The Secure Life
A sermon by Brent J. Eelman
Christmas Eve Morning, December 24, 2006

Micah 5: 2-5a
But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
   who are one of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
   one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin is from of old,
   from ancient days.
³Therefore he shall give them up until the time
   when she who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred shall return
   to the people of Israel.
⁴And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
⁵and he shall be the one of peace.*

Many years ago before anti-discrimination laws were in effect, Mrs. Rosenberg was stranded late one night at a fashionable resort on Cape Cod — one that did not admit Jews.
The desk clerk looked down at his book and said, “Sorry, no room. The hotel is full.”
The woman said, “But your sign says that you have vacancies.”
The desk clerk stammered and then said curtly, “You know that we do not admit Jews. Please try the other side of town.”
Mrs. Rosenberg stiffened noticeably and said, “I’ll have you know, I have converted to your religion.”
The desk clerk said, “Oh, yeah, let me give you a little test. How was Jesus born?”
“He was born to a virgin named Mary in a little town called Bethlehem,” she replied.
“Very good,” replied the clerk. “Tell me more.”
“He was born in a manger.”
“That’s right,” said the hotel clerk. “And why was he born in a manger?”
Mrs. Rosenberg said loudly, “Because some idiot behind a hotel desk wouldn’t give a Jewish lady a room for the night! Any more questions?”
“No.”
“Didn’t think so.”

It wasn’t quite like that. The story of Jesus begins in a stable, because there was no other shelter. One of the basic needs that all human beings have is for shelter. We were not blessed with a thick coat of fur, and consequently our survival is dependent upon being sheltered from the elements. The second basic need that we human beings have is for food and water. Deprived of these things we perish. The third need that we have is a bit more subtle and often we don’t pay much attention to it until the other needs are met. It is the need to feel secure and safe. Most of us, gathered here today have the former needs met. However modest or elegant, we have our homes that provide not only warmth from the cold, but also relief from intense heat. The meals on our tables tomorrow will witness to the abundance of food that we have. Our needs are more than fulfilled, consequently church organizations like Habitat for Humanity and Bread for the World are committed to making these basic necessities available to all God’s people, and we support them as individuals and as a church.

But the third need, security, is often missing. We can point to the anxiety and fear that grips not only our nation but the world. I truly believe that it is this sense of insecurity that spawns the tyrants of the world. They victimize people by playing on their fears, and thus suck power from governing institutions. It is this insecurity that leads to war and its resultant death. No country ever began a war believing that it was wrong or evil War is usually justified on the basis of “creating security.”

But this need for security is manifest powerfully on a personal level. We live with worry about the future. I chide my colleagues that it is hard to preach (with integrity) from the Sermon on the Mount. Why? Because Jesus instructs his followers to not be “anxious about tomorrow, what you will wear and what you will drink, let tomorrow worry about itself..” Most of us worry if we will have enough for our retirement and we fight ferociously to insure it. A friend who is a psychiatrist told me that she discourages patients from taking their news from Television, because it is presented in a manner that plays upon fear, anxiety, and lack of security.

We hear the words of Micah the prophet: “And he shall stand and feed his flock….and they shall live secure….. and he shall be the one of peace.” It is at this point that the message of Advent and Christmas intersect. Advent is a season of hope, looking to a better day that is coming; indeed a messianic age. This season of Advent requires us to take a realistic inventory of our spiritual condition and also the world’s condition. The prophets were especially effective at that. Prophets are not happy people. They see the world as it is, they see people as they are, and they speak the truth: God’s truth. But the prophetic message, with all its realism, is also a message of hope. They do not leave their reader in the valley of despair, rather they point to the promises of God; indeed a messianic age that is coming.

Micah is no different. We Christians find his words particularly powerful because he proclaims that the messianic age will begin in Bethlehem, thus setting the stage for the birth of Jesus. He attributes two characteristics to the messiah: security and peace. This is a message for those of us with food and shelter. It is a message of assurance. It is message that assures us that history and indeed the future, is in the hands of God, and that the kingdoms of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ… and that Christ reigns, and we need not fear, we need not worry. We are secure in Christ.

The great 20^th century theologian, Karl Barth, at the end of his life was on the phone with his lifelong friend Eduard Thurneyson. It was December 9, 1968: Advent. At that time the Americas were experiencing anti-war protests and the civil rights struggle. Europe was in the midst of the student rebellion. Israel and Egypt were staring at each other through rifle sights. They conversed about the gloomy world situation. Then Barth concluded the conversation saying, "But keep your chin up! Never mind!-- He will reign!" That evening, Barth died… secure, I am sure, in the hands of God… in the knowledge that Christ reigns.

My message for you this Christmas eve morning is that indeed, “He reigns!” In the words of Micah:

And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
   in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great
   to the ends of the earth;
and he shall be the one of peace.

*The New Revised Standard Version Bible, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers) 1989.

Abington Presbyterian Church, Abington, Pennsylvania,  www.apcusa.org