[Propertalk] Fw: Luke 2:1-20; Part 3 of 3

[Joe Parrish]

Part 3 of 3

-----Original Message-----
From: bstoffregen at roadrunner.com
To: brian.stoffregen at gmail.com
Sent: Wed, Dec 16, 2009 11:46 pm

HEAVENLY ARMY

The word usually translated "host" literally means "army" (see footnote in NRSV). They praise (????? - aineo) God. The shepherds will also do this in verse 20. The multitudes will do this when Jesus enters Jerusalem (19:37), where they somewhat echo some of the "army's" song: "Peace in heaven, and glory in the highest heaven!"

A major issue in the army's song is the last word in Greek. 

First: how to translated ??????? (eudokia). Some possibilities are: good will, pleasure, favor; desire, purpose, choice. 

Second: who is expressing the good will, pleasure, etc.? Are the people expressing good will, pleasure, favor? towards God? towards each other? towards the Child? Is it God who is expressing good will, pleasure, favor towards the people?

Third: there are the variant readings: ??????? (eudokia) = nominative case vs. ???????? (eudokias) = genitive case. 

With the nominative case, we can have a three-line parallel song. (I'm adjusting the order in Greek to highlight the parallels):

glory           to God in the highest
peace         on earth
good will    among people

However, the oldest and best manuscripts have the genitive. This leads to a two-line parallel song that offers something to someone at some place. (Again adjusting the order):

Glory      in the highest  to God
peace    on earth            among people of [divine] favor

THE SHEPHERD'S RESPONSE

"They kept saying to one another." The imperfect implies repeated or continuous action in the past.

Literally, what they kept saying to one another: "Let us depart now to Bethlehem and let us see this word which has happened, which the Lord made known to us."

I think that ???? (rhema) = "word" is significant. In Hebrew, ??? - dabar, means both word and deed. When God speaks, things happen. Or, we might say, this is a deed where God speaks to the world. 

???? (rhema) is a word that occurs often in the opening chapters of Luke in regards to Mary and the birth, although often hidden in translations.

1:37 For no word will be impossible with God.

1:38 The Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word."

2:15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this word that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."

2:17-18 When they saw this, they made known the word which had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.

2:19 But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.

2:51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these words in her heart.

The response of the shepherds is to go and see and tell; and then to return glorifying and praising God. Shouldn't that be the life of all believers? We are to go to where Christ is present -- to the Word and Sacrament -- to church. There we are to see and hear and share. From there we return to our homes and places of work glorifying and praising God. 

THE RESPONSE OF MARY

Not only are the shepherds models of obedience and transformed people by the birth of Christ, but so is Mary in v. 19. She treasures or holds dear or stores in her mind (???????? - syntereo) these words of the angel as shared by the shepherds. She ponders (???????? - symballo) them in her heart. These verbs imply that both her mind and her heart are connected with all that has happened and all that she has heard.

These words don't indicate that she necessarily understands everything that has happened. In fact, a literal meaning of ???????? (symballo) is "to throw together". I would paraphrase it to indicate that she is trying to put all these things together -- to make sense of it all. 

CONCLUSION: THE ESSENCE OF THE GOOD NEWS

It may be that God uses the most unworthy shepherds to prove his point. There are no good reasons why God should have invited shepherds to the birth of Jesus. They are the last group of Jews you would want around at the birth; but precisely because they were not expected, precisely because they shouldn't be there, precisely because of their bad reputations; God makes his point.

The shepherds come to Jesus because God extended them an invitation they couldn't refuse. The shepherds come, not because they were worthy, but because God invited them.

That is the way the Gospel works. We are not worthy to come to Jesus. We might not be as bad as the shepherds. We have much better reputations than shepherds did. We certainly smell better than the shepherds did; but still, it is only by God's invitation that we have come to Jesus. It is only through the power of God that we are able to believe in Jesus as our Savior and Lord. We deserve nothing that God has given us; but God has been good to us - amazingly good to us. God not only invited shepherds to see and believe in Jesus; God has also invited each of us to see and believe in Jesus as the savior of the world and our own savior. Then sends us back home changed people.

Brian Stoffregen
pastor, Faith Lutheran Church, 2215 S 8th Avenue, Yuma, AZ 85364
e-mail: brian.stoffregen at gmail.com
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