“Angels and Messengers” a sermon based on Micah 5:2-5 and Matthew 1:18-21 preached at York Pines United Church December 22, 2019

Micah:  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. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of God, in the majesty of the name of 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. If the Assyrians come into our land and tread upon our soil, we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight installed as rulers.

Matthew: This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

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Some people think that a call to commitment is like Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus. Sudden insight, a lightning flash. It isn’t, in the main. Mine was a very quiet event – a gradual closing of all other doors till there was only one option left. And it was one ‘angel’, one single person, who countered my grousing about not having a divinity degree with “For heaven’s sake Fran, why don’t you just go do it?” The most unlikely person in the most unlikely place – sitting in a car driving back from a meeting - and yet he was right on the mark. 

In Hebrew the word for angel is “mal’akh”. In Greek the word for ‘angel’ is “angelos” – and in both languages the words mean “messenger” One of the most important things angels do is communicate messages to humans. And somehow a whole lot of mythology has grown up around angels, till we have incredible beings dressed in gilded expensive robes, with huge wings, shining with incredible overpowering light. I don’t think that’s what angels are at all. Do I believe in angels? Yes. Just not the ones with wings and operatic voices.

One of the best shows on television, in my opinion, was ‘Touched By an Angel’. It wasn't, and isn’t, entirely my theology – but for its time, it was strongly progressive theology, promoting a message of God’s love for all people. It addressed issues of being gay, and dying of HIV; it addressed issues of what we call disabilities – several shows featured children and young people with Down Syndrome. It addressed suicide, and the aftermath within families and communities. It addressed the notion that God caused adversity to happen, or good things to happen – and instead focused on the actions of people, how their own actions affected their lives, and that God wanted only the best for each person. People of all faiths were addressed. God didn’t divide up faiths and choose one over the other. The angels in the story brought one consistent message. God is love. Much of the theology was the product of the star of that show, Della Reese, herself an ordained minister. For its time, the show was a ground breaker, and there were messages in every single show.

And I think my favourite at Christmas time is the new angel Monica, from Annunciations – who appears to a whole congregation on Christmas Eve, aloft in the air in her white robes, with a great smile on her face, and says “Be not afraid.” …and everyone runs screaming from the church. I bet we would!

Another one of my favourite programs is the Christmas movie ‘Polar Express’. Take a good look at Santa in that movie. He’s not a round jolly old man, but a mature individual, and he glows. He says clearly that he’s a messenger, and a symbol of the spirit of Christmas. For me, Santa is portrayed as an angel, and a messenger.

Are there angels in Narnia? In the story the children become angels and messengers – but what about the rest of Narnia? Considering that there are mythical creatures and talking animals in this story, and the themes are so strongly Christian, one might wonder why there are no angels. I mean, angels of the kind we see on Christmas cards and imagine in our heads – beings which exude light, and sing with exceptional voices, and have huge feathered wings.

What, or who, are the angels in Narnia?

What about the lamp post – which used to be a real metal post with a real gas lantern. Something used as a weapon of war, twisted by evil, but taken by Aslan and made into something living which simply shed light in constant darkness. Think about that – a living lamp, living light, illuminating a path. It has a message, doesn’t it? The light shone in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it – could not overcome it.

A bird – a robin, though Lewis describes the robin as having the reddest breast any robin could – so it clearly was outstanding. A messenger, with wings, who serves Aslan – even though the children yet don’t know Aslan’s name. Out of all the speaking animals and birds in Narnia, this one doesn't speak. It simply arrives, on a bush, and looks like it wants them to follow. That’s all. They had no idea why, no idea if they were even right, just following. They know of the destructive power of the White Witch, yet they still continue. They don’t even stop to think about dinner, or home, or anything – they just follow. Like Joseph, visited in a dream, who says “yes” without even knowing exactly what comes next, other than he’s going to be a father.

Of course there’s Edmund who keeps asking ‘What if this is wrong? What if the Queen is right?” Although we know why Edmund is doing what he does in the story, it is a valid question. How do we know? How many beautiful robins might cross our path when we’re on an unknown trek, and how many of us would back off, rationalise why we cannot do a thing. Well there are choices and there are choices, aren’t there? 

Making a choice between a concert or shopping is not quite the same as making a choice between good and evil – and it’s especially difficult when it’s hard to tell one from the other. Making a choice when the outcome is unknown – churches have a hard time with this one – churches want guaranteed outcomes, and they want them yesterday.

The Beavers are angels and messengers. Even they don't have the whole message, they have only a piece of it – a prophecy. They have food and sustenance for tired bodies and tired souls. What about the fox who steps in to save and protect them.

Gabriel certainly doesn’t give Mary or Joseph the whole picture, but a piece of a prophecy – and offers both of them a vision, and comfort. Mary is pregnant, but she and Joseph are not married. But don’t worry, says the angel.... everything will be all right. Sure.

 Both Mary and Joseph could have said no – and maybe this is the crux of the story of Jesus’ birth, the crux of the story in the book, and our story in life. Mary and Joseph were given an option – each could have chosen to say no. The children could have said “No, lets go back”, and in fact they did have that discussion – but they knew a friend was in danger because of them. So they chose to say yes. We always have a choice to say yes or no. How our lives unfold next will be a direct outcome of our choices.

How do we know? How do we ever know? How do we recognise messengers, angels in our lives? It’s called intuition, insight, faith. The world is full of angels, and messengers. They are everywhere – down the street, in the store, a chance meeting with someone we don’t know, a conversation on a bus. Or through a magic wardrobe into an alternate world, where the things we must face are still the same – and the choices we must make to be the people we are called to be. If we care to listen – with our hearts open. May it be so.