Ethan Seifried - December 13, 2020
The Shepherds
Luke 2:1-21. We fall for the allure of the kingdoms of this world. From the start, God’s kingdom flips everything upside down.
From Series: "Advent: the weary world rejoices"
“Long lay the world in sin and error pining 'Til He appeared, and the soul felt its worth A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!” Advent is a time of celebration. But oftentimes, and especially in 2020, it can be hard to find much to celebrate. A worldwide pandemic, joblessness, sickness and death of loved ones, police brutality and injustice, political strife, displacement and homelessness. The world is weary. But, as Deitrich Bonhoeffer says, "The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come." For Advent this year, we will be looking at how Luke shows the weary of this world rejoicing, how he gives voice to the often-voiceless. Mary & Elizabeth, Zechariah, the shepherds, Simeon & Anna. What do these seemingly insignificant characters have to do with the arrival of God in the flesh? How do Jewish peasants fit into God’s cosmic plan of salvation and power reversal?