The Significance of the Insignificant
- this past Thursday, a new lieutenant-governor was appointed
in Ontario
- in this vice-regal post, the incumbent is supposed
to act as the Queen's representative to this province, acting on his
or her behalf
- I've enjoyed some of the colorful characters who have
occupied this post
- from Lincoln Alexander to Hal Jackman, and now Hilary
Weston, they have been interesting
-
- Hilary Weston is by all accounts an outstanding choice
- she has poise, dignity, and beauty
- she has enjoyed a life of privilege, philanthropy,
and private enterprise
-
- I don't know how Prime Minister Chretien chose Hilary
Weston, but I do know that his methods of choosing are a bit different
from God's
- you see, when Prime Minister Chretien goes about choosing
the Queen's vice-regal representative, he looks for someone with poise
and dignity and grace
- but when God goes looking to unwrap his most mysterious
plan, the most important plan that has ever unfolded in the history
of the world, God chose the most unlikely and unusual plot and cast
of characters possible
- when God the Son came to the earth, he did it in somewhat
of an unusual way
-
- what I want to do this morning is to look at a few
things that happened in the Christmas story that were as regal and fitting
as they should be
- and I want to do this to remind us that the Christmas
story is a heavenly drama being played out in a most unusual way
- but then I want to look at the cast and setting
of this drama, and point out that when God accomplishes his heavenly
purpose, he accomplishes it very often using very ordinary people in
very ordinary places
-
- so look with me at some parts of the divine drama that
are unusual or other-worldly
- FIRST HAS TO BE THE ANGELS
- creation has no more mysterious and exalted beings
than angels, who represent the testimony of the heavens to what is occurring
- the Scriptures tell us in Hebrews 12:22 that when we
come to worship, we come into the presence of "innumerable
angels"
- so there is an amazingly large number of angels - from
a human standpoint, and innumerable assembly of angelic beings praising
God
-
- now, it's not everyday that one sees an angel
- whenever an angel appears in Scripture, it's always
for a very unusual reason
- in Luke 1 and 2, there are three angel appearances
- the angels appear to Zechariah to announce the coming
birth of John the Baptist
- the angels appear to Mary to announce that she will
give birth to Jesus
- and the angels appear to a group of shepherds in the
field, announcing the birth of Jesus Christ
- it's only fitting that angels should be present at
such an auspicious occasion
-
- the angels remind us that what we're seeing is a very
unusual occurrence, because it's not everyday that one sees an angel
-
- there's another unusual or other-worldly occurrence
- AND THEN THERE'S THE VIRGIN BIRTH
- I don't have to tell you that this has been one of
the most ridiculed teachings of Scripture
- but the Bible clearly asserts that Jesus was conceived
in the womb of his mother Mary by a miraculous work of the Holy Spirit
and without a human father
- and once again, it's not just any day that a virgin
birth takes place
-
- the virgin birth reminds us that salvation must ultimately
come from the Lord
- it reminds us that God brought about the birth of Jesus
by his own power, not through mere human effort
- it also made possible the uniting of full deity and
full humanity in one person
- in no better way could the deity of Jesus Christ as
the eternal Son of God take on humanity that to be born of a woman,
yet not by a human Father but by the power of the Holy Spirit
-
- I think we all agree that an event as unusual as the
coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is fitting of angelic
announcements and a miraculous birth
- but I think we miss a lot of the Christmas story when
we dress it up too much
- I think we've added a bit too much glitz in part of
the story
- this morning my premise is that as unusual and miraculous
as the birth of Jesus Christ was, it took place among the most ordinary
people and in the most ordinary places
- I would like to look at part of the Christmas story
in Luke 2 and draw a few observations for us this morning
- because I believe that the way God worked in this passage
is indicative of the way that he often works today
-
- the first observation is this
- WHEN GOD CHOOSES TO WORK IN MIRACULOUS WAYS, HE
OFTEN CHOOSES THE MOST ORDINARY PEOPLE
- in the ancient world, if anyone had asked if there
was a more important person that Caesar, the emperor and ruler of the
vast Roman empire, the answer surely would have been no
- Caesar Augustus was the first, and according to many,
