Who is this God?
Isaiah 63: Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23
Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender
‘Surely these are MY people: it is no messenger or angel but it is My Presence that saves them; it is My Love and My Pity to redeem them; I will lift them up and Carry Them,” God declares. In language that describes a single parent - “I will lift them up and carry them home,” - not only father but mother too - fierce, protective, generous and forgiving. This God acts in love to redeem and never stops. The prophet Isaiah tells us two things: #1) Trusting God does give the community the strength to endure the pain; #2) This present moment is not the end of the story. Remember what God has done before? Count on it…In Christ, the worst of it, death, has been overcome. Us Believers have no reason to fear death, for it is then we will see fully, the glory of God, as now we only see in part.
It seems to me we need a vigorous gospel to stand up to monsters, murderous politicians, dead children and wailing moms and dads - a gospel that meets the real pathos of our daily lives. I keep landing on the word TRUST. What makes God trustworthy? This God in particular - the God of Israel who promises to graft us Gentiles into the covenant of Sarah & Abraham? What words can be spoken to strengthen your trust in God today?
(Pause)
This is the God who cares so deeply about His peeps, about His world, His creation, He enters the fray and encounters the horrors of Herod. Herod, who has such an arrogance of power, he kills his own family members.
And maybe 20 little babies in Bethlehem. Mothers wail, Herod could care less. “I’m the closest thing to God they got,” he claims.
It is in the midst of turbulent history, where tyrants kill the innocent, parents flee in the middle of the night, run for their lives and their children’s lives, this is where God comes. At our borders as refugees flee violence and look for hope in the U>S>; rickety boats that go from Africa to Europe. In the heart of our cities where young black and brown men are at more danger from police violence to end their lives. Not with power and might, no. A sacrifice of power - God comes to us in our form - not a puppy or a dolphin or even an angel, as Lisa Fischbeck says - only a baby, fully human, frail, needy. To redeem the world and to claim all who believe.
God chooses the way of suffering, the long haul, the strength of the weak, just like our lives. He spends His power on us. He stands against the demonic to free humanity from its bondage to sin. He never gives up on us, even when we give up on each other and give up on Him and his precious earth.
Who Is This God?
Let me tell you what made me gasp this week: The writer of the letter to the Hebrews, tells us this: Jesus calls us sister or brother. Seriously! Sister or brother. Gasp!
Stop for a moment. Take a deep breath. Wait. Jesus calls you sister, Jesus calls you brother… Remember? You bear the image of God, in your very being. Our language so inadequate to explain what this could possibly mean. In the midst of our 12 days celebration of the Incarnation, we are invited to look past the shepherds, the manger, even the magi, into our very own lives. To discover The Word that became flesh and dwells among us, here in our neighborhoods. The Light, the gospel says, that shines everywhere, even at your dinner table, all over your home. Your brother Jesus is present. Wherever you are, He is too. This is the promise of the Presence - It is my Presence that saves - as Isaiah schools us. God spends His power on our salvation - not for the angels - rather to fully enter into humanity’s skin, the experience of neediness as a baby, grows up with parents who teach him right from wrong, who love him fiercely, who follow Him through all His trials. He knows what it means to be human. It is extravagant grace that calls us home.
Who Is This God?
Our Redeemer is a refugee, hidden in a foreign country for a couple of years as His folks wait for the monster Herod to die. He who on his deathbed ordered all political prisoners to be killed, so upon his death, there would be mourning throughout the land. He who had fortresses built all over Israel and Palestine for violent defense was his only strategy. He who killed at least one wife and several sons in fear they were plotting a take over. He who was so enraged by the Magi’s deception, ‘they went home another way’ and so paranoid of the promise of the Messiah, slaughtered the innocent in defense of the guilty.
This is the world Jesus was born into - this is the world Jesus came to save.
Who Is This God?
Isaiah foretold it, Mary believed and trusted what would be done came from God, as did Elizabeth by the way. Census counts hold no sway: the shepherds trusted the light and glory of the angels; the magi trusted a star; Joseph dreamed of safe passages and protected the infant life of the Messiah. These are the signs that point the way. In the midst of the worst humanity can do, God is still at work to gather us in, to redeem us, to restore the beauty and grace of Her image in us, marred by sin. To generate communities that seek what Jesus needs - to create a world where Jesus is never a refugee, there is always a welcome and plenty to share. Security not only promised but given.
As sisters and brothers of Jesus, we are called to ACT OUT, dare I say ACT UP? Our faith. To put our trust to work in our families & neighborhoods. To demand more from our politicians than the static status quo. The wealth of this nation is more than enough to feed, shelter, educate and provide work for every person and family. The gospel requires us to pursue justice and peace, to take a stand for all those who have no voice.
This is the God of Abraham & Sarah, King David, Isaiah, Matthew and St. Paul. A God who doesn’t play favorites, who loves the whole world and all who are in it. This God generates grace and love in every heartbeat of creation. This God, Immanuel. Amen