Happy Christmas.
On this tenth day of Christmas instead of the story of Joseph and Mary traveling to Bethlehem, the shepherds in the fields or the magi coming to see the newborn King, we hear the beginning of John’s gospel. These first eighteen verses – the prologue or opening – of the fourth gospel are a confession of faith. Equipped with the stories of the Messiah’s birth, John now shows us how Jesus’ life reveals God to us.
It’s here that we meet Jesus as logos:
the Word was with God, and the Word was God (Jn. 1:1)
the Word became flesh and lived among us (Jn. 1:14)
New Testament scholar Don Juel once wrote that “language was previously understood [not as static words on a page, but] as moving people…a force acting in the world.” ("Strange Silence of the Bible") When we say in our liturgy, “the word of the Lord” we aren’t merely providing a citation; we are saying, “This is the divine speaking to us.”
The end of verse 14 descries the logos – the Word – as full of grace and truth, and then in verse 16, John says,
From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.
Grace upon grace; grace in place of grace; gift after gift.
Reading this verse, the image that came to me was of the Russian nesting dolls in which each one contains another, and another and another. But as with many of our metaphors for God, that is too finite, too small and too neat.
The gifts of God for us are born from the grace and truth embodied in our Messiah, our Lord and Savior, Jesus. And they are one upon another, and another and another, without end.
On New Year’s Day, a prayer resource I like called “The World in Prayer” offered this prayer:
Holy One, let us hear afresh your words of life: “I AM FOR YOU.”
This belief – that God comes into the world that we here on earth may know God – is at the heart of John’s gospel. The logos – the Word that was with God and is God – is here for us.
This promise that Christmas gives us is such a simple truth and yet it is so hard for so many to believe.
The first gift we are given is love
shown to us in Jesus, enfleshed here on earth.
And in him, we are given the gift of forgiveness
where we’re invited into relationship and new life with God,
and our life is full of God’s continued gifts.
It really is as simple as the words of the children’s song,
“Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
I wonder whether we recognize the gifts we are given? And how God uses us in the lives of others to be gifts to them?
As followers of Jesus, we are asked to bear God’s Word and endless love out to our neighbors, community and world -that they too will know God’s abundance is for them.
For much of 2020, we had a banner in front of the church building that said, “Jesus is always with you.” It was a needed word in the midst of isolation and fear, and by our presence, we were the bearers of that word to our neighbors and community.
In November and December, our congregation shared out of our abundance, providing more than $800 and 32 boxes of food to feed hungry neighbors who visit the Shepherd’s Table at the Episcopal church down the street. People experiencing homelessness, whose jobs haven’t returned or whose need is more than they can bear alone know God’s love in a hot meal and groceries that won’t spoil.
Now, in this New Year, I wonder how we will continue to bear God’s Word and God’s love to our neighbors, community and world.
Who does not yet know the grace upon grace and gift upon gift that is God’s unending love for them?
Who has not yet heard how much God loves them, and how freely God’s gift of forgiveness is given to them?
How can we speak God’s Word – the force and movement of God’s love – through our actions?
In the midst of creating resolutions and setting intentions for the New Year, I pray we will see where we have been shown love and notice where we point to God through our love for others, and I pray that we will follow Jesus in ways that tell the world God is here for you.
Amen.
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