Sorrow, Hope, and Fulfillment

These three days, the second third, and fourth days of Christmas have for many centuries been days to remember Stephen, John, and the Holy Innocents, in that order.

Surely we would prefer that these days be all sweetness and light, but they are not.

There is pain and sorrow spread all around us, at times nearly enough to smother us, but somehow God will grant us enough resources to get through these days, and all the days to come.

It all has to do with the word martyr which means witness.

To bear witness to Jesus with one's whole life is to be a martyr.

Stephen was a martyr in both will and deed; he bore witness to Jesus with both his words and his blood.

John was a martyr in will but not in deed; he was willing to give up his life for Jesus, but was not called upon to do so.

The Holy Innocents, those children of Bethlehem murdered by Herod in his rage, were martyrs in deed but not in will; they were too young to have a say in the matter, but were murdered anyway.

These three days and the saints remembered thereon are quite enough demonstration that wherever Jesus' word is active, there will be conflict, pain, and sorrow.

This is because wherever Jesus' promises are spoken, Satan is there also, and he is trying to tempt us to take a different path, and he is putting as many things in our way as possible.

This conflict will continue until God brings his creating to a close.

“It is not fair,” we say of those children who died because of Herod.

They had no chance to say or do anything.

“It's not fair,” many of us exclaim about the circumstances around the death of our beloved ones.

And from our viewpoint, it may not be fair at all.

So what is the Good News for us who are caught up in pain and sorrow this night?

Just this: we already know how God intends this conflict to turn out!

That is why Easter is the number one day in the church year; at the festival of the resurrection we hear God announce that death in all of its twists and permutations shall not finally win the battle.

It will be defeated; and in Jesus' resurrection it is already defeated.

This summer's storms provide an illustration for us.

The storm came, stayed far too long, and finally passed by.

The weather station made the announcement that the center of the storm was now clearly somewhere else.

However, the fight was not nearly over.

The creeks would continue to rise and rampage over persons and property for considerable time.

The end was declared, but not yet present.

The terror would end, but not yet.

That is the time in which we live right now.

Victory over death has been declared by Jesus in his resurrection, but still death fights us at every turn.

There will still be many conflicts and much sorrow, but the final victory belongs to Jesus; this is sure.

This is exactly the thought conveyed in the hymn that we sing next.

The hills are bare at Bethlehem,

No future for the world they show;

Yet here new life begins to grow,

From earth's old dust, a greenwood stem.

The heart is tired at Bethlehem,

No human dream unbroken stands;

Yet here God comes to mortal hands,

And hope renewed cries out: “Amen.”

No, it is not much...just a sprout, just a baby in Bethlehem.

But enough, just enough to signal that the battle with the old foe is engaged and will be won by God.

Enough, just enough for us to know that the Lord God Almighty cares so much about you and me that he will go to this length to let us in on his plans and intentions.

Enough, just enough for us to hang on in the dark days, and to trust that God is making sense of all of the craziness inside and around us.

Enough, just enough for us to be able to conclude this night with a relieved “Amen”; that is:

may it be so,

may God make it so,

I agree that it should be so....all wrapped up in a single word.

It is in this quiet confidence that after Holy Communion this evening, we will join Simeon, the one who greeted the infant Jesus in the Temple, by singing:

Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for your people.

In spite of the conflict, in spite of the sorrows, real as they are,

give us that peace, Lord,

that trust,

that confidence in your victory

which you promise will include us and our beloved.

With depth of thought and feeling, let everyone say: AMEN.

Please note: The preceding 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.