HELLO!

Tuesday promises to be a busy, productive and stimulating day. It will end, for me, with the second of three sessions of our Advent Faith Study, The First Christmas: What the Gospels Really Teach About Jesus’ Birth. We gather in the Sams Room at 7 pm. You don’t need the book to participate. You don’t need to have attended the first session to participate. I summarize the section of the book we plan to examine, so everyone has access to the same information. I do ask those who have read the section of the book, to share what I may have overlooked. Once the summary and the additional information from those who have the book have been shared, I open-up the circle to questions, comments and conversation.

This Tuesday, December 9^th, we will be looking at Part 2 of the book, pages 79 through 167, Genealogy, Conception and Birth. The two genealogies offered in Matthew (1:1-17) and Luke (3:23-38) are very different. In Matthew it begins with Abraham and in Luke it goes backward, all the way to Adam. The purpose of this is clear, for Matthew Jesus is the new Moses, raised in the spirit of Abraham and Sarah’s journey to the Promised Land, while for Luke Jesus is the new Adam, “the start of a new creation, the beginning of a transfigured earth”.

Another difference between Matthew and Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ birth story is the angel. In Matthew the angel appears in Bethlehem, in Luke the angel appears in Nazareth, and the angel appears to Joseph in Matthew and to Mary in Luke. Further, in Matthew the angel comes in darkness, while in Luke the angel appears to Mary in golden light.

And another difference is circumstances of these birth stories. In Matthew Jesus’ birth story is closely paralleled to Moses. And like Moses, whose birth prompts the Pharoah to kill all male babies, Herod in Matthew’s Gospel does likewise for all male births. And, the Pharoah, like Herod, has a dream that brings him fear, Moses/Jesus will save their people. Meanwhile Luke’s birth story is a nod to both the Book of Isaiah (7:14) and Roman god narratives of Divine election. “The reason for including the virgin birth, divine conception, in this story is clear, Jesus’ is elevated above all others, including the Emperor Caesar Augustus himself”.

If we move to the story of Epiphany, the parallel of Moses and Jesus becomes even clearer. Exodus 7:11 “Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts.” Think of the Magi and their role in Matthew’s story.

In Luke the inclusion of shepherds was “a concern for those whom society had marginalized…The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor – Isaiah/Luke.”

I look forward to spending time with you talking about this iconic story of our faith. I hope you can join us. Bring a friend. Peace, Kevin