Fourth Sunday of Advent: Emmanuel's Non-Traditional Holy Family

Today's Scripture Readings

Isaiah 7:10-16 (NRSV)

The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted."

Psalm 80 (BCP., p.702)


Romans 1:1-7 (NRSV)

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all God's beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 1:18-25 (NRSV)

Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,

and they shall name him Emmanuel,"

which means, "God is with us." When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.

Blog Reflection

In this Year of 2013 we have seen an amazing transformation.   As of this past week there are now 18 States where the freedom to marry for same-gender couples is the law.  Even if the Governor and Attorney General of Utah are seeking a stay, at the moment their same-sex marriage ban has been struck down as unconstitutional.

At the heart of the ongoing debate about whether or not marriage equality is a good idea is the claim that same-gender marriage will contribute to the downfall of society, because it changes the make up of the family.  It is believed by many Christians that the "nuclear" family is one man, one woman with children coming out of the mother, supported by a well employed father, who go to church every Sunday and Holy Day.  The children are educated, sent off to college, meet their girl and/or boyfriend, get married and the whole process begins over again.  In the discussion about why same-gender marriage is so "dangerous" is that this is not how God intended the family to be.  They go back to Genesis about how God created male and female, etc, etc, etc.    Next Weekend, the Roman Catholic Church will celebrate Holy Family Sunday, during which many of their Priests and Bishops will say that the family is in imminent danger because of abortion, same-gender marriages, the media that seems to have one agenda, to destroy the most basic and sacred institution of society.

On this Fourth Sunday of Advent in the Year of the Gospel according to Matthew, we appear to have a very non-traditional family.   A young girl who is sixteen years old, expecting a child.  A man of the Royal House of David.  He is a poor carpenter.  He is betrothed to this young girl with child, who could face shame if she is believed to have been with a man she is not betrothed or married to.   In his dismay, he considers divorcing here quietly.  What's this?  The foster father of Jesus, considers divorcing his betrothed?   Wow. In the Angelic vision that Joseph experiences, he is told that the child who will be born of Mary, was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is believed to be the feminine nature of God.  Is it possible that we have a female to female gender relationship that results in a male child?   A pretty non-traditional holy family we have here.  

If this non-traditional family shows us anything, it is how God uses the unusual and not so neatly put together of situations, to bring about the perfection of God's will.   The lives of Mary and Joseph are anything, but neat and well organized.  Yet, through them God-with-us becomes a visible and physical reality.  God makes use of this travesty of human tradition, to break into our human history to achieve the unthinkable.  The Word becomes flesh, and God has a human face.  His Name is Jesus the Christ.

There is yet another surprise for white Christians.  This is a family in the Middle East. They were not Caucasian.  They did not speak English.  Nor did they vote Republican or Democrat. They lived under tremendous oppression.  Later this week on December 28th, we will remember the slaughter of the Holy Innocents.  The non-traditional holy family will become refugees in Egypt to flee the massacre of a tyrant and fearful king.

It makes you wonder that if this holy family came here to these United States, would we delay their immigration, by suggesting that they are seeking amnesty?

What would they think of a TV host who lost his job because of both racist and homophobic statements?

Given what they have lived through, you think they would really support a United Methodist Minister named Frank Schaffer being defrocked because he performed a same-sex wedding ceremony for his own son?

If they were to support reformed gun laws in the wake of last years shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT and last week in Colorado, would the "God fearing" extremists call Mary, Joseph and Jesus a family of socialists trying to take away their 2nd Amendment rights?

During these past three weeks of Advent, we have been preparing to remember the first coming of Christ to help us to look into our hearts, as we prepare for His second coming.  We would like to think that the world Jesus was born into was economically secure, free of racism, sexism, heterosexism, injustice and oppression.   The Gospel accounts of Jesus suggest that He was born and lived in a society not much unlike our own.  There were non-traditional families, individuals and communities in Jesus' very own community.  Yet, Jesus came and welcomed them all.  Those who thought they had their religious and spiritual lives all figured out by following the rules, were pretty much told to look and think again.   Those who were already marked as outcasts, because they were so non-traditional found in Jesus a new home in God's unconditional love.

Here we are at the end of 2013.  Life for so many is anything but peaceful.  Just yesterday, the same day that a judge in Utah declared the constitutional ban against same-sex marriage as unconstitutional, the "kill the gays" bill in Uganda was passed by their parliament.  LGBT people continue to face untold acts of violence in Russia and other places in the world.   The Gospel of Jesus Christ gets a bad name as Christ followers turn a blind eye to the number of Americans who face the loss of their unemployment benefits at the end of this month.  Millions of Americans have lost their food stamp money.  Homelessness, poverty, violence towards women, minorities, Muslims, Jews and many others continue right in our own communities.   This is the world that Jesus Christ, born of a non-traditional holy family wants to be begin a new life in today.   A poor carpenter named Joseph and a sixteen year old girl named Mary, come with their bundle of joy in the womb of Mary, who will be born into our world of oppression, violence, darkness and in desperate need of healing.

Will we welcome Him in each other?

Here's hoping that in two days that answer is yes.

Amen.


Prayers

Purify our conscience, Almighty God, by your daily visitation,
that your Son Jesus Christ, at his coming, may find in us a
mansion prepared for himself; who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen. (Fourth Sunday of Advent, Book of Common Prayer, p.212).

Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen.  (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, p.816).

Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people in this
land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as
their constant companions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to
eliminate our cruelty to these our neighbors. Strengthen those
who spend their lives establishing equal protection of the law
and equal opportunities for all. And grant that every one of
us may enjoy a fair portion of the riches of this land; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.  (Prayer for the Oppressed, Book of Common Prayer, p.826).