WEBVTT 00:00:05.230 --> 00:00:07.469 Welcome to this week's episode of Trinity Sermons. 00:00:07.669 --> 00:00:10.029 This week we are continuing our sermon series, 00:00:10.150 --> 00:00:12.550 Cross Culture, where we are looking at what it 00:00:12.550 --> 00:00:14.869 means for us to be a diverse community of people 00:00:14.869 --> 00:00:17.769 who all come together to worship Christ. And 00:00:17.769 --> 00:00:20.109 we're welcoming a guest speaker, Alex Lee, who 00:00:20.109 --> 00:00:22.969 is a PhD candidate in Intercultural Studies at 00:00:22.969 --> 00:00:25.589 Fuller Seminary, and he also works at Tyndale's 00:00:25.589 --> 00:00:28.410 Intercultural Ministry Centre. Alex is going 00:00:28.410 --> 00:00:30.489 to be talking to us more about what it means 00:00:30.489 --> 00:00:34.500 to have relationships across difference. what 00:00:34.500 --> 00:00:36.579 it means that people from different cultures 00:00:36.579 --> 00:00:39.320 and backgrounds and nationalities can all be 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:42.219 ways that God speaks to us and can be voices 00:00:42.219 --> 00:00:45.159 that enrich our faith. He's also going to share 00:00:45.159 --> 00:00:47.679 about the importance of wonder and humility in 00:00:47.679 --> 00:00:54.780 the midst of it all. Today's scripture reading 00:00:54.780 --> 00:01:00.460 is from Luke chapter 24, verses 13 to 35. Now 00:01:00.460 --> 00:01:02.820 that same day, two of them were going to a village 00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.530 called Emmaus. about seven miles from Jerusalem. 00:01:05.870 --> 00:01:07.989 They were talking with each other about everything 00:01:07.989 --> 00:01:10.090 that had happened. As they talked and discussed 00:01:10.090 --> 00:01:12.250 these things with each other, Jesus himself came 00:01:12.250 --> 00:01:14.969 up and walked alongside them, but they were kept 00:01:14.969 --> 00:01:18.209 from recognizing him. He asked them, What are 00:01:18.209 --> 00:01:21.010 you discussing together as you walk along? They 00:01:21.010 --> 00:01:23.909 stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, 00:01:23.909 --> 00:01:26.849 named Cleopas, asked him, Are you the only one 00:01:26.849 --> 00:01:28.969 visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things 00:01:28.969 --> 00:01:31.750 that have happened there in these days? What 00:01:31.750 --> 00:01:35.099 things, he said. About Jesus of Nazareth, they 00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:38.480 replied. He was a prophet, powerful in word and 00:01:38.480 --> 00:01:41.760 deed before God and all the people. The chief 00:01:41.760 --> 00:01:43.900 priests and our rulers handed him over to be 00:01:43.900 --> 00:01:46.719 sentenced to death, and they crucified him. But 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.019 we had hoped that he was the one who was going 00:01:49.019 --> 00:01:52.900 to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the 00:01:52.900 --> 00:01:55.819 third day since all this took place. In addition, 00:01:56.019 --> 00:01:58.959 some of our women amazed us. They went to the 00:01:58.959 --> 00:02:01.060 tomb early this morning, but didn't find his 00:02:01.060 --> 00:02:03.780 body. They came and told us that they had seen 00:02:03.780 --> 00:02:06.140 visions of angels who had said he was alive. 00:02:07.219 --> 00:02:09.580 Then some of our companions went to the tomb 00:02:09.580 --> 00:02:12.879 and found it just as the women had said, but 00:02:12.879 --> 00:02:16.259 they did not see Jesus. He said to them, How 00:02:16.259 --> 00:02:19.099 foolish you are, and how slow to believe all 00:02:19.099 --> 00:02:21.960 that the prophets have spoken. Did not the Messiah 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:24.780 have to suffer these things and then enter his 00:02:24.780 --> 00:02:28.479 glory? In the beginning with Moses and all the 00:02:28.479 --> 00:02:31.139 prophets, he explained to them what was said 00:02:31.139 --> 00:02:34.259 in all the scriptures concerning himself. As 00:02:34.259 --> 00:02:37.139 they approached the village to which they were 00:02:37.139 --> 00:02:39.860 going, Jesus continued on as if he was going 00:02:39.860 --> 00:02:42.740 farther, but they urged him strongly, Stay with 00:02:42.740 --> 00:02:45.139 us, for it is nearly evening, and the day is 00:02:45.139 --> 00:02:48.080 almost over. So he went in to stay with them. 