Luke
What is good news to one person can be bad news to another.
During WWII, while my father served in the Navy, his younger brother was in the Navy Air Force. When it was announced that the war was over and Japan had surrendered, my father celebrated with his shipmates and the whole fleet assembled in Leyte Gulf in the Philippines. The fleet was preparing for the invasion of Japan so the end of the war was a huge relief because they knew that their chances of being killed in an invasion of Japan were high.
My uncle, on the other hand, was in flight school and was just landing on an aircraft carrier after a qualifying flight when he received the news. My uncle was disappointed and sent my father a long letter expressing his disappointment. He had spent a long time training and learning how to fly and never had the opportunity to put what he had learned into practice. My father says that his brother is the only person he knows who was disappointed the war ended as soon as it did.
Paul uses an image in II Corinthians that describes how the same thing can be good or bad news, depending on the perspective.
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life.
Paul uses the image of a triumphal parade into Rome. After a military victory, the successful general would come into Rome with his troops and all they had won in the battle. Wagons piled high with the loot they had collected and lines of captured male and female slaves chained together. As part of this victory parade, incense was burned and to those who had won and gained in wealth because of their share of the loot and slaves, it was a sweet smell. For those who had been defeated and dragged away from their families, who had perhaps seen their families killed, whose possessions were now loaded on wagons to be shared by the victors, the smell of incense being burned was the bitter smell of death and defeat.
Most of us are familiar with the point that the word “gospel” literally means good news. It is used 123 times in the New Testament and most of the time is translated gospel but 27 times as good news.
Is the gospel good news for everyone? Can it, like the incense in a victory parade in Rome, be bad news to some?
Luke 2
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
Good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
This good news may have been of great joy for all the people, but not everyone took it that way. When Herod heard news that Jesus had been born, what was his reaction? Did he receive this as good news? No. He found out where the baby was to be born and then ordered all male babies under the age of two living in that area to be slaughtered. This good news of great joy was not received as good news by Herod, a ruler who, like modern day Saddam Hussein, killed family members to protect his power.
For whom was the coming of Jesus good news? For whom was the coming of Jesus bad news?
It was good news for Simeon,
who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you now dismiss your servant
in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel.”
Simeon lived to see the promise given him be fulfilled.
It was bad news to the devil who tempted Jesus in the wilderness and was not able to bend Jesus to himself.
It was good news to a man in Capernaum.
In the synagogue there was a man possessed by a demon, an evil spirit. He cried out at the top of his voice, 34 “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
35 “Be quiet!” Jesus said sternly. “Come out of him!” Then the demon threw the man down before them all and came out without injuring him.
It was good news to a man with leprosy.
When he saw Jesus, he fell with his face to the ground and begged him, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”
13 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” And immediately the leprosy left him.
It was good news to a man who was paralyzed whose friends cut a hole in the roof so he could be lowered down to Jesus.
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”
22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….” He said to the paralyzed man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” 25 Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26 Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, “We have seen remarkable things today.”
It was good news to the man who had been paralyzed and to his friends, but it was bad news to the Pharisees whose religious system was overturned by the teaching and practice of Jesus.
The coming of Jesus was good news to the centurion whose servant was healed.
Good news to a widow living in Nain whose son was raised from the dead – in the middle of the funeral procession as the body was being carried in a coffin to his burial.
Good news to prostitutes who Jesus healed by forgiving their sins.
Good news to a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years.
Good news to those possessed by demons who were delivered and restored to good health. Good news to a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years and could not straighten up at all.
Jesus was bad news to the synagogue ruler who was indignant that this woman had been healed on the Sabbath.
Good news to the children who Jesus did not ignore as having little worth. Good news to the children who Jesus welcomed and blessed individually in the middle of a pressing crowd with many demands.
Good news to Zacchaeus, a despised, traitorous tax collector who climbed a tree so he could see Jesus. Jesus said to him,
“Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner.’”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.”