the greatest Roman emperor ever to rule over the empire
- under his rule, he expanded the Roman empire as far
west as the Atlantic ocean, as far east as the Euphrates, as far north
as the Rhine, and as far south as the Sahara desert
- Caesar also reigned in a period of great peace, and
he ushered in the golden age of Roman literature and architecture
- in 27 BC, the Roman senate met and conferred on Caesar
the title "Augustus," which means "exalted"
- but it wasn't to Caesar that the angels appeared
-
- in the ancient world, if anyone had asked if there
were more a more religious people than the Pharisees, the answer surely
would have been no
- the scribes and Pharisees were world record holders
of righteousness
- they had quit their jobs to do righteousness full time
- they were people who were addicted to righteousness
- not only did they obey the Scriptures, they made up
several hundred laws to border their behavior so that they would not
get out of the fence of righteousness
- the name "Pharisees" literally means, "Separated
Ones"
- there were about 6,000 of them, spread throughout all
of Palestine
- they were teachers in the synagogues, religious examples
in the eyes of the people, and self-appointed guardians of the law and
its observance
- they considered the interpretations and regulations
handed down by tradition to be virtually as authoritative as the Scripture
- but it wasn't to the Pharisees that the angels appeared
-
- in the ancient world, if anyone had asked if there
were more a more ordinary group of people than shepherds, the answer
surely would have been no
- there are no more "normal Joes" in ancient
culture than shepherds
- they represent the lowly and the humble of society
- some scholars teach that shepherds were outcasts in
that society
- their work not only made them ceremoniously unclean,
but it kept them away from the temple for weeks at a time so that they
could not be made clean
- but God did not send the angels to Judea or Syria,
or to other places of honor and significance
- he sent the angels to a group of lowly shepherds who
were staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night
-
- God does not call the rich and mighty; he calls the
poor and the lonely
- (Luke 1:51) He has performed mighty deeds with his
arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
- (Luke 1:52) He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
- (Luke 1:53) He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
-
- when God chose a leader to take his people out of Egypt,
he didn't choose an eloquent orator but a stumbling stutterer
- when God chose a woman to help the spies in Jericho,
he didn't choose a respectable pillar of the community but an immoral
prostitute
- when God chose someone to confront Balaam, he didn't
choose a prophet but he chose a talking donkey
- when God chose a woman to mother Jesus, he didn't choose
a sinless saint but an unknown teenager
- when God chose a rock upon which to build his church,
he didn't choose a stalwart leader but an impetuous loudmouth
- when God chooses to work today, he does not choose
the intelligentsia, or the power brokers, or the rich
- but he chooses people like Cecille Bernardo and Dorothy
Howard and Dave Russell
- he chooses people like you and me
-
- but the second observation is this
- WHEN GOD CHOOSES TO WORK IN MIRACULOUS WAYS, HE
OFTEN CHOOSES THE MOST INSIGNIFICANT PLACES
- we all know that the birth of Jesus took place in the
most humble of circumstances, for the child is born in either a stable
or a cave
- they are in this strange birthing room, because "there
was no room for them in the inn"
- since there is no vacancy in such a locale, the couple
finds shelter where they can
- and so Jesus enters the world in as mundane a way as
possible
- his first hours of human existence are spent in a manger
- the agent of God lives without pretense
-
- in Luke 1, the angel announced that Mary's child would
be a king of an everlasting kingdom
- Zechariah noted that the Coming One would be like the
rising sun, who provides light to guide our feet on the way of peace
- yet the birth of the Christ child is so simple and
is located in as average a village as one can have
- this is no normal setting for the birth of a king
- when his parents wrap Jesus in clothes to keep his
limbs straight and lay him in the manger, the humble emptying of Jesus
has begun
-
- you see, the cast of characters and location in this
drama show the significance of the insignificant
- the announcement of Christ's arrival to everyday folk
show God's commitment to the mass of humanity
- God chooses the foolish things of the world to confound
the wise
-
- what are some lessons in this?
