Matthew 1:18-25
Having established Jesus' ancestry
as a glimpse into the mysterious and hidden working of God through the
generations, Matthew turns his attention to the circumstances of Jesus' birth.
The Old Testament resonances just
pictured in the genealogy almost jump from the page. Like Tamar, Rahab, Ruth
and Bathsheba, Jesus' mother, Mary, gave birth under circumstances that would
have generated gossip and scandal among those unable to imagine or acknowledge
the hidden hand of God. Even Joseph himself required an angelic visitor in a
dream to assure him. . .
As the church reflects together on
Matthew's witness to Jesus' life and work, the people of God are invited to
recognize that all that Jesus was and did could only come from beyond us.
Matthew's witness to Jesus' virgin birth is in no way a rejection of human
sexuality. It is instead the proclamation that salvation does not come “from
within” or from human potential, but as a gift from God. – Aaron J. Couch
Joseph's refusal to abandon Mary
and listen to the angel [might inspire us to] ask ourselves, “To whom can I be
Joseph this Christmas? How am I going to show God's love and compassion to
someone else? . . . Can God can love me
just as I am?” – Mary Katharine Deeley
Isaiah 7:10-16
Matthew indicates that Jesus' birth
in this way—by direct intervention from God and without a human father—was the
fulfillment of scripture, quoting Isaiah 7:14. Although the Hebrew text says
nothing about the young woman's virginity, Matthew sees in the Greek
translation a convergence of themes that points directly to Jesus. The prophet
Isaiah had not only promised the birth of a child named Emmanuel (God is with
us), but the Septuagint translators had made the prophet to say that the child
would be born of a virgin. . . Immanu-El
was a sign of God's judgment and mercy.
The word of mercy promised relief
from the threat to Jerusalem and the Davidic monarchy from Samaria and
Damascus. The word of judgment declared that the Assyrians would bring an even
greater crisis.
Jesus, however, came to be the
bearer of . . . mercy for sinners and gentiles, and for the whole world, but
judgment for all who reject the peaceful reign of God present in Jesus.
Remembering that Emmanuel means “God (is) with us,” Matthew saw that Jesus
truly “filled full” the prophecy of Isaiah. – Aaron J. Couch
Romans 1:1-7
Deeley (above) asks
whether God can love us just as we are. She finds the answer – Yes – in Romans.
Paul talks about his mission to the
gentiles and says: “among whom are you also, who are called to belong to Christ
Jesus.” Belonging to Jesus is at the heart of Christian identity. Belonging to
Jesus means that we live each day with the reality of the incarnation. . . in
the Paschal mystery of death and resurrection. When we belong to Jesus, we have
no need to fear loneliness or suffering because Jesus himself walks with us. .
. Christmas reminds us that we belong
and are loved beyond measure. That reality heals all wounds, eases all
suffering, and brings us to peace. – Mary Katharine Deeley
Aaron J. Couch is a co-pastor of First Immanuel Lutheran Church in Portland, Oregon.
Mary Katharine Deeley is the director of Christ the Teacher Institute of
the Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, the
author of many books, a frequent speaker on diverse topics, and a pastoral
advisor.
Homily
Service 41, no. 1 (2007): 43-52.
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