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:50.939 When he was at the table with them, he took bread, 00:02:51.099 --> 00:02:54.500 gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to 00:02:54.500 --> 00:02:57.060 them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized 00:02:57.060 --> 00:03:00.300 him, and he disappeared from their sight. They 00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:02.599 asked each other, Were not our hearts burning 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:05.219 within us while he talked with us on the road 00:03:05.219 --> 00:03:08.099 and opened the scriptures to us? They got up 00:03:08.099 --> 00:03:10.680 and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they 00:03:10.680 --> 00:03:13.120 found the eleven and those with them, assembled 00:03:13.120 --> 00:03:16.300 together, and saying, It is true, the Lord has 00:03:16.300 --> 00:03:19.500 risen and has appeared to Simon. And the two 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:22.719 told what had happened on the way and how Jesus 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:25.689 was recognized by them. when he broke the bread. 00:03:26.389 --> 00:03:30.389 This is the word of the Lord. Wow, thank you 00:03:30.389 --> 00:03:33.270 so much, everyone. That was a very warm welcome 00:03:33.270 --> 00:03:36.849 indeed. It's a pleasure to be with you all here 00:03:36.849 --> 00:03:41.770 this morning. Typically, my family and I, we 00:03:41.770 --> 00:03:45.490 worship at St. Philip's on the Hill Anglican 00:03:45.490 --> 00:03:48.460 Church over in Unionville. So it was a bit of 00:03:48.460 --> 00:03:51.680 a drive this morning, but it was nice. The weather 00:03:51.680 --> 00:03:54.080 was nice, and it wasn't too long, the traffic 00:03:54.080 --> 00:03:56.219 wasn't too bad, and I'm happy to be with you 00:03:56.219 --> 00:03:58.960 to share the Word of God. Thank you, Rob, for 00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:04.900 the introduction. Well, back in December, while 00:04:04.900 --> 00:04:07.759 it was getting cold and gray here in the GTA, 00:04:08.060 --> 00:04:11.659 I found myself in sunny Southern California. 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:14.740 please don't get too mad at me it was not a vacation 00:04:14.740 --> 00:04:17.459 and i had very little intention to visit los 00:04:17.459 --> 00:04:20.439 angeles of all places especially after the dodgers 00:04:20.439 --> 00:04:23.600 had beaten our blue jays something i'm still 00:04:23.600 --> 00:04:26.740 a little upset about but i was there as a part 00:04:26.740 --> 00:04:29.800 of a group of six christian and six muslim scholars 00:04:30.730 --> 00:04:33.629 spending a week together, wrestling with some 00:04:33.629 --> 00:04:36.350 big questions of faith, politics, and democracy, 00:04:36.689 --> 00:04:39.649 and how people with deep and real differences 00:04:39.649 --> 00:04:43.290 might live together, not just tolerantly, but 00:04:43.290 --> 00:04:47.970 peacefully, constructively, and faithfully. We 00:04:47.970 --> 00:04:50.709 had a really great time together. And then at 00:04:50.709 --> 00:04:53.350 the retreat center where we stayed, there was 00:04:53.350 --> 00:04:57.490 also, at the same time, an international exhibit 00:04:57.490 --> 00:05:01.680 of nativity scenes. More than a hundred of them 00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:04.139 from all over the world, each of them telling 00:05:04.139 --> 00:05:07.800 the same story, unto us a child is born, yet 00:05:07.800 --> 00:05:11.420 telling it slightly differently. Different clothing, 00:05:11.600 --> 00:05:13.879 different settings, different faces, different 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:18.519 farm animals. Pueblo nativities from New Mexico. 