- LESSON NUMBER ONE: IMPORTANCE IS A FUNCTION OF ONE'S
ROLE IN GOD'S WORK
- in other words, importance is not a matter of one's
environment or the supposed status that things bring, and importance
does not come from power
- Jesus is important not because of the setting of his
birth, but because of who he is before God
- for one moment, the center of God's activity resides
in an animal trough
- the dignity of the event comes from the person lying
at the center
-
- the lesson for us is clear
- we might be impressed by the powerful or the rich or
the attractive
- but God isn't
- when God works, he doesn't concern himself with the
surroundings or the accoutrements
- God doesn't go out like our prime minister and search
for the important to take on important tasks
- God attaches importance to building his kingdom
- and if you're building God's kingdom, you're important
- the president of your company, if he's not building
God's kingdom - he's not important
- the prime minister of the country, if he's not building
God's kingdom - he's not important
- but you, if you're building his kingdom, you're important
-
- even in God's kingdom, you're probably not going to
be a Billy Graham or a Chuck Swindoll or a Max Lucado
- but you're you, and you're important to God
-
- LESSON NUMBER TWO: SOMETIMES GOD'S WORK GOES ON QUIETLY
IN HIDDEN LOCALES
- God's work does not always take place where we would
expect
- sometimes God's work goes on quietly in the most unexpected
of places
-
- as a child, I bought a brass key ring that says, "Throne
Room - Buckingham Palace"
- I still have it
- I remember fantasizing about what it would be like
if that key ring actually did have a key to the throne room of Buckingham
Palace
- whenever I traveled to London, every time, I would
stand outside the gates of Buckingham Palace, wondering what it is really
like behind those walls
-
- this past summer, I paid my sixteen pounds and gained
access to Buckingham Palace
- and I walked through the state rooms
- all of a sudden I entered one room and realized that
I was in the throne room of Buckingham Palace, standing a few feet away
from the throne of Queen Elizabeth
- nearby where the thrones of previous monarchs such
as Queen Victoria
-
- I'm impressed by that
- but you know, God doesn't seem to be
- because God doesn't usually choose throne rooms in
which to act
- when God works, it isn't usually a noisy affair
- it isn't filled with pomp and circumstance
- often, when God works, he works quietly and in hidden
locales
-
- for whatever reason, you and I are in a small church
- it's easy to feel that God works in the megachurch
or the cathedral
- but the fact of the matter is, God often works quietly
in a small place like this
- with little fanfare and little recognition
- it's like the Scriptures say in Zechariah, "Who
despises the day of small things?"
- not God
-
- there's one final lesson for us here
- AMONG ALL THE THINGS THE WORLD CALLS SIGNIFICANT,
IT'S EASY TO LOSE THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PERSON - JESUS CHRIST
- God works in the insignificant, and sometimes that's
easy to miss
-
- a well-known department store began to sell a doll
in the form of the baby Jesus
- it was advertised as being unbreakable, washable, and
cuddly
- it was packaged in straw with a satin crib and plastic
surroundings, and appropriate biblical texts added here and there to
make the scene complete
- but it didn't sell
- the manager of one of the department stores panicked
- he carried out a last-ditch promotion to get rid of
those dolls
- so he put up a huge sign outside his store that read:
- JESUS CHRIST-
- MARKED DOWN 50%
- GET HIM WHILE YOU CAN
-
- you know, the tinsel and tarnish has just about done
this
- it's tried to mark Jesus down and make him insignificant
- and it's so easy to miss him
- but Jesus is here this morning
- he perhaps is not what you expected
- he uses the insignificant things of the world and comes
in the most unexpected places
- the son of God leaves his home, he's born a homeless
person in a temporary shelter, he identifies with the homeless all throughout
his ministry, he's buried in a borrowed grave, and, yet, through his
death and resurrection, he enables all wandering people to recapture
a sense of home in this life, recapture a sense of belonging, a sense
of security, a sense of optimism and, beyond that, he promises a permanent
home in heaven forever.
- if you know this Christ and you're sure of it, don't
let this Christmas time pass without worshipping God for the gift of
his son that makes home possible wherever you are
- make sure you worship God in a profoundly personal
and authentic way for making you significant
-
- and for the rest of you who have never known this Jesus,
why don't you get to know him this morning?
- why don't you mark this morning as the morning that
you came became significant in Christ?
