Our Songs Renew

This sermon was preached at Glenwood and Canoe Ridge Lutheran Churches, Decorah, Iowa on December 29, 2019. It’s based on Isaiah 63:7-9; Hebrews 2:10-18; Matthew 2:13-23 and was preached as part of our 5th Sunday hymn sing. If you’d prefer to listen to it, find it at https://soundcloud.com/stacey-nalean-carlson..

Isaiah 63:7-9

⁷I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us, and the great favor to the house of Israel that he has shown them according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. ⁸For he said, “Surely they are my people, children who will not deal falsely”; and he became their savior ⁹in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them; in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

Hebrews 2:10-18

¹⁰It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. ¹¹For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, ¹²saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”
¹³And again, “I will put my trust in him.”
And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”
¹⁴Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. ¹⁶For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. ¹⁷Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. ¹⁸Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Matthew 2:13-23

¹³Now after [the wise men] had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” ¹⁴Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, ¹⁵and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”
¹⁶When Herod saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned from the wise men. ¹⁷Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the prophet Jeremiah:
¹⁸“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
¹⁹When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ²⁰“Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child’s life are dead.” ²¹Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. ²²But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. ²³There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He will be called a Nazorean.”

If The Twelve Days of Christmas was in the hymnal, there’s a pretty good chance one of my family members would have chosen it for today’s hymn sing. And I would have vetoed it. Just kidding. I wouldn’t have. But I would have wanted to.

It’s not my favorite song. I find it tedious. But its message is valuable. It reminds us that Christmas is not a one day affair. It’s a whole season in the church year. It lasts for twelve days. We’re only on Day 5 right now, so give your beloved 5 golden rings and keep on celebrating. All the Valentine’s Day candy and cards are already in place at Walmart, but keep on celebrating Christmas. Our world needs it.

The readings assigned for this day in the church year invite us to look clearly at our need for a Savior. Not even Jesus—God with us—is immune from the dangers and threats we face as human beings.

Herod wants Jesus dead. The king is so threatened by this baby that he has all the infants in and around Bethlehem killed. Mary and Joseph are forced to flee to a country not their own. They become refugees in Egypt while the mothers of Bethlehem weep for their children. How can this be? Where’s the peace on earth the angel promised?

The author of Hebrews reflects on the suffering Jesus endured, understanding that Jesus had to become like his brothers and sisters—had to become like us, the ones he came to save—in every respect. The author concludes, because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

As we wait for the fulfillment of God’s dream—as we wait for peace on earth and peace in our hearts—we have a Savior who knows what it is to be tested. We have a God who lifts us up and carries us, who saves us by God’s very presence with us.

This is the word we’re called to celebrate throughout these twelve days of Christmas. This is the song we’re called to sing in this season and in every season of our lives. Love has come—Love that understands what it is to be human in this beautiful, brutal world; Love that has been tested and found faithful; Love that frees us from the power of sin and death and raises us up to new life, never without a counselor, a comforter, a Savior who knows what it is to be us.

This is the song we sing for a weary world.

I’d like to end with a poem I wrote composed entirely of words and phrases from Christmas carols in the ELW. It’s my prayer that the words of the songs we sing throughout this Christmas season work on our hearts–embodying the hope to which we cling, the dream we offer to the world, the light that gives us courage in deepest darkness. Love has come. Let us sing.

Love has come; the angel song is true–

Word made flesh to help a world in need.

Love’s pure light—new life—our songs renew.

You, along the climbing way, who toil,

see who will himself your Savior be:

Love has come; the angel song is true.

Sad and lowly plains need not fear. Who

could be the same for having seen

Love’s pure light? New life our songs renew.

Let creation praise new hope, true refuge;

in the bleak midwinter you are freed.

Love’s pure light—new life. Our songs renew