A Christmas Homily: The Light of Peace, Amid Cursing
In the final glimpses of the 1947 film The Bishop’s Wife, the Bishop preaches a simple word of goodness in the Christmas season. He proclaims “…loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched-out hand of tolerance, [are] all the shining gifts that make peace on earth…” These are normal virtues in a Christmas movie. Notably, this is normal theology in a mainline church of this era. Most strikingly, this is, when push comes to shove, what most people identify as the definition of peace at the Christmas season––a kind of thoughtfulness between people.
Many know the true events of Christmas, at least as information. However, many still do not know the true meaning of Christmas. Nor do many grasp how Christ is the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). Instead, they trot out this same vague kindness each year, as depicted in The Bishop’s Wife, and wrap it in Christmas colors tied together with Christian lingo. It all seems quite fitting but really misses the mark!
Of course, the gospel of Jesus Christ must lead us toward a love for God and a love for our neighbors. Christians ought to be the sort that grow in doing good, often through routine repentance by the ongoing work of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–26). This is, in fact, one clear outcome of the gospel of grace (Eph. 2:10). Therefore, Christians ought to desire world peace between people, while also recognizing the futility to do that through any other means than the gospel of Jesus. But the peace that the Bible declares in the traditional Christmas texts is a different peace than we are used to discussing at Christmas time. The peace that we see in these traditional Christmas texts is not a peace amongst mankind, it is a peace between God and mankind.
In the famous angelic pronouncement of Luke 2, the multitude of angels say, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased” (Luke 2:14). This message of peace is from God through his messengers, the angels. It is addressed to the shepherds explicitly, but to “all the people” indirectly (Luke 2:10). In fact, all those with whom God is pleased to grant salvation. There is a variant reading of this verse that makes it seem like the peace is to be understood as amongst men: “…peace, good will among men” (see the ESV footnote at this verse). The KJV gets closest to this variant reading amongst major translations. This reading is not favorable for a few reasons. First, most manuscripts of the Greek show the Greek text that is translated in the ESV, as quoted further above. Likewise, these manuscripts are some of the most reliable manuscript families available of the New Testament and the Gospels in particular. So, it is not a favorable reading, but it is the popular one. After all, Linus, of Charlie Brown fame, recites from the KJV and so, a less precise understanding of the verse enters the cultural consciousness. Plus, it fits with the prevailing liberal theology of the day. It seems quite fitting but misses the mark!
The context of Luke 2, along with the reliable manuscripts, indicate that this peace is between God and mankind, not amongst mankind. Going a bit further back to Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1, the sunrise of God’s tender mercy shall visit us from on high (Luke 1:78). This light will “give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death…” (v. 79). Already, the problem is clear. We are darkened and dead because of our alienation not from one another––although this is a problem all around us (vv. 71 and 74)––but from God. To make this clear it would help to know what is meant by “darkness” and “death.” They could still be a metaphor for our broken relationships between human beings and the ongoing state of war, poverty, and famine around the globe, certainly these are byproducts of darkness and death. But are they the main thing?
These two themes come from the Old Testament. Dwelling or sitting in darkness is a clear echo of Lamentations 3:6, “he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.” This chapter is a beautiful depiction of the mercy of God. God’s wrath and judgment are poured out against the speaker (3:31-33) amongst other afflictions, such that his “soul is bereft of peace” (3:17). But the speaker asks the LORD to “remember his affliction” (v. 19) because his only hope is in the “steadfast love of the LORD” (v. 22). This is when the speaker’s soul is revived and finds hope in the LORD (v. 24). Psalm 107 also provides helpful context saying, “Some sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, prisoners in affliction and in irons, for they had rebelled against the words of God, and spurned the counsel of the Most High” (v. 10). Our miserable estate on this earth is not only because of the warfare between mankind but ultimately because of the warfare between God and sinful mankind.
Considering this background in the Old Testament, the remaining line in Zechariah’s prophecy in Luke 1 is clearer. Here is that line and a few lines already cited above for context and clarity: “because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet in the way of peace” (Luke 1:78–79). The only peace that come from the light of God, amidst our darkness and death, is a peace between God and mankind. World peace amongst mankind matters far less than the needed peace between the creator and his creation. Yet, the ones who now walk in peace with the creator, ought to walk in peace with others too.
Perhaps you have struggled over the last several years with the idea that God is good and sovereign but seemingly allows many bad things to happen. Maybe it is causing you a significant amount of grief, doubt, or concern. God is sovereign and he is good, but this world is at war with him and his ways. In Adam’s disobedience the very ground was cursed (Gen. 3:17). Our sin, disobedience, and corruption are what accounts for the problems. Everything is off its axis because of us! God continues to show his grace and goodness to the world in that things could be worse, but they are not. Beautifully, God always shows mercy and love to the sinner countless times, even amid cursing (Gen. 3:15, 21; Ps. 107:43; Lam. 3:25)!
The ultimate problem is between God and mankind. This results in the problems and afflictions on earth we face each day. So, does God just stand aside and give grace at a distance? Does he stand back from the problems we have? Not at all! His grace is given amid our cursing! The sunrise from on high will visit us bringing the light of the gospel in our sinful world (vv. 78–79). We don’t have to get perfect before he comes. Everywhere it is dark, and the sunrise will bring the light. He will walk right into our mess! This sunrise is a person, Jesus of Nazareth, who visits us in our flesh to rescue us from sin, death, and Satan (Heb. 2:14).
The Apostle Paul gives us a clear glimpse of the kind of peace that Jesus brings as the second and last Adam in Romans 5. “We have peace with God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ” because we have been “justified by faith” (Rom. 5:1). We can only be justified before God by faith through Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:26). In this justification we are declared as pardoned before and accepted in God’s sight. This act of free grace happens “while we were still sinners” (Rom. 5:8), amid our cursing! Christ comes in flesh to bring peace to enemies who justly deserve God’s wrath (Rom. 5:9–10)! This is our death: that we sinned against God and deserve his wrath. This is our darkness: that we are the enemies of our creator. But our great judge is also our great savior! Instead of his wrath, by the work of Jesus, we receive what we do not deserve! We receive peace from God and life in him. Paul continues, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Rom. 5:10–11). Our peace, at Christmas time, is a peace between God and mankind only through Jesus!
Elsewhere Paul makes the problem of death and darkness as well as the only solution clear. He writes, speaking to Gentiles, “Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility” (Eph. 2:12–14). Both the distance between God, ultimately, and the distance between mankind are struck down. Christ is the only Prince of Peace for both the Jews who were near and the Gentiles who were far off!
The angels in the field told the shepherds that they bring “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). What is that great news? One way of putting it is that “…he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near” (Eph. 2:17). For all mankind, we are in darkness and death due to our sin. But there is peace with God only through Jesus Christ! This may not be what we hear in Christmas movies, even the good ones, but this is the news that hits the mark. Jesus is the light of peace, amid our cursing!