00:05:19.579 --> 00:05:23.420 Beautiful scenes from Guatemala. And some that 00:05:23.420 --> 00:05:26.560 were just playful. When my kids saw this one 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:28.800 of a Lego set, they're like, Dad, we need to 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:32.089 get one ourselves. And here's one. You can come 00:05:32.089 --> 00:05:33.970 and see this later if you want to see it more 00:05:33.970 --> 00:05:37.490 closely. Here's one I brought home from Peru, 00:05:37.610 --> 00:05:41.790 a Peruvian retablo, beautifully, carefully handcrafted 00:05:41.790 --> 00:05:45.009 and hand -painted. And as I stood there looking 00:05:45.009 --> 00:05:49.589 at these creative and diverse nativities, I realized 00:05:49.589 --> 00:05:54.189 this is what the gospel looks like when it has 00:05:54.189 --> 00:05:59.829 taken root in the community. That insight carried 00:05:59.829 --> 00:06:02.589 into a lunchtime conversation with my Muslim 00:06:02.589 --> 00:06:05.389 colleagues. We spoke honestly, there were real 00:06:05.389 --> 00:06:09.110 differences, but we also listened deeply. And 00:06:09.110 --> 00:06:12.509 one contrast came into sharp focus. For many 00:06:12.509 --> 00:06:15.290 Muslims, for most Muslims, God's final revelation 00:06:15.290 --> 00:06:19.129 came as a book given in a specific language, 00:06:19.389 --> 00:06:22.750 Arabic, so sacred and beautiful that it cannot 00:06:22.750 --> 00:06:26.399 truly be translated. Meaning can be explained, 00:06:26.519 --> 00:06:29.420 yes, but the revelation itself is bound to the 00:06:29.420 --> 00:06:32.300 original words. And here's where Christianity 00:06:32.300 --> 00:06:35.199 is a bit different. Because from the very beginning, 00:06:35.399 --> 00:06:40.439 ours has been a translating faith. The gospel 00:06:40.439 --> 00:06:42.740 did not stay in one language or one culture. 00:06:42.839 --> 00:06:47.180 It migrated. It moved from Jerusalem into the 00:06:47.180 --> 00:06:50.060 Greek -speaking world, from synagogue into the 00:06:50.060 --> 00:06:53.319 marketplace. Think of Paul. in Athens, standing 00:06:53.319 --> 00:06:57.579 before the philosophers, speaking of the unknown 00:06:57.579 --> 00:07:02.720 God. Paul does not demand that his Greek -speaking 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:05.560 listeners learn Hebrew first or become Jews. 00:07:05.860 --> 00:07:10.199 He translates to them. He proclaims truth in 00:07:10.199 --> 00:07:12.959 words and concepts that they can hopefully hear. 00:07:13.300 --> 00:07:16.699 And again and again in history, the Spirit has 00:07:16.699 --> 00:07:20.139 done the same, even though the church has often 00:07:20.139 --> 00:07:25.129 resisted. unfortunately. The word spoken, not 00:07:25.129 --> 00:07:29.829 just to them, but among them. And when that happens 00:07:29.829 --> 00:07:32.250 and the gospel is translated, the gospel doesn't 00:07:32.250 --> 00:07:37.629 just simply arrive, it takes root. These nativity 00:07:37.629 --> 00:07:40.250 scenes are not mere decorations, they are testimony. 00:07:40.550 --> 00:07:43.410 They proclaim that the word became flesh and 00:07:43.410 --> 00:07:46.189 moved in to every neighborhood, every culture, 00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:49.209 every people. The nativity scenes are yet another 00:07:49.209 --> 00:07:52.959 chapter. in this rich history of gospel translation. 00:07:53.379 --> 00:07:57.540 And just as the eternal word of God took on flesh, 00:07:57.759 --> 00:08:01.819 the particular life of a Palestinian Jewish rabbi 00:08:01.819 --> 00:08:05.639 named Jesus. So the body of Christ, the church, 00:08:05.699 --> 00:08:10.819 continues today to take on and redeem the particularities 00:08:10.819 --> 00:08:16.139 of all our cultures. Cross culture. That's our 00:08:16.139 --> 00:08:20.230 theme this month. God's plan A. of diversity 00:08:20.230 --> 00:08:23.410 in creation. Christ, the cornerstone upon which 00:08:23.410 --> 00:08:26.790 all the diverse stones and bricks are built together. 