Nations in the Nativity: Israel

OT Lesson: Numbers 24:15b-19 (NLT)

This is the message of Balaam son of Beor,
the message of the man whose eyes see clearly,
the message of one who hears the words of God,
who has knowledge from the Most High,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
who bows down with eyes wide open:
I see him, but not here and now.
I perceive him, but far in the distant future.
A star will rise from Jacob;
a sceptre will emerge from Israel.
It will crush the heads of Moab’s people,
cracking the skulls of the people of Sheth.
Edom will be taken over,
and Seir, its enemy, will be conquered,
while Israel marches on in triumph.
A ruler will rise in Jacob
who will destroy the survivors of Ir.

NT Lesson: Luke 2:25-35 (NRSV)

Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit rested on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Guided by the Spirit, Simeon came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him what was customary under the law, Simeon took Him in his arms and praised God, saying,

‘Master, now You are dismissing Your servant in peace,
according to Your word;
for my eyes have seen Your salvation,
which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
a light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to Your people Israel.’

And the child’s father and mother were amazed at what was being said about Him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to His mother Mary, ‘This Child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.’

Sermon

Introduction

Good morning. I hope you all have had another delightful week of Advent, filled with the wonders of Christmas. Personally, I’ve had a rather intriguing week, marked by three unusual experiences. You are not going to believe it because I wouldn’t believe it either unless I saw it myself.

Last Tuesday, on my way to church along Lafayette Avenue, there was a school bus with flashing lights and its stop sign extended. Cars were queued up behind it. The same was true for the opposite lane. Several cars had stopped, waiting for the school bus. Then, a car from the very end of the queue began to drive on the wrong side, overtaking all the cars in line, and just before the school bus, it returned to the right lane. As the car passed the bus, the stop sign was retracted and the lights switched off. The car wasn’t in a hurry; it drove at 30 MPH all the way to the end of Lafayette Avenue and onto Main Street, passing the church. I saw it and could hardly believe it.

The next day, Wednesday, I took Samuel to the children’s museum and then to the dentist. At the museum, swarms of children from various schools were there for a field trip. Samuel and I queued for a snowboard game. Finally, we were third in line, when a teacher called four of her students and let them skip to the front, bypassing everyone. I was astounded. It’s no wonder the standard of education in this country is deteriorating, with the youth being taught to disregard social order.

And finally, on Thursday, I was returning home from the church at night. As I joined Witt Road from Lafayette Avenue, I heard a siren and then saw an ambulance. Between me and the ambulance was a pickup truck. I pulled over to allow the ambulance to pass, but the pickup overtook me and continued on Witt Road until the 250 N Street intersection. It was very dark, and the flashing lights and siren of the ambulance were unmistakable, yet the pickup didn’t give way, nor was it speeding. For your information, the pickup wasn’t leading or guiding the ambulance, because at the intersection of Witt Road and 250, the ambulance turned right onto 250 N Street, while the pickup continued on Witt Road.

As a pastor preparing a sermon on love, I know I shouldn’t think this way, but honestly, I found myself thinking, “Someday, when you have a medical emergency, I hope your ambulance gets delayed due to such hindrances on the road.” So, that was my week. I don’t know why I had these encounters with such maddening people. Honestly, they are quite challenging to love, only provoking anger. Truly unlovable.

Introduction to Israel

Today marks the final Sunday of Advent, and our focus turns to Israel. Over the past three Sundays, I’ve introduced three nations in the Nativity, but Israel is well-known to most Christians, rendering a detailed introduction somewhat unnecessary. However, let’s briefly revisit the genesis or origin of Israel. In ancient Mesopotamia, a land of rich history and culture, there lived a man named Abram. One day, God called him to leave his homeland, leading him to eventually settle in Canaan. This land was promised by God to Abram and his descendants—an intriguing aspect unique to Judaism and Christianity, as we share the same OT. Unlike other religions like Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Confucianism, or Shamanism, where divine beings don’t promise physical territories, Judaism and Christianity stand out in this respect.

Abram, later renamed Abraham, fathered Isaac, and then came his grandson Jacob, who was later known as Israel. When a severe famine struck Canaan, Jacob’s family sought refuge in Egypt, a land of abundance. Rather than returning to Canaan, they settled in Egypt. However, changes in Egypt’s dynasty led to the enslavement of the Israelites. Four hundred years later under Moses’ leadership, the Israelites embarked on a journey to reclaim their ancestral homeland in Canaan. This narrative forms the foundation of our OT readings up to this point.

In today’s scripture, we find the Israelites transitioning from Egypt back to Canaan. Imagine yourself relocating from New York to California. You must traverse numerous states. Israel’s journey was similar. Often, Moses would send messengers to local kings requesting passage through their territories. Understandably, most kings denied these requests. According to the Bible, there were 603,550 men1 fit for battle, not counting seniors. Including women, children, and the elderly, the group possibly numbered around two million—a daunting figure for any nation to accommodate. The situation could be likened to Mexico asking the United States for passage of a million armed soldiers to Canada. It’s highly unlikely such a request would be granted. Despite Moses’ sincerity, the scepticism of these kings was not unfounded. Consequently, many who refused saw their lands destroyed by the Israelites.

Now, the Israelites find themselves at Moab’s border, having just defeated the Amorites. They approach Balak, Moab’s king, with a similar request. Overwhelmed and uncertain, Balak seeks the prophet Balaam’s help, hoping to curse Israel and thereby protect Moab.

