In The Lower Branches

Today is Christmas when we focus on little children, Christmas trees, presents, and of course, on the baby Jesus in the manger, although in our Gospel reading there is no story of the birth of Jesus.  The Gospel of John doesn’t have one (John 1:1-18).  Instead, he focuses on Jesus the Christ as the Word of God.  John’s horizon is well beyond the manger.  It’s on creation – the beginning.

Before I get to the Word of God, here’s a story that connects us back to the sort of behavior Jesus might have had as a little boy.  After all, he was a baby and before he became an adult, he had to be a boy with boy-like behavior.  Can we imagine that?

Once upon a time there was a family that had three young boys: Mark, Andrew, and Paul.  Years ago their Mom and Dad gave each boy an angel ornament for the Christmas tree.  That began a yearly contest by the boys to see who could hang their angel the highest in the tree.  It had something to do with what boy was the tallest from one year to the next.

The oldest son, Mark, won for several years.  When he finally got his angel to the top of the tree, his parents thought the contest was over.  Wrong.

The next year, the middle son, Andrew, taped his ornament to the ceiling above the tree.  Now their parents thought it definitely was the end of the contest.  Wrong again.

The next year their parents couldn’t find the ornament of the youngest son, Paul.  They thought it had to be on the roof.  Wrong again.  After a closer look they found the angel on the lowest branch of the tree.

Surprised to find it so low, and about to ask Paul “why,” they noticed a note attached to the angel.  It read:  “For whoever exalts himself will be humbled.  And whoever humbles himself will be exalted" (Matthew 23:12).  Needless to say the contest was over.  It was quite fitting that Paul won.  After all, the name Paul means small or humble.

Paul was one smart boy with Jesus-like thinking reminding us today that whether rich or poor, when we humble ourselves by not being self-serving and by sacrificing our own interests for others – putting others first – we will be exalted.  When we humble ourselves, it’s as if we choose to be on the lower branches of the tree and to put others on the higher branches above us.

Our message is that life should not be a contest to be first, although, admittedly, our culture does send the opposite message.  Of course, we all like to be first with the recognition it provides.  We root for our sports teams as if second place is a failure.  But when we always focus on first place, we find ourselves frustrated, unhappy, and losing out on life.  Priorities get out of whack.

All our talk about humility and being on the bottom branch is overshadowed by our Christmas readings such as the Letter to the Hebrews (Hebrews 1:1-6) written by an unknown author about the same time as the Gospel of John, around 70 years after Jesus’ death.  Can we imagine Jesus standing before us today telling us that he sits at the right hand of God; that he sustains all by his mighty word; that he is far superior to all the angels; that the angels of God worship him?  Or, as stated in the Gospel, that he was in the beginning with God as the Word.  Those are John’s words and his community understanding of Jesus as the Christ. And that’s perfectly fine.

We are all informed by this early understanding that continues to be a centerpiece of our Christian faith that in a rather symbolic way puts Jesus at the top of the Christmas tree next to or maybe above the star.  But today it’s Christmas and baby Jesus.

Therefore, we should focus more on the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 52:7-10) that speaks of humility that leads to exaltation.  Isaiah begins: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings glad tidings, announcing peace, bearing good news."  Jesus’ feet walked on the ground through Bethlehem, Galilee, and Jerusalem among the poor and the sick where he healed and gave comfort.  His feet walked the Mount where he spoke of those who were blessed such as those who were humble: “Blessed are the poor in spirit – the humble – for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”  Jesus is all about humility and being on the lowest branch of the tree where the youngest son, Paul, placed his angel ornament.

Today we celebrate Jesus’ arrival.  We celebrate by bringing glad tidings by offering presents as expressions of love and appreciation for those in our lives.  We celebrate by announcing peace by forgiving and asking for forgiveness to end arguments and hard-feelings.  We celebrate by bearing good news: Jesus is born today.  He is Emmanuel.  He is the Word of God.

So, what’s the Word for today and every day?  It’s simply this: Do justice, love mercy, and walk – walk with Jesus humbly with our God.

Merry Christmas!

Deacon David Pierce