LOVE CAN WORK A MIRACLE
Sermon preached at Midway Hills Christian Church
Fourth Sunday of Advent
Matthew 1:18-25; I Corinthians 13
Last Sunday Bill shared a conversation he had with a fellow minister about preaching for 35 years on the season of Advent. What is there new to say about such an old and familiar story? Bill then went on to let Mary in Luke’s gospel be the fresh voice we might hear in this season on the theme of joy. Mary’s ‘magnificat’ captures the heights and depths of the resounding joy that is planted deep in all of us as children of the living God.
I think all the characters of the Christmas story embody the themes of the season: Anna and Simeon in Luke’s gospel are the epitome of Hope, as they sing their own songs of thanksgiving for finally being able to witness, to literally hold in their hands, the very salvation they and all of Israel had been hoping for since the days of the prophets.
The Shepherds in Luke’s gospel and the Magi in Matthew’s gospel are ambassadors of Peace as they literally flesh out the very herald the heavenly hosts sang. Peace on Earth, goodwill toward all people--including shepherds in a field and wise ones from the east.
Anna, Simeon, Shepherds, Magi, Mary. What character is left in the story to teach us about love? I believe it is Joseph. While Luke’s gospel emphasizes Mary’s role in the birth of the Messiah, Matthew’s gospel gives us the story from Joseph’s perspective. And so our gospel text for today is the account of the angel appearing to Joseph to fill him in on what everybody else already seems to know! His fiancé is pregnant and the baby isn’t his. Just when he resolves to put her away quietly Joseph has a dream that will change his life forever—and the life of the whole world.
Bill I haven’t been in ministry as long as you, but this morning I am faced with the same dilemma—what’s new to say about Love in this season of Advent? Oh sure, we can quote the scriptures: “For God so loved the world,” “Greater love has no one than this,” “Love one another as I have loved you,” “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mid, and your neighbor as yourself.” Even if we are not the most stellar Greek scholar many of us have heard lessons and sermons that distinguish agape love from other kinds of love mentioned in the New Testament. Agape is the love that flows from God to humans and is to be the distinguishing characteristic of Christians and their communities. But what does all of that mean, really?
I think Paul tried to explain the nature of agape love in his famous chapter, 1 Corinthians 13. And I believe Joseph’s response to Mary and the angel manifests these characteristics. It is interesting that in this entire passage we have no direct speech from Joseph. It is his actions that speak louder than words—and that is the heart of agape.
Love is patient. Like Zechariah, Joseph had to do his own waiting for the fulfillment of all the angel told him concerning the birth and naming of this child. Joseph exhibits agape patience when he takes Mary as his wife and has no marital relations with her until she gives birth.
Love is kind. Joseph is unwilling to expose Mary to public disgrace when he finds out she is with child. His kindness literally saves her life because according to Deuteronomic law adulterous women were punished by stoning to death.
Love is not envious, boastful, arrogant or rude. Joseph wasn’t envious of the Holy Spirit or Mary, he wasn’t boastful of his experience with the angel or his role in the birth of the savior. He was not arrogant as a ‘Son of David’ nor was he rude to Mary.
Love does not insist on its own way. We are told in verse 20 that Joseph had resolved to dismiss Mary quietly. But just when he resolved to do this the angel appeared and commanded another way. By law, Joseph could have insisted to have it his way and he would have been regarded as a gracious as well as a righteous man. But he did not insist on his own way. He gave way to God’s way.
Love is not irritable or resentful. I have to say, if I were in Joseph’s place, I would have at least been irritable. I mean, here he is, with his life all organized, engaged, planning for the future with Mary, regarded in his community as a righteous man. Then this huge carpenter’s wrench gets thrown into his whole life! Don’t get me wrong, I would have obeyed the angel—you don’t want to cross an angel. But I think, I know, I would have been just a tad irritable at all this unsettling news.
Love does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in the truth. We have noted several times that Joseph was a righteous man. This means he observed the law. It was central to his reputation and his relationship to God. But this angel, this dream, invited him to love beyond the law. And Joseph accepted the invitation. Like the baby in Elizabeth’s womb who leaped for joy, Joseph’s spirit resonated—resounded—with the truth of the angel’s message.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Joseph believed the angel, he believed Mary. He bore all things and hoped till the end. Mary bore a son and Joseph named him Jesus. Jesus, whose name means, ‘salvation.’
This is the kind of love that helped to bring salvation into the world. Agape love is a birthing love. When we love like this God is born in our world and in us. 1 John says it this way:
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent the only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that God loved us and sent the Son….Beloved since God loves us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us and God’s love is perfected in us. (4:7-12)
Can you remember a time when you were loved like 1 Corinthians 13? How did it make you feel for someone to be patient and kind with you? What was it like when even though you couldn’t believe in yourself, there was someone who bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, endured all things with you? How surprised were you when you expected someone to be irritable or resentful and they were not?
It is life-giving to be loved in those ways.
I can remember such a time in my life. I was sixteen years old. A rebellious teenager, made to go to church, sullen, not very loveable in my opinion. It was 1971 and our church youth director decided that for choir that year we were going to learn the musical, “Love.” I can’t even remember the composer but I do remember the opening number: “Love can work a miracle. Love can work a miracle. Love can work a miracle. For the greatest power of all, yes the greatest power of all, oh the greatest power of all, is LOVE!”
That became true for me that year. My youth director and the youth choir were agape for me. Through that experience I learned that I could sing. Up to that point no one had ever bothered to listen, or to ask me to try to sing. My youth director and his wife “loved” the music right out of me. Later on they were instrumental in my auditioning for a traveling musical group that eventually became the way I put myself through college.
When we took our musical on the road, our youth sponsors bore all things, believed all things, hoped all things, endured all things as 20 or so nervous, wiry youth sang their songs of Love to sister congregations.
That experience loved me into life. It set me on the path of God with us. Because I was loved that way I have been able to let love grow in me, much the way the baby grew in Mary’s womb.
I remember the solo I had in the musical contained very simple words. Words that went on to be a lifelong prayer: Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, for what you’ve done. That is our response to agape.
Love can work a miracle. It did 2000 years ago, it did in 1971 and still does today. God’s love is waiting to be born in us.