00:08:27.189 --> 00:08:32.049 And these truths are already present at the nativity 00:08:32.049 --> 00:08:34.850 scene. And so since we're in the season of Epiphany, 00:08:34.970 --> 00:08:37.330 we'll spend some more time at this scene. And 00:08:37.330 --> 00:08:39.570 I hope you don't mind a little bit extra Christmas, 00:08:39.649 --> 00:08:43.409 even in the middle of January. I will take us 00:08:43.409 --> 00:08:46.429 on a bit of a visual tour of a few more nativities. 00:08:47.129 --> 00:08:49.730 in a little bit but let me ground us in the three 00:08:49.730 --> 00:08:53.409 key points we're making this morning first the 00:08:53.409 --> 00:08:57.429 nativity is a place of wide welcome where foreigners 00:08:57.429 --> 00:09:02.149 and the lowly find space at god's table mary 00:09:02.149 --> 00:09:06.370 is our model of marvel and wonder she is continually 00:09:06.370 --> 00:09:11.269 learning the fullness of who jesus is and wonder 00:09:11.269 --> 00:09:16.049 ensures that we practice welcome without assimilation 00:09:16.860 --> 00:09:21.820 translation into different cultures expands and 00:09:21.820 --> 00:09:26.039 deepens our knowledge of Christ. Well, back at 00:09:26.039 --> 00:09:29.000 the retreat center and their nativity exhibition, 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:34.320 the welcome sign explained. Our nativity displays 00:09:34.320 --> 00:09:37.799 highlight the holy family in the stable, reminding 00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:40.879 us of the blessings that flow from extending 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:45.669 welcome to all who arrive at our doors. Who are 00:09:45.669 --> 00:09:49.490 these all who arrive at our doors? Friends, this 00:09:49.490 --> 00:09:52.929 is a vital question when in some places many 00:09:52.929 --> 00:09:56.409 immigrants are living with deep uncertainty and 00:09:56.409 --> 00:09:59.830 fear, raising the very real question about how 00:09:59.830 --> 00:10:04.769 wide our welcome truly is. Well, today we look 00:10:04.769 --> 00:10:07.690 at two groups who showed up unexpectedly at the 00:10:07.690 --> 00:10:11.970 scene, the Magi and the Shepherds. We begin with 00:10:11.970 --> 00:10:17.419 the Magi. Matthew shows us a king in his gospel, 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:21.139 the king of the Jews. But he was recognized, 00:10:21.200 --> 00:10:24.539 surprisingly, not first by insiders of that very 00:10:24.539 --> 00:10:28.100 kingdom, but by outsiders. The Magi themselves 00:10:28.100 --> 00:10:32.200 are foreigners. They are ethnic outsiders, cultural 00:10:32.200 --> 00:10:35.360 outsiders, and perhaps most shockingly of all, 00:10:35.460 --> 00:10:39.360 religious outsiders. And yet they are the ones 00:10:39.360 --> 00:10:43.210 who see most clearly that Jesus is king. Who 00:10:43.210 --> 00:10:46.730 were these magi? Matthew tells us they came from 00:10:46.730 --> 00:10:49.929 the east, likely from Babylon, perhaps from Persia, 00:10:50.009 --> 00:10:54.809 perhaps elsewhere. They were, most likely, dream 00:10:54.809 --> 00:10:59.789 interpreters, diviners, priests, astrologers, 00:10:59.950 --> 00:11:04.330 magicians, figures often viewed with suspicion 00:11:04.330 --> 00:11:07.529 in Jewish and Christian circles to this day. 00:11:07.610 --> 00:11:10.309 Like, astrologers, really? Magicians, really? 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:17.059 The Greek word magos carries negative connotations 00:11:17.059 --> 00:11:20.559 elsewhere in the New Testament. It's used to 00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:24.279 describe the false prophet or sorcerer in Acts 00:11:24.279 --> 00:11:27.639 chapter 13. And that's why it's absolutely remarkable 00:11:27.639 --> 00:11:31.620 to find Matthew introducing not just foreigners, 00:11:31.720 --> 00:11:34.940 but magi in particular, into his story without 00:11:34.940 --> 00:11:37.460 any sign of disapproval. And yet he introduces 00:11:37.460 --> 00:11:41.519 them without