Welcome to this week's episode of Trinity Sermons.
This week we are continuing our sermon series,
Cross Culture, where we are looking at what it
means for us to be a diverse community of people
who all come together to worship Christ. And
we're welcoming a guest speaker, Alex Lee, who
is a PhD candidate in Intercultural Studies at
Fuller Seminary, and he also works at Tyndale's
Intercultural Ministry Centre. Alex is going
to be talking to us more about what it means
to have relationships across difference. what
it means that people from different cultures
and backgrounds and nationalities can all be
ways that God speaks to us and can be voices
that enrich our faith. He's also going to share
about the importance of wonder and humility in
the midst of it all. Today's scripture reading
is from Luke chapter 24, verses 13 to 35. Now
that same day, two of them were going to a village
called Emmaus. about seven miles from Jerusalem.
They were talking with each other about everything
that had happened. As they talked and discussed
these things with each other, Jesus himself came
up and walked alongside them, but they were kept
from recognizing him. He asked them, What are
you discussing together as you walk along? They
stood still, their faces downcast. One of them,
named Cleopas, asked him, Are you the only one
visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things
that have happened there in these days? What
things, he said. About Jesus of Nazareth, they
replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and
deed before God and all the people. The chief
priests and our rulers handed him over to be
sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But
we had hoped that he was the one who was going
to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the
third day since all this took place. In addition,
some of our women amazed us. They went to the
tomb early this morning, but didn't find his
body. They came and told us that they had seen
visions of angels who had said he was alive.
Then some of our companions went to the tomb
and found it just as the women had said, but
they did not see Jesus. He said to them, How
foolish you are, and how slow to believe all
that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah
have to suffer these things and then enter his
glory? In the beginning with Moses and all the
prophets, he explained to them what was said
in all the scriptures concerning himself. As
they approached the village to which they were
going, Jesus continued on as if he was going
farther, but they urged him strongly, Stay with
us, for it is nearly evening, and the day is
almost over. So he went in to stay with them.
When he was at the table with them, he took bread,
gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to
them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized
him, and he disappeared from their sight. They
asked each other, Were not our hearts burning
within us while he talked with us on the road
and opened the scriptures to us? They got up
and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they
found the eleven and those with them, assembled
together, and saying, It is true, the Lord has
risen and has appeared to Simon. And the two
told what had happened on the way and how Jesus
was recognized by them. when he broke the bread.
This is the word of the Lord. Wow, thank you
so much, everyone. That was a very warm welcome
indeed. It's a pleasure to be with you all here
this morning. Typically, my family and I, we
worship at St. Philip's on the Hill Anglican
Church over in Unionville. So it was a bit of
a drive this morning, but it was nice. The weather
was nice, and it wasn't too long, the traffic
wasn't too bad, and I'm happy to be with you
to share the Word of God. Thank you, Rob, for
the introduction. Well, back in December, while
it was getting cold and gray here in the GTA,
I found myself in sunny Southern California.
please don't get too mad at me it was not a vacation
and i had very little intention to visit los
angeles of all places especially after the dodgers
had beaten our blue jays something i'm still
a little upset about but i was there as a part
of a group of six christian and six muslim scholars
spending a week together, wrestling with some
big questions of faith, politics, and democracy,
and how people with deep and real differences
might live together, not just tolerantly, but
peacefully, constructively, and faithfully. We
had a really great time together. And then at
the retreat center where we stayed, there was
also, at the same time, an international exhibit
of nativity scenes. More than a hundred of them
from all over the world, each of them telling
the same story, unto us a child is born, yet
telling it slightly differently. Different clothing,
different settings, different faces, different
farm animals. Pueblo nativities from New Mexico.
