Sermon 214 December 28, 2025: Mt 2:19-23; 1Cor13: 1-13; 1Sam 19:11-17; 2Sam 5:1-3 "The Great Escape" Sunday after Xmas

 As preached by Brother Luke
Holy Wisdom Church

Christ is Born! Glorify Him!

 

       Christmas Day is past and in light of all the anxiety that can arise among families preparing for that great occasion, its passing may be viewed as a great escape and cause for a large sigh of relief. Today's readings from Samuel and Matthew recount other escapes that were critical for the success of God's plan for our salvation. If David had not heeded the advice of Michal and fled from Saul's henchmen, he would have been killed, along with God's plan. If Joseph had not heeded the warning in his dream to flee from Herod to Egypt and then on his return to flee from Herod's son Archelaus in Judea to Nazareth in Galilee, the child Jesus may never have lived to fulfill God's work on earth.

       God's plans for us cannot be fulfilled if we are not alert to dangers and act to avoid them. But the dangers that are out to undo us are more likely at first to appear benign but turn out to be deadly. They can often be generally accepted activities or mores of a community or society but may be ethically questionable and destructive. The most glaring example is what happened to Germany between the First and Second World Wars. We may go back and analyze the conditions that caused that societal descent into the abyss, but that can never justify it. We shouldn't deceive ourselves, this can happen to any society.

       This is where St Paul's pean to love, which is the very essence of God's plan for us, answers the question posed by the Samuel and Matthew readings. We need to move away from the evils of this world in order to work for the good that God desires from us. When things begin to breakdown in society, we need to heed the warnings and remind ourselves of the greater good, so powerfully articulated by St Paul.

       When St Paul describes what love is and what it is not, he is giving us a blueprint for how we can promote the good and undermine evil. He also points out some common human impulses that are fueled by passions that will pass away. He is telling us not to be seduced by the prophecies that are doomed to fail, or by the actions of those who pose as knowledgable but who are disgraced when the truth is revealed. But, in doing this, love must be the guiding principle. As he says: "Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds joy in the truth." [13:6]

       However, even if there are occasions when we escape from evil and get a new opportunity to promote the good, the time may come when taking a stand for what is right will lead to death. Thomas a Becket, a saint we remember today, ultimately paid the final price for doing just that. Thomas was following Jesus's example. Jesus's Cross became a beacon of light for future generations and the ultimate path to escape from death to eternal life.

 

Glory be to Jesus Christ!