apology. If the early church wanted 00:11:41.519 --> 00:11:44.879 to invent respectable witnesses to Jesus' birth, 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:48.840 then magi are the last group of people they would 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:53.340 have chosen. But by placing magi at the nativity, 00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:58.159 Matthew challenges us to be careful what we assume 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:03.620 of those not like us. Some magos may indeed be 00:12:03.620 --> 00:12:07.740 charlatans or worse, but others are genuine seekers. 00:12:08.509 --> 00:12:12.009 and surprisingly, sources of spiritual truth. 00:12:12.809 --> 00:12:16.129 Now, how did they come to know these truths about 00:12:16.129 --> 00:12:19.289 this baby? How did they know about this king 00:12:19.289 --> 00:12:22.710 who was to be born near Jerusalem? Well, they 00:12:22.710 --> 00:12:25.549 knew from a star, from stars that they had been 00:12:25.549 --> 00:12:30.710 studying. In other words, they knew who this 00:12:30.710 --> 00:12:34.669 baby was from out of their own cultural resources. 00:12:35.710 --> 00:12:39.600 Put a little bit more strongly, God reveals himself 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:43.620 to the Magi in the language they understand, 00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:48.580 through stars and through dreams. God meets them 00:12:48.580 --> 00:12:53.039 where they are. In my years pastoring overseas, 00:12:53.580 --> 00:12:58.480 how many times have I heard Jesus' followers 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.419 from a Muslim background first encounter him 00:13:01.419 --> 00:13:07.049 through a dream? I can count at least five friends 00:13:07.049 --> 00:13:10.330 that I know personally who had this encounter, 00:13:10.610 --> 00:13:13.470 not to mention dozens, hundreds of testimonies 00:13:13.470 --> 00:13:15.309 occurring throughout the world that are just 00:13:15.309 --> 00:13:19.169 like this. And for others, like C .S. Lewis, 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:21.850 the famous writer, who happens to be Anglican 00:13:21.850 --> 00:13:24.850 too, by the way, it was through classical music, 00:13:24.909 --> 00:13:27.330 the music of Wagner in particular, and Norse 00:13:27.330 --> 00:13:31.190 mythology, that Lewis found himself... surprised 00:13:31.190 --> 00:13:34.809 by joy, as he says in his autobiography. And 00:13:34.809 --> 00:13:39.169 that feeling of joy, we could say, was like the 00:13:39.169 --> 00:13:43.789 Magi star that led Lewis eventually to Jesus. 00:13:44.950 --> 00:13:48.570 So God seems pleased to meet us right where we 00:13:48.570 --> 00:13:53.649 are in our very own cultures. And the fact that 00:13:53.649 --> 00:13:56.870 the Magi were at the nativity or that there are 00:13:56.870 --> 00:13:59.990 Jesus followers from a Muslim background who 00:13:59.990 --> 00:14:02.629 encounter him in dreams, or that C .S. Lewis, 00:14:02.909 --> 00:14:07.210 this brilliant scholar, is a Christian, all of 00:14:07.210 --> 00:14:11.690 these things say something very profound. God 00:14:11.690 --> 00:14:16.850 so loved the world that he gave his only begotten 00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:20.509 son. This baby is not just for us, for the in 00:14:20.509 --> 00:14:24.110 crowd, those who have always been around and 00:14:24.110 --> 00:14:27.259 had a seat at the table. This child is also a 00:14:27.259 --> 00:14:30.919 king who reigns over all, including the outsiders, 00:14:31.320 --> 00:14:35.860 the foreigners, and the newcomers. Now, if the 00:14:35.860 --> 00:14:38.139 magi show us that foreigners have a place at 00:14:38.139 --> 00:14:41.480 the table, then the shepherds show us that the 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:47.500 lowly do, too. Diversity and cultural diversity 00:14:47.500 --> 00:14:50.320 isn't just about ethnic differences. It is also 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:53.690 about socioeconomic