Homily on the 32th Sunday after Pentecost being the Sunday before the Nativity of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
Matthew 1:1-25.
In today’s Gospel, we have recounted for us the genealogy of our Lord and Saviour – all the way from Abraham to our Lord. Why is this genealogy important? Well from the beginning of the Old Law it had been prophesied that the Messiah would come from the line of King David. Now Saint Matthew wrote his Gospel for a predominantly Jewish community who would have been aware of the prophesies telling of the advent of the Messiah. This is exactly why Saint Matthew goes to such lengths to document the genealogy of Our Lord and Saviour – to show the Jews that he was writing for, that Christ is indeed the long-awaited Messiah!
Now, what does this mean to us in our current context? Well, one of the most important things to take from this Gospel is that yes Christ is the Messiah and Lord of all, however, his kingship is a very different sort of kingship than many would expect. Think of it in this way – here is born a king who’s first attendants are not wealthy courtiers but rather farm animals and shepherds! It is well known that at the time of Christ Israel was under the yoke of Roman rule. Now the Romans were generally different to other imperial powers of their age as they incorporated already existing power structures into the governance of their provenances - this is why Herod was allowed to wield some sort of power as a vassal ruler! However, the Jewish people of our Lord and Saviour’s day were hoping for a Messiah who would come and liberate their people from foreign rule. This Messiah was going to be a mighty warlord who would make war on the Romans and liberate the Jewish homeland. Nonetheless, when Christ came and began to preach the truth of the Gospel some Jews refused to believe because Christ was the exact opposite of what they thought the Messiah should be! Saint Simeon when he sees the baby Jesus for the first time says to the Theotokos these words:
“Behold this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and a sign which will be spoken against (Luke 2:34)”.
What Saint Simeon is prophesying here is that some in Israel would refuse to believe in Christ leading to their damnation – just as some had killed the prophets leading to their damnation (Luke 13:34). Now these people became damned because they in their arrogance, thought that they knew the mind of the All-Holy Trinity better and as a result they killed those sent to bring them to the Lord – much like the parable of the wicked tenants (Matthew 21: 33-44; Mark 12: 1-11; Luke 20: 9-18). In a way, those who disobeyed and killed the prophets thought themselves as righteous and perfect – above the judgement of the All-Holy Trinity in a way. Furthermore, in the Parable of the wicked tenants, Our Lord and Saviour is alluding to the reality of His death on the Holy Cross – the tenants being a metaphor for some of the people alive in Christ’s time who will plot to destroy Him! Also, note that Saint Simeon is adamant that many will speak against the Sign that is Christ – as it happened then in Christ’s time, so it happens now! How many, academics in this modern age seek to destroy everything that Christ founded (look at the attacks on Christian history and civilisation -both eastern and western- taking place in the media)? How many times does one turn on the television to see documentaries talking about the ‘historical Jesus’?
What needs to be noted here, is that the Christ of history - is the Christ of the Gospels! As much as these people try to rally against the truth - the truth like the spear that wounded our Lord’s side on the Holy Cross will wound them in the end for their disbelief! Remember, Christ is adamant that as much as they deny Him, He will deny them (Matthew 10:33). What this means is that in the end, their conceit will bring judgement against them, and they in their arrogance, will have an eternity with the one who in his jealousy, seeks out only their destruction! Indeed, those who deny Christ are to be pitied, as they in their efforts to deny our Lord and Saviour have chosen to participate in the greatest of rebellions of all – Satan’s rebellion against the All-Holy. This is why one must always pray for the conversion of all, so that none may end up in such a terrible predicament!
