|
LINKS TO THE SERMONS |
|
| “About Names” Matthew 2: 13-23 When Emily was born we already had the name picked out. In fact we had it picked out two years before she was conceived. I had this really vivid dream long before we even talked about having a child; in the dream I had a daughter whose name was Emily Dawn. I told Isla about the dream and she said, “If we ever have a daughter we’ll name her Emily Dawn.” And we did. It seemed as if it had been a gift. In ancient Hebrew culture, names were very important. The name captured something of the essence and character of the person. To have the authority to give someone a name was to have the power to set his or her destiny. In Genesis, God gives Adam authority to name the animals, which meant that Adam had insight into the character of the other created beings. When a person had his name changed mid-life it meant a radical change in direction. Abram became Abraham when he began the journey to the Promised Land. Saul became Paul when he encountered Jesus on the Damascus road. And when Jacob had finished his all night wrestling match, the mysterious personage re-named him – no longer Jacob (the supplanter) but Israel (he who contends with God. Since names were so important, to know someone’s name was more than just what to call them, it was to know something of the essence of that person. To marry and take one’s spouses’ name was to claim the same identity. Given all that, imagine the audacity of Moses asking the voice from the burning bush to tell him his name – to reveal his essence and character. He was asking the unknowable God to make himself known. And along the way people are further defined by being given titles along with their names. According to the lesson for today, Jesus would be called a Nazarene. Interestingly, the prophesy referred to in the lesson appears no where in the Old Testament. Apparently Matthew knew something we don’t know. In the lesson from last week the angel declares that “his name shall be called Immanuel which means God is with us. But, just a few verses later when Jesus is born, they don’t call his name Immanuel but Jesus, and the gospel writers seem to be okay with that. Immanuel was a title, so was Christ. And nicknames were common as they are now; Peter was “The Rock,” “Thomas the Twin,” John the Beloved,” Judas the Zealot.” There is one more thing about Bible names; when ever a New Testament character is given the same name as an Old Testament character, it means that their life will be in some way comparable, their destiny parallel. In today’s lesson we have this strange story of Joseph taking Mary and Jesus to Egypt to escape Herod’s wrath. Luke’s gospel doesn’t mention that detail but Luke being a Gentile, didn’t understand about names. Joseph the father of Jesus has the same name as one of Jacob’s sons who goes into Egypt and ends up rescuing the entire family. When it came time for the family to leave Egypt, that’s when God sent Moses and that is the source of the prophesy, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” The parallel Egypt stories underscore their understanding of names. And Mary, who was she in the Old Testament? The Hebrew name is Miriam. Miriam was Moses’ sister. It is Miriam who guards the infant Moses when he is floating around in the basket in the Nile. Miriam becomes a leader in the new Israelite order. She is elevated to the level of a female priest which was unheard of in that culture. When the win their first great military victories in the conquest of Cannon, it is Miriam who leads the nation in a victory song. Miriam, though born a slave, becomes a force to be reckoned with. And Mary would sing in her song, “He has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden and henceforth, all generations shall call me blessed.” It was true of both Mary and her namesake, Miriam. Both, born in low estate, would become major players in God’s plan. And
so, how did the child of Mary and Joseph get named Jesus rather
than Immanuel like the angel said. The Old Testament name Jesus,
is Joshua. Jesus is the Greek, and Joshua the Hebrew – probably
pronounced “Ya–shu–a.” And who was Joshua?
He was the successor of Moses who led the people who had been wandering
in the wilderness for a lifetime, into the Promised Land, a land
flowing with milk and honey. Jesus would lead the people who had
been wandering in the wilderness of sin for a lifetime into the
Promised Land of abundant life – he was the harbinger of the
kingdom of God. But, his kingdom was not of this world and the throne he was establishing was not in Rome or Jerusalem but in the hearts of people. They would be known as people of ‘the way” and they would bring in the kingdom a little at a time with random acts of kindness like the Samaritan who helped the man who was beaten by robbers on the Jericho Road. When folks would ask Jesus to talk about the Kingdom he would tell stories about how a little yeast causes the whole loaf to rise and how a small light when positioned on a lamp stand can light up a whole room. He said to his disciples, “You are that light, you are the salt of the earth.” Everybody knows that it only takes a little salt to season the whole batch. So, when people trying to be politically correct and inclusive say, rather than “merry Christmas”, “season’s greetings”, I have to smile. That’s exactly what we are up to, us people of the way. We are seasoning the world with the way of Christ until it becomes the Promised Land that flows with milk and honey and peace, and full of the knowledge of God as the Prophets have foretold. “The wolf shall dwell with the kid, and the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall feed; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The suckling child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11: 6-9) That’s the manifesto for the Promised Land into which the new Joshua came to lead God’s people. That’s what Jesus, the new Joshua, came to do. That’s what he is up to in the world. And one more thing about names; when you were baptized you were given your Christian name. That means that you are destined to carry out the mission of Christ in the world. Your essence and character are the same as his. You are the salt and the light and the yeast. You are the purveyors of kindness, reconciliation and love in the world helping to bring in that day when the knowledge of God will cover the earth like the waters of the sea. That’s what your name means. Jesus (Joshua) means God will save or deliver. As it turned out it was a very popular name when our Jesus was born. It suggests the increased interest in Hebrew nationalism after the Maccabean revolt of the previous century. So maybe Mary and Joseph also selected that name because they hoped their boy would be the one to bring about God’s salvation. Emily is also one of those old names that have become very popular again in the past few years. Names do that. I remember when it seemed every girl I met was named Tammy because of the Tammy movies. Then there was a whole raft of Debbie’s and Jennifer’s. Some names fall off the charts as quickly as others come. One name that used to be in the top 15 until two years ago was Katrina. That one has dropped off the charts. Emily is a Latin based word which means “Emulating.” Maybe she will grow up emulating the one in whose name she was baptized, and help to bring about the kingdom God has promised, the time when God’s deliverance is seen and felt by all and the lion and the calf lie down together. May
this coming new year be the year when God’s people live into
and up to our name, when we claim the identity and destiny the name
implies. We will keep a few months up here at the site. As always if you would like a DVD of a service please contact the church office. Thank you for visiting us. |
|
.................................................................................... Friends | |