Carriers of the Light of Love
Matthew 1:18-25
December 23, 2007
4th Sunday in Advent
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
Sam was an ordinary guy who never considered himself much of a grandparent.
In his mind, a grandfather would be someone who obsessed about his
grandchildren and would talk incessantly about them at every opportunity. A real
grandpa would empty his wallet so he could make room for the pictures of the
grandkids that he had taken himself with the camera that he would buy just for that
purpose. Also, a good grandpa would most certainly be willing to take the cash out
of his wallet and give some or all of it to his grandchild if he or she wanted it.
But Sam didn't think that he could fit that mold. A little introverted and
unexpressive, he could not see himself doing what other men his age would do
when a grandchild came along. Life had been hard for him growing up, and
somewhere along the way he had learned how to think and to act, but he had not
allowed himself to feel.
Matthew 1:18-25
December 23, 2007
4th Sunday in Advent
Rev. Nancy Pfaltzgraf
Sam was an ordinary guy who never considered himself much of a grandparent.
In his mind, a grandfather would be someone who obsessed about his
grandchildren and would talk incessantly about them at every opportunity. A real
grandpa would empty his wallet so he could make room for the pictures of the
grandkids that he had taken himself with the camera that he would buy just for that
purpose. Also, a good grandpa would most certainly be willing to take the cash out
of his wallet and give some or all of it to his grandchild if he or she wanted it.
But Sam didn't think that he could fit that mold. A little introverted and
unexpressive, he could not see himself doing what other men his age would do
when a grandchild came along. Life had been hard for him growing up, and
somewhere along the way he had learned how to think and to act, but he had not
allowed himself to feel.
With his own children he had been an "old school" dad. He provided a good
home for his daughter, Katie, and her two brothers, but he rarely ever hugged
them or talked to them about anything more than the routine matters of house,
school, work, and play. He left the deeper issues to his wife. The strong, silent type,
Sam typically sat in the shadows and watched quietly as his kids grew up and
eventually left home.
Now within the hour, according to the attending nurse, Katie would be having
her first baby. She and her husband, Brian, had cloistered themselves in the
delivery room at the hospital, but the nurse assured everyone in the waiting area
that the parents-to-be were doing just fine and that in a little while she would
return with some good news.
While everyone waited in anticipation, Sam sat in silence, doubting that he
would ever be a good grandpa.
Joseph must have had doubts as well. Perhaps his doubts were not so much
about what kind of father he might be, but about what kind of man he was and
what he should do, now. You see Joseph was an ordinary man who expected
nothing more out of life than to work as a carpenter in order to provide a good life
for his wife Mary and whatever children God might bless them with. But now ...
what was he to do? Mary, his betrothed wife, had just announced that she was
going to have a baby! The problem was that it was someone else's baby, it had to
be because you see, in those days, although betrothal was the first stage in a
legally binding marriage contract, Mary and Joseph had not yet begun to live
together or to be physically intimate. Joseph knew that women who were caught in
relationships while they were betrothed were legally adulterers and although they
would not be stoned, as would be the case if the marriage had been consummated,
they would never-the-less be publicly shammed -a ritual that involved taking the
woman to the center of town and stripping her down to her waist and pronouncing
her sin while she stood their half naked. Such action would lead to total humiliation
and complete alienation from the community -a fate worse than death. According
to the law, that was the right thing to do. And, Matthew says "Joseph was a
righteous man" -which literally meant that he was a man who did the right thing at
the right time for the right reason. But what was the right thing in this case? That
was the question Joseph couldn't seem to answer. The law told him one thing and
his heart told him something different. I can well imagine that Joseph agonized over
his dilemma for a long time until his heart finally won -at least partially. Joseph
could not publicly shame Mary -he cared for her too much to let that happen- but
wounded and betrayed, he couldn't go on with the marriage either. So, he decided
that he would simply divorce her and leave her to her own devices.
That's when Joseph had a dream that would change his life and the world. In
the dream an angel appeared and told him that regardless of what the law said,
regardless of the circumstances of the child's conception, this baby was a gift of
Divine Love and he was to take Mary as his wife and raise the child as his son. Now
the truly awesome thing about Joseph is that when he woke up, he had the courage
to do it. Yet even though Joseph was certain enough about the angel's message to
do what the angel told him to do, I can well imagine that he still had his doubts
about what kind of husband and father he would be. Could he really come to love
and trust Mary again? Could he really find it in his heart to love this child and raise
him as his own son?
The sound of the door opening interrupted Sam's preoccupation with his doubt
as the nurse appeared with the news everyone had been waiting to hear. Brian and
Katie had given birth to a healthy daughter.
Then the nurse said that Brian and Katie wanted Sam to come in first. Surprised
at this, Sam never-the-less quickly got suited up in hospital-approved garb and
made his way to the room where Katie lay on the hospital bed with the baby in her
arms.
Brian gently took his new-born daughter from Katie and walked toward Sam
with her in his arms. Then he told Sam to take her. Hesitant at first, Sam obliged as
Brain said, "Sam, meet your granddaughter, Samantha."
As Sam held his tiny name sake and looked into her innocent face his heart
exploded with God's extra-ordinary love. He must not have been such a failure as a
dad, after all Katie had named her daughter after him! He held Samantha close to
his face - his heart beating with the power of a love he didn't know was in him- and
kissed her on her forehead and whispered, "Good to meet you, Samantha, my little
princess."
At that moment, Sam's life changed as his granddaughter carrying the light of
God's extra-ordinary love awakened that same love within his heart. With this
precious child in his arms Sam knew his life would be different.
I suspect on that night in the stable as an ordinary man remembered the
angel's words, opened his heart, tended his wife, gently guided her babe into the
world and then looked into the innocent face of this one he was to raise as his own
son, his heart also exploded with God's extra-ordinary love.