Bad news to Judas who as treasurer for the disciples was helping himself to what was put into the treasury and after betraying Jesus hanged himself.
Good news to the thief being crucified next to Jesus who said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”
What do you notice about this list of those for whom Jesus’ coming was good news and those for whom Jesus’ coming was bad news?
For whom was Jesus good news?
An old man, no longer working, no longer contributing to society.
A man possessed by a demon, liable to be thrown into a fit. Certainly not someone you could count on or rely on for anything you needed.
A leper, a man with a disease thought to be contagious so no one ever touched him. He was cast out of the city and had to live in a place where food was brought to him, but always left there so he would not infect anyone else.
A paralyzed man who was dependent on others to take him anywhere, who was dependent on others for food and clothing and shelter.
A widow who was walking alongside her dead son on the way to his burial place. With her son dead, this woman would have no right to property and would have to depend on others for her food and shelter.
A prostitute who was despised by any respectable person. A woman who was used and abused for other’s selfish purposes.
A woman who had bled for twelve years. Under Jewish law, she was continually unclean and could not come in contact with any respectable person who followed Jewish law. She was as much of an outcast as the lepers.
A tax collector who was viewed as a traitorous collaborator, helping the Roman occupying forces and profiting in the process. Making himself rich off of his countrymen.
A thief who for whatever crime he committed, was being crucified next to Jesus.
This is hardly a distinguished list. This is not the guest list you would want to invite into your home for a party. This is not a list of those you would welcome into your church fellowship. If you walk through the medina you can see many of these people and our instinctive response is to look away, walk away and avoid these people.
With few exceptions, the people for whom Jesus was good news were disgraced people, marginal people, societal outcasts.
Jesus was good news to the people we do not normally like to associate with. That is a sobering thought.
Who were the people for whom Jesus was bad news?
Pharisees, Sadducees, synagogue rulers, Herod, Caiphas the chief priest, Pontus Pilate.
When we read or hear these words, we take on the absolutely wrong perspective. We are used to hearing these names and associating them with bad guys, enemies of Jesus.
Herod you can have. He was everyone’s enemy if you stood in his way. But Pharisees and Sadducees and synagogue rulers. These people were the cream of the crop. The best and brightest Israel had to offer. The best students in school, the ones you went to to settle a dispute because you knew their reputation for honesty. The kind of people you invite to a party in your home. The kind of people you brag about if you are related to them.
These decent, respectable people were the people for whom Jesus was bad news.
Jesus was bad news to the people we normally like to associate with.
The elite, the educated, the respectable, the leaders. Jesus was perceived by them as being a threat to their standing in the community, their respect, the religious system they fought to maintain, their power, their wealth, their authority.
There are exceptions to this. The thief on the other side of Jesus when he was being crucified joined in with those mocking Jesus. Not all outcasts saw Jesus as good news.
Nicodemus was a Pharisee who visited Jesus at night so his friends would not know of his interest in Jesus. Joseph of Arimathea was a man who was wealthy enough to own a tomb where Jesus could be buried. These two members of the elite went to Pilate to request the body of Jesus for burial. From Luke’s account, it is clear that these two men were part of the early church.
There are exceptions, but the church throughout its history has reached out to the part of society no one else wanted.
In India with its caste system, the church is growing strongest among the lowest caste, the Untouchables. The African slaves in the United States had a church that thrived in the presence of the cruel slavery that afflicted them.
Why is this the case?
Why is it that, as a group, the people with the most money in the world do not go to church in as large a proportion as the people with the least money?
Why is it that as the level of education increases, religious interest diminishes?
Why is it that among those in the embassies in Rabat, those in the foreign service tend to avoid church?
Did you hear the words of Paul read just a few minutes ago? He is talking about the church in Corinth, a bustling cosmopolitan town in the Roman empire.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”
There is a reason that the foolish things of the world and the weak things of the world, the lowly things and the despised things of the world, flow into the church.