Israel Was Chosen

The king offered Balaam a substantial reward to curse Israel. Thus, the prophet ascended a mountain three times, overlooking the Israelite camp, intent on cursing them. However, each time, the Spirit of the Lord intervened, inspiring Balaam’s words, and he found himself blessing the Israelites instead. This angered the king. For those curious about whether Balaam received his payment, the continuation of this story can be found in Numbers 24. When initially approached by the king, Balaam sought God’s guidance, asking, ‘God, this offer is so lucrative. May I go and curse Israel?' To which God responded, ‘Go.’ Yet, upon reaching his destination, God prevented him from cursing Israel, transforming his intended curse into a blessing. This leads us to ponder why God would prevent the cursing of Israel and instead turn it into a blessing. The answer is straightforward: Israel was chosen and beloved by God. Now, the underlying secret of Israel’s favour with God beckons exploration. Could understanding this secret mean that, like Israel, we too would be loved by God, with our curses turning to blessings and all our troubles seemingly vanishing?

Abraham was chosen among many in Mesopotamia. His selection was not due to superiority over others. In fact, contrary to the norms of a patriarchal society, Abraham was not the dominant figure in his household; his wife Sarah held considerable influence. Whether it was sleeping with another woman at Sarah’s behest, sending her and their son away, or hesitating to inform her about his divine missions, Abraham consistently followed Sarah’s direction, far from the macho, authoritative male archetype. Abraham’s story illustrates that being chosen and loved by God was not contingent on being better than others. This theme is echoed in the teachings of Jesus. In Luke, Jesus notes that during Elijah’s time, many widows existed in Israel, yet Elijah was sent to aid a particularly impoverished widow.2 She, like Abraham, was chosen despite her humble circumstances. Similarly, in the time of the prophet Elisha, numerous lepers were in Israel, but only Naaman was healed.3 Moses, in Deuteronomy, reminds the Israelites, ‘It was not because you were greater than all other people that the Lord loved you and chose you. In fact, you were the smallest of peoples!’4 This narrative consistently underlines a profound spiritual truth: God’s choice and love are not based on worldly measures of worth or status.

Fulfilment of Love in Israel

We don’t need to search for the reasons behind Israel’s chosen status or God’s love for them, as it is clear that their selection was not due to superiority over others. Far from it, Israel often behaved in ways that were far from lovable. Despite this, God chose and loved them. Since the Exodus, Israel has repeatedly betrayed God. In their wilderness journey, the Israelites frequently complained, blamed, and even blasphemed against God. Yet, God’s love persisted. After settling in Canaan, they strayed from God’s path time and again, prompting God to send prophets to call them back. Through all this, God’s love endured, a theme that finds its culmination in our NT reading today.

In this passage, we meet Simeon, a man of righteousness and devotion. He was so deeply pious that the Holy Spirit rested on him. Simeon yearned for the consolation of Israel, not just for personal fulfilment. Guided by the Holy Spirit, he arrived at the temple on the very day of Jesus’ circumcision, eight days after His birth. There, when the Holy Family came for the ceremony, Simeon recognised the Saviour of Israel. His lifelong dreams, hopes, and prayers were all finally realised in this moment. His selfless longing for the consolation of Israel was answered in the most profound way. Upon encountering the Love incarnate and God in the flesh, Simeon realised that what he held in his arms was far greater than he could have ever imagined. Holding the infant Saviour, inspired by the Holy Spirit, he praised God, saying, ‘Master, now You are dismissing Your servant in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to Your people Israel.’ Simeon had prayed for Israel’s consolation, but God granted him a vision of the salvation of humanity, encompassing both Israel and the Gentiles. In the arms of Simeon, God’s enduring love for Israel reached its fulfilment.

Gentiles Were Also Chosen in Christ

Through Simeon’s prophecy, the scope of God’s salvation plan expanded beyond Israel to include the Gentiles. It was revealed that, in Christ, not only Israel but also all Gentiles are chosen and loved by God. This leads us to ponder: how did we, the Gentiles, become recipients of God’s love? What exemplary deeds have we performed to merit such affection? I cannot speak for you, but speaking for myself, I can confidently say: nothing. In my younger years, I was not a believer. When I followed Buddhism, I did not hesitate to blaspheme against God’s holy name. It wasn’t that I first loved Jesus, but God first loved me. Obviously, I was far from being lovable in God’s eyes. I was unlovable. There was nothing in my actions that warranted God’s love. Just like Abraham, the widow, and Naaman, I was chosen solely out of God’s mysterious love and grace. This is the essence of God’s love: it knows no bounds. There is no end in God’s love. This boundless and endless love even reached someone like me.

Conclusion

Observing this congregation, I see all of you are lovable and lovely. However, I must confess, I wasn’t lovely, but unlovable. Yet, God loves me. Israel, too, was often unlovable, but God’s love for them never wavered. This gives me the confidence to say that God loves even the unlovable. It is in this truth that I find my dwelling in God’s love. So, in this season of Advent and Christmas, let us challenge ourselves to extend our love to at least one unlovable or irritating person in our midst. This person might be a family member, a neighbour, or a friend. There are plenty of candidates. Consider the three horrible individuals I encountered last week; to me, they seem utterly unlovable and annoying. Yet, I pledge to do my utmost to love them. Let us all strive, in the love of God our Father—who loved the unlovable Israel—to love the unlovable in our lives. Amen.