Beautiful scenes from Guatemala. And some that
were just playful. When my kids saw this one
of a Lego set, they're like, Dad, we need to
get one ourselves. And here's one. You can come
and see this later if you want to see it more
closely. Here's one I brought home from Peru,
a Peruvian retablo, beautifully, carefully handcrafted
and hand -painted. And as I stood there looking
at these creative and diverse nativities, I realized
this is what the gospel looks like when it has
taken root in the community. That insight carried
into a lunchtime conversation with my Muslim
colleagues. We spoke honestly, there were real
differences, but we also listened deeply. And
one contrast came into sharp focus. For many
Muslims, for most Muslims, God's final revelation
came as a book given in a specific language,
Arabic, so sacred and beautiful that it cannot
truly be translated. Meaning can be explained,
yes, but the revelation itself is bound to the
original words. And here's where Christianity
is a bit different. Because from the very beginning,
ours has been a translating faith. The gospel
did not stay in one language or one culture.
It migrated. It moved from Jerusalem into the
Greek -speaking world, from synagogue into the
marketplace. Think of Paul. in Athens, standing
before the philosophers, speaking of the unknown
God. Paul does not demand that his Greek -speaking
listeners learn Hebrew first or become Jews.
He translates to them. He proclaims truth in
words and concepts that they can hopefully hear.
And again and again in history, the Spirit has
done the same, even though the church has often
resisted. unfortunately. The word spoken, not
just to them, but among them. And when that happens
and the gospel is translated, the gospel doesn't
just simply arrive, it takes root. These nativity
scenes are not mere decorations, they are testimony.
They proclaim that the word became flesh and
moved in to every neighborhood, every culture,
every people. The nativity scenes are yet another
chapter. in this rich history of gospel translation.
And just as the eternal word of God took on flesh,
the particular life of a Palestinian Jewish rabbi
named Jesus. So the body of Christ, the church,
continues today to take on and redeem the particularities
of all our cultures. Cross culture. That's our
theme this month. God's plan A. of diversity
in creation. Christ, the cornerstone upon which
all the diverse stones and bricks are built together.
And these truths are already present at the nativity
scene. And so since we're in the season of Epiphany,
we'll spend some more time at this scene. And
I hope you don't mind a little bit extra Christmas,
even in the middle of January. I will take us
on a bit of a visual tour of a few more nativities.
in a little bit but let me ground us in the three
key points we're making this morning first the
nativity is a place of wide welcome where foreigners
and the lowly find space at god's table mary
is our model of marvel and wonder she is continually
learning the fullness of who jesus is and wonder
ensures that we practice welcome without assimilation
translation into different cultures expands and
deepens our knowledge of Christ. Well, back at
the retreat center and their nativity exhibition,
the welcome sign explained. Our nativity displays
highlight the holy family in the stable, reminding
us of the blessings that flow from extending
welcome to all who arrive at our doors. Who are
these all who arrive at our doors? Friends, this
is a vital question when in some places many
immigrants are living with deep uncertainty and
fear, raising the very real question about how
wide our welcome truly is. Well, today we look
at two groups who showed up unexpectedly at the
scene, the Magi and the Shepherds. We begin with
the Magi. Matthew shows us a king in his gospel,
the king of the Jews. But he was recognized,
surprisingly, not first by insiders of that very
kingdom, but by outsiders. The Magi themselves
are foreigners. They are ethnic outsiders, cultural
outsiders, and perhaps most shockingly of all,
religious outsiders. And yet they are the ones
who see most clearly that Jesus is king. Who
were these magi? Matthew tells us they came from
the east, likely from Babylon, perhaps from Persia,
perhaps elsewhere. They were, most likely, dream
interpreters, diviners, priests, astrologers,
magicians, figures often viewed with suspicion
in Jewish and Christian circles to this day.
Like, astrologers, really? Magicians, really?
The Greek word magos carries negative connotations
elsewhere in the New Testament. It's used to
describe the false prophet or sorcerer in Acts
chapter 13. And that's why it's absolutely remarkable
to find Matthew introducing not just foreigners,
but magi in particular, into his story without
any sign of disapproval. And yet he introduces
them without apology. If the early church wanted
to invent respectable witnesses to Jesus' birth,
then magi are the last group of people they would
have chosen. But by placing magi at the nativity,
Matthew challenges us to be careful what we assume
of those not like us. Some magos may indeed be
charlatans or worse, but others are genuine seekers.
and surprisingly, sources of spiritual truth.