differences. And while the 00:14:53.690 --> 00:14:56.649 shepherds were considered lowly in the eyes of 00:14:56.649 --> 00:14:59.870 the dominant society, they were not at all lowly 00:14:59.870 --> 00:15:03.669 in the eyes of God, as we shall see. So we turn 00:15:03.669 --> 00:15:06.950 to Luke this time, and Luke is intentional here. 00:15:07.529 --> 00:15:10.049 The shepherds were not romantic figures in the 00:15:10.049 --> 00:15:12.750 first century at all. They lived on the margins, 00:15:12.950 --> 00:15:17.909 economically vulnerable, socially suspect, far 00:15:17.909 --> 00:15:21.309 from the centers of power and religious respectability. 00:15:22.200 --> 00:15:24.840 and yet Luke places them at the very heart of 00:15:24.840 --> 00:15:28.039 the Christmas story. Now, this actually fits 00:15:28.039 --> 00:15:32.659 Luke's theme very well, as announced one chapter 00:15:32.659 --> 00:15:37.600 earlier through Mary's famous song. He has brought 00:15:37.600 --> 00:15:40.460 down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted 00:15:40.460 --> 00:15:44.539 up the humble. And so in Luke chapter 2, the 00:15:44.539 --> 00:15:46.519 first people invited to see the newborn Messiah 00:15:46.519 --> 00:15:49.720 are not the priests or the rulers or the scholars. 00:15:50.830 --> 00:15:52.570 But they are the shepherds working the night 00:15:52.570 --> 00:15:59.009 shift. God lifts up the humble. And yet the shepherd's 00:15:59.009 --> 00:16:04.149 first response is fear. Now certainly it's the 00:16:04.149 --> 00:16:06.970 fear of the supernatural, right? The sudden angelic 00:16:06.970 --> 00:16:09.769 encounter. Who wouldn't be afraid of that? But 00:16:09.769 --> 00:16:14.230 I suspect that there is also a deeper fear at 00:16:14.230 --> 00:16:18.049 work with which many of us may be intimately 00:16:18.049 --> 00:16:21.610 familiar. And I'm referring here to the fear 00:16:21.610 --> 00:16:26.429 of rejection. Will anyone listen to me? We're 00:16:26.429 --> 00:16:30.730 just shepherds. Do we belong in this story, really? 00:16:31.129 --> 00:16:37.090 Do we belong at this table? But the angel speaks 00:16:37.090 --> 00:16:42.210 directly into that fear. Do not be afraid. I 00:16:42.210 --> 00:16:45.370 bring you good news that will cause great joy 00:16:45.370 --> 00:16:50.129 for all the people today. in the town of david 00:16:50.129 --> 00:16:54.250 a savior has been born to you he is the messiah 00:16:54.250 --> 00:16:58.950 the lord now notice this while mary had some 00:16:58.950 --> 00:17:03.090 idea of this child as the messiah and the lord 00:17:03.090 --> 00:17:06.869 through gabriel's announcement yet luke 2 11 00:17:06.869 --> 00:17:10.430 is the first time the title of savior is spoken 00:17:10.430 --> 00:17:15.680 over this child in this gospel And this truth 00:17:15.680 --> 00:17:18.440 is revealed not to the powerful, not to the well 00:17:18.440 --> 00:17:20.839 -resourced who had access to the best commentaries, 00:17:20.900 --> 00:17:26.579 but to the poor, to the shepherds. The shepherds 00:17:26.579 --> 00:17:30.279 received theological truth before anyone else. 00:17:30.420 --> 00:17:36.940 Think about that. They were not extras at the 00:17:36.940 --> 00:17:40.700 nativity scene. This is not some shallow tokenism 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:45.059 that Luke is performing. No. The shepherds have 00:17:45.059 --> 00:17:47.480 something real to bring, something important 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:50.839 to contribute. And when they go to Bethlehem, 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:53.599 they might not bring their gold or incense, but 00:17:53.599 --> 00:17:59.019 they bring their testimony. They tell what they 00:17:59.019 --> 00:18:01.480 have seen and heard, and scripture says that 00:18:01.480 --> 00:18:05.440 all who heard it were amazed. Friends, at the 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:09.640 nativity, the vulnerable become witnesses. The 00:18:09.640 --> 00:18:14.460 marginalized become theologians. Similarly, it 