In order to come into the church, in order to receive the gift of salvation God offers, we need to be broken. We need to be broken and aware that we need to be made whole.
The problem with those with wealth and high levels of education and positions of power is that they have the illusion that they are whole, in control of their lives and destiny, able to fend for themselves. Wealth and education and power allow us to have the illusion that we are respectable, healthy, not sick, not in need of Jesus.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. 11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”
12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
The reality was that all those eating dinner with Jesus were sinners but not all at the dinner with Jesus recognized that truth. The reality is that we are all broken and in need.
I’ve told this story before, about a farmer who sold his mule. He told the other farmer that the mule was a very obedient mule, you just had to whisper in his ear what you wanted and the mule would obey. So the mule was sold. When the farmer got the mule home, he whispered and nothing happened. He shouted and nothing happened. So he called the other farmer to complain. The farmer came, picked up a large stick, walked over to the mule and hit it as hard as he could across the head. Then he went up to the mule, whispered and off the mule went. He said, “He’s very obedient but first you have to get his attention.”
This is our problem. In order for us to realize that we are broken and need to be made whole, God has to first get out attention. The businessman’s revival in NYC in the late 19th century in which thousands of Wall Street businessmen gathered during their lunchtime break to pray, followed a severe drop in the stock market.
Phil Yancy writes about the work of Dr. Paul Brand in a leprosarium in India. He met there a patient who thanked God for his leprosy for without it, he would never have known his need for Jesus.
Our faith stories, testimonies in which we talk of how we became aware of God and our need for him, generally involve a story of our being in need. Depressed, lonely, frightened, dissatisfied, having a longing for something we could not satisfy. Our stories of how we came to faith speak of our awareness of our brokenness.
David’s psalm of confession carries this line:
The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
This is what separated those at the dinner with Jesus in the home of Matthew. All were sinners, all needed a doctor, but some had a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart and were able to see their need for Jesus. Others were unaware of their brokenness and not able to see their need for Jesus.
The coming of Jesus is good news for those who are broken.
So is the coming of Jesus good news for you or bad news? Which is another way of asking if you know that you are broken.
Let me speak first to those in the congregation this morning who are not Christians, who have never admitted their brokenness and never asked for God’s help to be made whole through Jesus. You are broken, you know. It’s true. Whether or not you know it, whether or not you are aware of it, you are broken and in need of being made whole. There is a longing in you that cannot be satisfied by wealth or power or education or marriage or anything else to be found in this world.
The French philosopher Pascal said that God created us with a heart-shaped vacuum that makes us long for it to be filled. But it can be filled only by the one who created it, God.
My prayer for each of you is that you will receive this Christmas the best gift it is possible to receive – the gift of seeing you are broken and in need of being made whole. This is a wonderful gift because when you receive it, you receive it from the only one in all of time who is able to make you whole.
To the Christians in the congregation this morning, let me say this. It is easy to drift from the point where we were aware of our need for Christ. It is easy to begin to feel respectable, to feel whole because of our own efforts, our own character. Do you know that you are broken and in as much need of Jesus as you were on the day you first gave yourself to God? Do you realize that apart from your relationship with Jesus you have no hope?
You are not better than the list of people for whom Jesus was good news. Lepers, prostitutes, traitorous collaborators, chronic bleeders and the paralyzed have this in common with you – all are broken and in desperate need of Jesus.
This is one of the strange paradoxes of Christianity. When you see your brokenness most clearly, it is then that you are made most whole.
In my marriage there have been moments of intense vulnerability when I have shared things with Annie that I don’t even like to admit to myself. In those moments, Annie has been able to love me with a healing intensity.
It is when we let down our defenses, drop our pride and humble ourselves and cry out to God for help that we are most filled with his healing love. The weaker we become, the stronger we are.
This Christmas, my most fervent desire for each of you and for myself, is that we will be given the gift of seeing our brokenness so we can be filled with God’s love.