Now, how did they come to know these truths about
this baby? How did they know about this king
who was to be born near Jerusalem? Well, they
knew from a star, from stars that they had been
studying. In other words, they knew who this
baby was from out of their own cultural resources.
Put a little bit more strongly, God reveals himself
to the Magi in the language they understand,
through stars and through dreams. God meets them
where they are. In my years pastoring overseas,
how many times have I heard Jesus' followers
from a Muslim background first encounter him
through a dream? I can count at least five friends
that I know personally who had this encounter,
not to mention dozens, hundreds of testimonies
occurring throughout the world that are just
like this. And for others, like C .S. Lewis,
the famous writer, who happens to be Anglican
too, by the way, it was through classical music,
the music of Wagner in particular, and Norse
mythology, that Lewis found himself... surprised
by joy, as he says in his autobiography. And
that feeling of joy, we could say, was like the
Magi star that led Lewis eventually to Jesus.
So God seems pleased to meet us right where we
are in our very own cultures. And the fact that
the Magi were at the nativity or that there are
Jesus followers from a Muslim background who
encounter him in dreams, or that C .S. Lewis,
this brilliant scholar, is a Christian, all of
these things say something very profound. God
so loved the world that he gave his only begotten
son. This baby is not just for us, for the in
crowd, those who have always been around and
had a seat at the table. This child is also a
king who reigns over all, including the outsiders,
the foreigners, and the newcomers. Now, if the
magi show us that foreigners have a place at
the table, then the shepherds show us that the
lowly do, too. Diversity and cultural diversity
isn't just about ethnic differences. It is also
about socioeconomic differences. And while the
shepherds were considered lowly in the eyes of
the dominant society, they were not at all lowly
in the eyes of God, as we shall see. So we turn
to Luke this time, and Luke is intentional here.
The shepherds were not romantic figures in the
first century at all. They lived on the margins,
economically vulnerable, socially suspect, far
from the centers of power and religious respectability.
and yet Luke places them at the very heart of
the Christmas story. Now, this actually fits
Luke's theme very well, as announced one chapter
earlier through Mary's famous song. He has brought
down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted
up the humble. And so in Luke chapter 2, the
first people invited to see the newborn Messiah
are not the priests or the rulers or the scholars.
But they are the shepherds working the night
shift. God lifts up the humble. And yet the shepherd's
first response is fear. Now certainly it's the
fear of the supernatural, right? The sudden angelic
encounter. Who wouldn't be afraid of that? But
I suspect that there is also a deeper fear at
work with which many of us may be intimately
familiar. And I'm referring here to the fear
of rejection. Will anyone listen to me? We're
just shepherds. Do we belong in this story, really?
Do we belong at this table? But the angel speaks
directly into that fear. Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news that will cause great joy
for all the people today. in the town of david
a savior has been born to you he is the messiah
the lord now notice this while mary had some
idea of this child as the messiah and the lord
through gabriel's announcement yet luke 2 11
is the first time the title of savior is spoken
over this child in this gospel And this truth
is revealed not to the powerful, not to the well
-resourced who had access to the best commentaries,
but to the poor, to the shepherds. The shepherds
received theological truth before anyone else.
Think about that. They were not extras at the
nativity scene. This is not some shallow tokenism
that Luke is performing. No. The shepherds have
something real to bring, something important
to contribute. And when they go to Bethlehem,
they might not bring their gold or incense, but
they bring their testimony. They tell what they
have seen and heard, and scripture says that
all who heard it were amazed. Friends, at the
nativity, the vulnerable become witnesses. The
marginalized become theologians. Similarly, it
is often Christians, not from the West, but from
the global South, who bring testimony that God
is still a God who heals sickness, still a God
who delivers from evil forces, still a God who
answers prayer. And we, the church in Canada,
are invited through our sisters and brothers
to experience the power of a God who loves us
so much and cares for us in... practical and
concrete ways. The shepherds remind us that social
status does not determine spiritual insight.