Like Joseph, we are ordinary people, living ordinary lives; people in whom and
through whom God's extra-ordinary love will shine, if we dare to open our hearts,
listen to angels and follow our dreams. Every time we reach out to help a stranger
instead of looking away in fear we carry the light of God's extraordinary love and a
heart is touched. Every time we affirm our children, and nurture their innate talents
and abilities, we carry the light of God's extraordinary love and hope is renewed.
Every time we stand up for justice in the face of greed, every time we speak words
of peace in the face of hatred, every time we offer compassion instead of judgment
we carry the light of God's extraordinary love and the world is blessed.
As we make our way to Bethlehem this year, may we open our hearts, listen for
the brush of angels' wings, follow our dreams and carry the light of God's
extraordinary love. Amen.
home for his daughter, Katie, and her two brothers, but he rarely ever hugged
them or talked to them about anything more than the routine matters of house,
school, work, and play. He left the deeper issues to his wife. The strong, silent type,
Sam typically sat in the shadows and watched quietly as his kids grew up and
eventually left home.
Now within the hour, according to the attending nurse, Katie would be having
her first baby. She and her husband, Brian, had cloistered themselves in the
delivery room at the hospital, but the nurse assured everyone in the waiting area
that the parents-to-be were doing just fine and that in a little while she would
return with some good news.
While everyone waited in anticipation, Sam sat in silence, doubting that he
would ever be a good grandpa.
Joseph must have had doubts as well. Perhaps his doubts were not so much
about what kind of father he might be, but about what kind of man he was and
what he should do, now. You see Joseph was an ordinary man who expected
nothing more out of life than to work as a carpenter in order to provide a good life
for his wife Mary and whatever children God might bless them with. But now ...
what was he to do? Mary, his betrothed wife, had just announced that she was
going to have a baby! The problem was that it was someone else's baby, it had to
be because you see, in those days, although betrothal was the first stage in a
legally binding marriage contract, Mary and Joseph had not yet begun to live
together or to be physically intimate. Joseph knew that women who were caught in
relationships while they were betrothed were legally adulterers and although they
would not be stoned, as would be the case if the marriage had been consummated,
they would never-the-less be publicly shammed -a ritual that involved taking the
woman to the center of town and stripping her down to her waist and pronouncing
her sin while she stood their half naked. Such action would lead to total humiliation
and complete alienation from the community -a fate worse than death. According
to the law, that was the right thing to do. And, Matthew says "Joseph was a
righteous man" -which literally meant that he was a man who did the right thing at
the right time for the right reason. But what was the right thing in this case? That
was the question Joseph couldn't seem to answer. The law told him one thing and
his heart told him something different. I can well imagine that Joseph agonized over
his dilemma for a long time until his heart finally won -at least partially. Joseph
could not publicly shame Mary -he cared for her too much to let that happen- but
wounded and betrayed, he couldn't go on with the marriage either. So, he decided
that he would simply divorce her and leave her to her own devices.
That's when Joseph had a dream that would change his life and the world. In
the dream an angel appeared and told him that regardless of what the law said,
regardless of the circumstances of the child's conception, this baby was a gift of
Divine Love and he was to take Mary as his wife and raise the child as his son. Now
the truly awesome thing about Joseph is that when he woke up, he had the courage
to do it. Yet even though Joseph was certain enough about the angel's message to
do what the angel told him to do, I can well imagine that he still had his doubts
about what kind of husband and father he would be. Could he really come to love
and trust Mary again? Could he really find it in his heart to love this child and raise
him as his own son?
The sound of the door opening interrupted Sam's preoccupation with his doubt
as the nurse appeared with the news everyone had been waiting to hear. Brian and
Katie had given birth to a healthy daughter.
Then the nurse said that Brian and Katie wanted Sam to come in first. Surprised
at this, Sam never-the-less quickly got suited up in hospital-approved garb and
made his way to the room where Katie lay on the hospital bed with the baby in her
arms.
Brian gently took his new-born daughter from Katie and walked toward Sam
with her in his arms. Then he told Sam to take her. Hesitant at first, Sam obliged as
Brain said, "Sam, meet your granddaughter, Samantha."
As Sam held his tiny name sake and looked into her innocent face his heart
exploded with God's extra-ordinary love. He must not have been such a failure as a
dad, after all Katie had named her daughter after him! He held Samantha close to
his face - his heart beating with the power of a love he didn't know was in him- and
kissed her on her forehead and whispered, "Good to meet you, Samantha, my little
princess."
At that moment, Sam's life changed as his granddaughter carrying the light of
God's extra-ordinary love awakened that same love within his heart. With this
precious child in his arms Sam knew his life would be different.
I suspect on that night in the stable as an ordinary man remembered the
angel's words, opened his heart, tended his wife, gently guided her babe into the
world and then looked into the innocent face of this one he was to raise as his own
son, his heart also exploded with God's extra-ordinary love.
Like Joseph, we are ordinary people, living ordinary lives; people in whom and
through whom God's extra-ordinary love will shine, if we dare to open our hearts,
listen to angels and follow our dreams. Every time we reach out to help a stranger
instead of looking away in fear we carry the light of God's extraordinary love and a
heart is touched. Every time we affirm our children, and nurture their innate talents
and abilities, we carry the light of God's extraordinary love and hope is renewed.
Every time we stand up for justice in the face of greed, every time we speak words
of peace in the face of hatred, every time we offer compassion instead of judgment
we carry the light of God's extraordinary love and the world is blessed.
As we make our way to Bethlehem this year, may we open our hearts, listen for
the brush of angels' wings, follow our dreams and carry the light of God's
extraordinary love. Amen.