Now our faith is not a faith of doom and gloom for Christ came that all who come to him may have life within them (John 10:10). Now Christ came for all and not just the righteous! Why for instance was Christ’s birth heralded by angels to the Shepherds (indeed, they were the first ones told of Christ’s birth)? Well, the answer lies in the fact that Shepherds in Christ’s day, were seen as lowly sorts, whom one could not trust! Indeed, in many ways, the more pharisaical sorts saw shepherds as unclean and to be avoided at all costs! Why then were the shepherds given the glad tidings first? Well simply put our Lord and Saviour is adamant that:
“I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance (Luke 5: 32).
Note too that Christ is adamant, that it is the little ones, He desires to come unto Him for He says:
“…Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. (Matthew 19: 14).”
This is why the All-Holy Trinity chose to reveal Christ’s birth to the lowly shepherds first, for metaphorically they represent the ‘little children’, that Christ desires to come unto Him – not unlike the working people of today who are often hungry for the message of truth that is the Gospel!
Also, note that oftentimes those who think that they are so good and holy are the ones who will not listen – even if the truth were to hit them in the face (as was the case with some of the Jews, Pharisees, and Gentiles of Christ’s day)! This is why our Lord goes onto say in John 10: 15-16 that:
“As the Father knows Me, even so, I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd (Christ).”
What Christ is saying here is that He came to the Jews of His time first, so that they may have the opportunity to be among the first saved, however, some of the Jews in Christ’s time rejected Christ’s Gospel of Truth. Moreover, our Lord and Saviour knew that whilst some of His countrymen would reject him, some would accept the Gospel of Truth. Also, Christ knew that many Gentiles would accept the truth of His Gospel – note the Roman Centurion to whom Christ says this before healing his servant (Matthew 8: 10-13):
“ …Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven! But the sons of the Kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
What our Lord and Saviour means here, is that in many cases, it will the be the Gentiles just like the Roman Centurion, who will come to know the truth and many of the Jewish people of his time, will reject the truth to their detriment! Again, this is why in John 10: 16 He alludes to there being sheep of another fold. Furthermore, Saint Paul is clear in Romans 10:12 that:
“There is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich (in blessings) to all who call upon Him. For ‘Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
This is at the heart of Christ’s Gospel in that, although He initially came to the Israelites first – His Salvation is available to all. What this then means, is that the old distinction between chosen people and non-chosen people, died with Christ on the Cross, for through His resurrection, all who accept Christ and join themselves to His body the Church are made part of His Chosen people! The clearest sign of this was when at the moment of His death on the Holy Cross, the veil in the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27: 51)! It does not matter where one is born, what matters is that one has faith in Christ, and in so doing that one joins one ‘self to Christ’s Body the Church. This is why Christ was revealed to the Shepherds first, for they are a sign of His mission – in that Christ is showing that he came to save all especially those little ones whom society deems unclean or unworthy! Remember righteousness is not gained by lovelessly following rules, rather righteousness is gained by following in Christ's mission of love – for it is in loving like Christ that we are brought deeper into communion with Christ our Lord and Saviour!
Finally, let us reflect on how blessed we are as True Orthodox to have Nativity (Christmas) celebrated on January 7th as opposed to the 25th of December in the secular calendar. Too many people in the secular world Christmas has become a time where one gets one’s self into ridiculous amounts of debt so as to appear as a loving and generous person. This is far from the spirit of Christmas- Christ did not come that one ought to drain one’s wallet to buy ridiculously overpriced gifts for people! Rather, Christ came that all might be saved and have the opportunity to get to the know (more deeply) the divine and all-encompassing love of the All-Holy Trinity! Let us move from this consumerist centred holiday, which has thrown Christ out of the manger, in place of the wolf in the manger, the almighty dollar sign! Christmas should be a time where one shows to others ones love for them, and by extension, in so doing, the love of Christ! Do not forget that:
“ …God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved (John 3: 16-17).”
Rather, let us focus this Nativity on the all-encompassing gift and mystery of the All-Holy Trinity’s love for truly without this love we would not be in existence, nor would we have the opportunity to know the love of the All-Holy Trinity! To all, I wish you a happy and joyous season of Nativity.
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