God entrusts revelation to those the world frequently
overlooks. And if we want to understand the fullness
of who Jesus is, then we must make room at the
table, not only for rulers and scholars, but
for shepherds, because sometimes the clearest
gospel comes from the edges. The nativity offers
a wide welcome. And after the magi kneel and
the shepherds testify, Luke turns our attention
to Mary. And how does she respond? Not with certainty,
not with conclusions, but with a sense of wonder.
Luke tells us that everyone who heard the shepherds
was amazed. Some translations say they marveled.
But Mary does even more. She treasures up all
these things. The Greek word here suggests guarding
something from ruin, refusing to let it slip
away. She preserves these things. She ponders
them. She turns them over slowly, carefully,
prayerfully in her heart. Now, this matters because
Mary already knows a great deal. Now, a quick
aside. One of my favorite Christmas carols is
Mary, Did You Know? That classic song, beautiful
melody. But when you read Luke chapter one, you
realize pretty quickly that, yeah, Mary absolutely
knew. She heard Gabriel's announcement. She sang
her revolution song. She knows that the child
that she bears will bring down rulers and raise
up the humble. Mary knew. And yet Luke is still
clear. Mary continues to learn. She has not grasped
the full meaning of what God is doing through
her child. How could anyone? And so it is that
the shepherds bring her something genuinely new.
He is the Savior, and Mary receives it without
defensiveness. Notice her posture. Mary does
not correct the shepherds. their testimony beneath
her own angelic encounter. She does not rush
to resolve the mystery. She marvels. She wonders.
She is curious. And a few years later, as a young
lad, when Jesus does not return home right away
with mom and dad from the temple, Luke repeats
this description of Mary's posture as if to say,
This is not a momentary reaction for Mary. It
is a way of being. Mary lives with open hands
and an open heart before the work of God. She
trusts that God's truth unfolds over time. And
this is crucial for us as we think about what
it means to be a church that is not only multicultural,
but cross -cultural, centered in our diversity
upon the cross. Too much certainty tends to close
us off, but constant wonder keeps us open. Wonder
makes room for voices and insights we did not
expect. Wonder allows us to receive from foreigners,
from shepherds, from the margins, without needing
to reshape them first into our image. Mary shows
us that discipleship does not require having
everything figured out. What it does require...
is attentiveness humility patience with mystery
she teaches us that the proper response to god's
surprising work is not control but contemplation
now at the end of luke's gospel which was read
to us so beautifully today in tamil we are invited
to walk alongside two travelers who are really
confused about everything that just happened
in jerusalem now these two are not outsiders
to the story they are disciples of jesus and
yet even though they walked with him for over
three years the crucifixion was so beyond their
understanding that they could not recognize this
man who now joined them on their seven mile journey
it's bewildering and yet interestingly when this
man shows up He doesn't jump right in and say,
hey guys, it's me, it's Jesus. What does he do?
Instead, he walks them through the scriptures.
But what I really want to highlight today is
that it isn't just about an increase in the disciples'
intellectual understanding. Because when these
two travelers finally come to recognize this
co -traveler as the resurrected Jesus, Luke tells
us that their hearts, burned within them while
he talked with them. Like Mary, these two disciples
are models not of perfect understanding, but
of marvel and wonder, of hearts that burn within
with an openness to being surprised by the living
Lord. It's interesting also that Jesus was recognized
at the dinner table, at the table of hospitality.
And as I understand, you soon will be hosting
a cross -cultural meal. That's very exciting.
And so as you prepare to host and share this
meal in coming weeks, I would like to extend
a modest invitation through Mary's story and
through the story of these two disciples. If
we want to practice true welcome, a welcome without
assimilation, let us then recover wonder. Because
wonder makes space. for others to belong without
demanding sameness. And I want to equip us with
a couple of practical suggestions on how to live
with wonder in a multicultural setting. Tell
me more. Some call this appreciative inquiry.
Especially when it's your first time encountering
a new culture, it's easy for those differences
to stand out, which can quickly feel like a barrier.
