trough, but never mind that. Everybody come see!”
Matthew needs to make sure his Jewish audience recognizes God’s faithfulness to them and their ancestors, but Luke has no such concern. His primary audience already stands outside the religious “members only” club. Of course there are Gentiles in Matthew like the magi, and there are Jews in Luke, like Simeon and Ana, and possibly even the shepherds (we don’t know). It’s not that Matthew is excluding outsiders or that Luke is being dismissive of the insiders. It’s the same message, the same invitation, just for a different audience.
The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people. Your savior is born today in David’s city.” This is exactly what Luke wants to make clear. Jesus has come for ALL people. He’s not just a “Christian” Savior or a “Jewish” Savior. He’s not just the Savior for people of a particular nationality, ethnicity, gender, religion, or political affiliation. He’s not just the Savior for the wealthy or powerful. He’s not just the Savior for those who are clean and have their lives all put together. He’s not just the Savior for those who are considered “respectable” in society. He is YOUR Savior too!
We love to sing “Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine and “Jesus loves me, this I know,” but are we as willing to look in the face of the one we don’t want around and say “Jesus is yours too… Jesus loves you too”?
As we move from one gospel account to the next, the scope of the incarnation just keeps expanding. Christ comes to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. This Kingdom comes through the Jews and the son of David AND this Kingdom is wonderful, joyous news for ALL people. I wonder, who else might Luke be telling you to invite for Christmas this year?
