Please note: The following sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.

There is an old Peanuts cartoon in which Charlie Brown is bragging, I'm really humble.

“Well, Charlie Brown,” Linus responds, ”you have a lot to be humble about.”

Ouch! Yes, he does; yes, we do, too!

It is downright embarrassing!

But we can be assured that the news of this night  is worth the embarrassment, just as it has been for folks throughout the Bible.

--Noah who faced ridicule when the ark-building was getting underway.

--Joseph whose blabbing about his strange dreams makes his brothers so angry that they are willing to sell him into slavery in order to get rid of him.

--Sarah, who laughs when the messengers proclaims that she is to bear a child in her old age, and is reprimanded by the messengers:

“You laughed.” “Did not.” “Yes, you did!”

--David, who had to dodge the spear thrown in anger by King Saul.  David was only doing his assigned job, playing the harp to soothe the old codger.

--Jeremiah, who is instructed to literally eat a scroll, and who is later thrown into a dry well when the king is angry with him.

--Hosea who is instructed to marry a prostitute, to illustrate the intention of God toward wayward Israel.

--Jonah, who has to endure some dramatic re-direction before he gets on with his assigned task.

And we can continue this list right through scripture.

Embarrassments, everywhere!

To make it clear again and again that we're not the ones in charge; that we are dealing here with good gifts from God, not things of our own origin.

As Paul says:

          We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. [2Cor4:7]

And the embarrassments abound in the Christmas narrative too, don't they?

--Mary and her too early pregnancy.

--Joseph and his dilemma of whether to keep Mary, divorce her, or publicly denounce her.

--the relatives who cannot offer the most proper hospitality, especially for a birthing room.

--the shepherds who know that they are not the proper messengers for such a momentous announcement, yet here they come!

The only one who isn't embarrassed is God!

The Greek gods lounge around Mt. Olympus most of the time, and only come to earth to treat humans like playthings, and cause trouble.

Other than that, they wouldn't want to be actually helpful to mankind.

But the Lord God, the creator of heaven and earth, loves us,

offering himself to his people  as an infant born in meager surroundings,

living as an itinerant,

charged as a blasphemer,

executed as a criminal.

It should be profoundly embarrassing, but it isn't.

The Lord is willing to submit to this treatment, and all of the other terrible things that mankind can do, in order to show us life transformed, resurrection life.

Philippians 2 explains it: He emptied himself, poured himself out for us.

He took on humanity even while remaining divine.

And he humbled himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death on the cross,

so that in due time, the message will be offered to everyone,

new and renewed life is for you and me!

It is amazing! We don't have to be embarrassed any more about things of the faith.

They may be extreme situations...

--Father Damien going to live at the leper colony, offering the rest of his life  in order to care and minister to the abandoned patients.

--Martin Luther disappointing and angering his father by leaving law school and entering an austere monastery.

or they may be little embarrassments:

--students deciding to participate in the prayers at the pole at school.

--announcing to holiday house-guests that they can stay in bed if they like, but that they are most welcome to join you in worship on Sunday morning.

These former embarrassments bother us no more, because we know that Jesus has already gone through every embarrassment , every pain and sorrow, every hardship that we can imagine, and lives.

What if no one risked embarrassment for the sake of Jesus?

What if Joseph had denounced Mary?

What if Mary had done violence to herself?

What if the angels had not bothered to deliver the message?

What if the shepherds had taken the easy path and just dismissed it all as a bad dream?

God's promise would have had a much more difficult path to get to us.

And we are challenged this night not only to receive the Lord Jesus in Word and Sacrament with joy and thanksgiving,

 but also to discover the ways appropriate to us and in our many situations, to share what we have received.

Be assured:

He comes with peace and love to live

On earth, our erring race to give

Such help as could no other....

He will guide us, Walk beside us,

And uphold us.

Let us sing it, and live it,

this night and always.  Amen.

St. Mark's Lutheran Church

142 Market Street

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

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