But curiosity invites conversation. Tell me more
about this practice. Why is this dish so meaningful
at your table? Who taught you to cook this? Is
there a story behind this? And as they share,
lean in to what you appreciate. What common values
are expressed through this cultural practice
that at first may have looked very different?
What table traditions are similar to our own?
This requires active listening, which means listening
without interruption, so that you can say back
to the other person what they just told you in
a way that assures them that you got it. How
can we treasure up and ponder what is communicated
unless we first listen actively? Appreciative
inquiry? Active listening. These are tools that
cultivate wonder. And when we cultivate wonder,
our welcome extends wide. Now the shepherds and
magi, when they were welcomed, they affirmed
what Mary already knew about her baby, and they
expanded and deepened that knowledge. In the
Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the outcasts and
outsiders are not objects of our mission to them,
but they are agents of spiritual truth who transform
us as well. There's this interesting mutuality
that occurs. And when the gospel is translated
across different cultures, ethnic, socioeconomic,
generational, and so forth, we come to know Jesus
more faithfully as healer and as deliverer, as
savior. as king and we come to know that he is
king through the gifts that the people bring
whatever else the gold and the incense and myrrh
may signify the magi's gifts are clearly fit
for royalty the gifts tell us that he is more
than just a rabbi or even a priest but that he
is king so what do our gifts say about who Jesus
is. And this is where we'll turn back to our
nativity scenes for just another moment to see
how the Magi have been translated from culture
to culture. In this Pueblo nativity scene, the
Magi are holding gifts appropriate to Pueblo
culture, bread, corn, and chili peppers. Now,
corn is a deeply sacred symbol of life. It's
central to spiritual ceremonies. Bread represents
community, resilience, and a link to ancestors
and tradition. Chili peppers, and some of us
don't like spicy food, but it's important still
to value the fact that chili peppers speak of
identity and pride in one's culture. What might
these gifts tell us about Jesus? In this nativity
from Peru, The Magi are members of an indigenous
people, bringing gifts from the rainforest, including
a bunch of bananas, cacao bean pods, and perhaps
most strangely of all, a turtle. This seems foreign,
and yet all display a connection to the people
and to the land. What might these gifts tell
us about Jesus? Lastly, I end with this piece.
from the Philippines because its aesthetics may
feel the most unfamiliar to many of us. First
of all, the perspective is different from what
we're used to. It's a top -down nativity by the
local artist Christopher Ardenia. And there's
a lot going on here. Villagers with candles gather
around the newborn Christ on a hand -woven mat.
They stand under a parol, which is a traditional
star -shaped lantern at the top. made of bamboo
sticks meant to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem.
At the bottom, as we zoom in, the tastes and
flavors of the street market come to the crib
as vendors approach with eggplant and squash,
you see on the left, fish and balut, steamed
duck eggs. Now, the artist says that he substituted
these figures for the Magi who brought gold,
frankincense, and myrrh because he wanted to
emphasize that Jesus' birth is for the poor as
well, and that simple gifts given in love are
just as dear to Jesus as any other. In the center
is the Holy Family, and notice that Jesus wears
a necklace of animal bones. That feels strange,
too. It doesn't jive with most depictions of
Jesus that we find in Canada. But such a necklace
is a characteristic ornament of a tribal chief
in the Philippines. In other words, a ruler,
a king. What might these gifts tell us about
Jesus? There's no question, Mary's understanding
was expanded and deepened by the magi and the
shepherds. And our picture of Jesus is made deeper,
more expansive, more beautiful, and more true
when we translate the gospel and our response
to it across our various cultures. The Nativity
is a place of wide welcome where we are invited
to marvel and to wonder. The welcome we see at
the Nativity is not a welcome that erases difference.
but a welcome without assimilation, a belonging
that does not demand sameness. And so to close,
I invite you to reflect on these questions. What
presence do you bring to baby Jesus and his family?
What do your presence say about who he is to
you? What are others bringing to the table? And
what do these gifts teach you about who he is?
Thank you for listening to this week's episode
of Trinity Sermons. This sermon was recorded
at Trinity Church Streetsville in Mississauga,
Ontario on January 18th, 2026.