Lectionary Devotions by Bishop Hawkins

Jesus Christ came into the world to redeem us, to buy us back from sin and death, to redeem us from that slavery to fear and decay, into the freedom and righteousness of God’s children.

We think about Christmas today in terms of adoption and redemption. God sent forth his Son to redeem, St. Paul tells us. The Son of God came into the world. Jesus was born to redeem. But Paul goes on to say…

We are forgiven children, and God is our Father through Jesus Christ and in the Holy Spirit. For what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, adopted and redeemed us, he convinces us of this by the sending of the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

Today is sometimes called Holy Family Sunday. And I worry that when we look on Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we imagine a picture-perfect family. Is this your view of Christmas, and of Jesus, Mary and Joseph?

How is your Christmas spirit holding out? Have you had enough of carols on elevators? Are you ready for the children to go back to school? Are you already planning your New Year’s diet?

The Church puts theology before story, in setting these readings from Hebrews and John for this morning. In part, it is assumed that we know the story line. The issue is, do we know by faith its meaning and power?

You know, on our birthdays we receive gifts, but on Jesus’ birthday everyone else gets gifts. That seems most fitting to me, for Christ came into the world not to receive, but to give.

The Incarnation is God’s great owning of us. We disowned him long ago and still do, but he owns us, claims us as his own, comes to claim us in our flesh and blood. We are adopted by God in Christ, claimed as his own children in and through Jesus Christ.

It is about receiving and believing Jesus. Jesus was born that we might be born again, born a human child that we might be reborn the children of God.

I want to say loud and clear two things: 1. It is all about the gifts; 2. It’s all about what you get.