Good News of Great Joy

The shepherds’ fields in Bethlehem are hilly, and into the rocky hillsides there are caves dug out with holes in the ceiling for ventilation. At one end, the ceiling is lower…just taller than a sheep. At night, the shepherds and the sheep rested in these spaces. That night was like any other night. They were settled in, the sheep had stopped jostling and had quieted down. The world was not peaceful, but the night was – until suddenly it wasn’t. Suddenly the sky was so bright that the cave – that was never, even at noon, without shadows – was radiating with the high intensity light entering the ventilation holes. In a world without airplanes or satellites or other human-made lights in the night sky, a world in fact without human-made light that did not emanate from fire, they were terrified. What was this light? What was this news? And why would it be told to them?

Shepherds were not considered members of society. They were not welcome inside the city gates. They were not allowed in the Temple courts. They were not expected to go to their own city and be counted – they didn’t count. But the angel said to them, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all people.”

Not just joy; Great joy.

What brings you joy? I do love to unwrap a good gift. And I love even more when I have found just the right gift and I know the person who is going to unwrap it is going to be thrilled. Giving and receiving in love brings joy.

What else brings you joy? I love getting together with friends and family to hang out, eat together, play a game, we played a kazoo Name that Tune with Chris’s family this year that was worth every penny of the $4 it was on sale for…just for the laughter. Engaging in community brings joy.

What brings you joy? Bubbles? Balloons? Confetti? I went to a Board of Pensions retreat this fall at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in Little Rock, and we had some free time one day. So, a group of mid-career Presbyterian preachers decided to follow the trail over to the camp side, where the giant slide is, get out the plastic sleds and figure out the fastest position for rocketing down the hill. We gave way to uncontrolled laughter. It was silly. It was care-free. Being child-like, brings joy.

The joys of giving and receiving in love, engaging in community, becoming child-like are the kinds of joy that make us breathe deeply and smile broadly, they are the stuff of Christmas celebrations. They are wonderful joy. They are the moments and memories we cherish because they are not constant. Life isn’t filled with laughter and levity. But there is joy that is constant, the great joy that the angels announced at Jesus’ birth.

What is the good news of great joy the angels are singing?

In one of his Christmas sermons, John Calvin reflected on the song of the angels, “This, then, is what we have to remember first of all: that we seek our joy in Jesus Christ. For, in fact, even though we had all kinds of delights and luxuries, it would only be a matter of drowning ourselves in our pleasures. …Cursed then are all enjoyments, all honors, all things desirable, until we feel that God received us in mercy.”

The good news of great joy is the realization that in God’s eyes, I am worth saving. Say that out loud, “In God’s eyes, I am worth saving.”

Calvin went on to say in his Christmas sermon, “Being thus reconciled with Him we can enjoy ourselves, not merely with an earthly joy, but especially with that joy which is promised to us in the Holy Spirit, in order that we may seek it in Him. For peace and joy are inseparable things….” This is how joy and peace are intertwined – even as each of us realizes that “I am worth saving” our eyes are opened to see that “you are worth saving.” And if I see your worth, and you see mine, we live in peace.

It can be hard to accept in practice, and so we qualify it even in our translation. The New International Version, the version of our pew Bibles says, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
King James Version reads, “and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
New Revised Standard Updated Edition is translated, “and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”
The literal translation is “Glory in highest to God and on earth peace among – and then the next two words are anthropois eudokias. “Anthropois” means people, human beings, humanity. And eudokias means “good pleasure or well-pleased or delight.”

This is the great news of great joy the angels are singing: The birth of peace on earth to humanity, on whom God’s favor rests. The birth of Jesus Christ is God’s message to the world that God delights in humans, in each one of us, in every one. It harkens back to God’s declaration that the human, formed in God’s image, is “very good.” The birth of Jesus the Messiah is the birth of peace on earth, not the peace of held tongues and oppressive authorities, the peace that comes from knowing fully that you are a beloved child of God who, in God’s eyes, is worth saving, and so is every other human being that has ever breathed the air of earthly life.

The good news of great joy at Christmas is that peace is born. Peace with yourself – you are enough, in fact, you are unique unrepeatable miracle and a blessing, worthy of praise. Peace with God – God sees you and in God’s eyes, you are worth saving, in fact you are very good, God is delighted with you. Peace in relationships – just as you are uniquely envisioned and made by God, a blessing, worthy of praise, who in God’s eyes is worth saving, and in fact very good, so is every other human being.

The Gospel of Luke tells us that the shepherds hurried to see, and when they had seen they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed. We celebrate Christmas every year, not just to remember, but to be like the shepherds. They went and saw, then they left and shared. Their lives were changed by what they saw. The good news of great joy is that peace has been born for us, for every person, that is the light shining in the darkness that cannot be extinguished. It is our light to bear. It is our message to share now.

• And as we bear this deep, constant great joy, an incredible thing happens.
Gratitude fills us – we realize and appreciate the gifts in our lives.
Generosity overflows us – we long to share and bless others.
And we experience more and more the joy of giving and receiving in love.

• And as we bear this deep, constant great joy, an incredible thing happens.
Comparison and jealousy leave us – we stop worrying about what others think of us or how we stack up next to the next person.
Vulnerability and being real grace us – we are drawn to live in authentic relationships.
And we experience more and more the joy of engaging in community.

• And as we bear this deep, constant great joy, an incredible thing happens.
The facades of having it all together and in control leave us – we stop believing we are self-made, self-reliant, independent, responsible for everything with the weight of the world on our shoulders. And we embrace being God’s children, with openness and trust, knowing we are dependent on God for even our next breath and reached for as we crawl up into God’s lap.
And we experience more and more the joy of becoming like children and entering God’s kingdom.

And with the psalmist we sing, “We were like those who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, out tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Amen.