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:17.480 is often Christians, not from the West, but from 00:18:17.480 --> 00:18:21.259 the global South, who bring testimony that God 00:18:21.259 --> 00:18:26.339 is still a God who heals sickness, still a God 00:18:26.339 --> 00:18:29.839 who delivers from evil forces, still a God who 00:18:29.839 --> 00:18:32.799 answers prayer. And we, the church in Canada, 00:18:32.980 --> 00:18:35.000 are invited through our sisters and brothers 00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:39.400 to experience the power of a God who loves us 00:18:39.400 --> 00:18:43.069 so much and cares for us in... practical and 00:18:43.069 --> 00:18:47.990 concrete ways. The shepherds remind us that social 00:18:47.990 --> 00:18:51.349 status does not determine spiritual insight. 00:18:52.809 --> 00:18:56.049 God entrusts revelation to those the world frequently 00:18:56.049 --> 00:18:59.430 overlooks. And if we want to understand the fullness 00:18:59.430 --> 00:19:02.390 of who Jesus is, then we must make room at the 00:19:02.390 --> 00:19:06.250 table, not only for rulers and scholars, but 00:19:06.250 --> 00:19:08.609 for shepherds, because sometimes the clearest 00:19:08.609 --> 00:19:12.970 gospel comes from the edges. The nativity offers 00:19:12.970 --> 00:19:17.849 a wide welcome. And after the magi kneel and 00:19:17.849 --> 00:19:21.210 the shepherds testify, Luke turns our attention 00:19:21.210 --> 00:19:26.690 to Mary. And how does she respond? Not with certainty, 00:19:26.869 --> 00:19:30.970 not with conclusions, but with a sense of wonder. 00:19:32.150 --> 00:19:36.529 Luke tells us that everyone who heard the shepherds 00:19:36.529 --> 00:19:40.430 was amazed. Some translations say they marveled. 00:19:40.890 --> 00:19:45.089 But Mary does even more. She treasures up all 00:19:45.089 --> 00:19:48.230 these things. The Greek word here suggests guarding 00:19:48.230 --> 00:19:50.970 something from ruin, refusing to let it slip 00:19:50.970 --> 00:19:55.049 away. She preserves these things. She ponders 00:19:55.049 --> 00:19:58.450 them. She turns them over slowly, carefully, 00:19:58.710 --> 00:20:02.990 prayerfully in her heart. Now, this matters because 00:20:02.990 --> 00:20:07.470 Mary already knows a great deal. Now, a quick 00:20:07.470 --> 00:20:10.579 aside. One of my favorite Christmas carols is 00:20:10.579 --> 00:20:13.960 Mary, Did You Know? That classic song, beautiful 00:20:13.960 --> 00:20:17.079 melody. But when you read Luke chapter one, you 00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:20.480 realize pretty quickly that, yeah, Mary absolutely 00:20:20.480 --> 00:20:24.740 knew. She heard Gabriel's announcement. She sang 00:20:24.740 --> 00:20:27.599 her revolution song. She knows that the child 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:30.299 that she bears will bring down rulers and raise 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:35.359 up the humble. Mary knew. And yet Luke is still 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:42.369 clear. Mary continues to learn. She has not grasped 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:45.769 the full meaning of what God is doing through 00:20:45.769 --> 00:20:49.829 her child. How could anyone? And so it is that 00:20:49.829 --> 00:20:53.150 the shepherds bring her something genuinely new. 00:20:53.329 --> 00:20:58.589 He is the Savior, and Mary receives it without 00:20:58.589 --> 00:21:03.049 defensiveness. Notice her posture. Mary does 00:21:03.049 --> 00:21:07.839 not correct the shepherds. their testimony beneath 00:21:07.839 --> 00:21:12.099 her own angelic encounter. She does not rush 00:21:12.099 --> 00:21:16.759 to resolve the mystery. She marvels. She wonders. 00:21:17.420 --> 00:21:23.079 She is curious. And a few years later, as a young 00:21:23.079 --> 00:21:25.839 lad, when Jesus does not return home right away 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:29.279 with mom and dad from the temple, Luke repeats 00:21:29.279 --> 00:21:32.640 this description of Mary's posture as if to say, 00:21:33.230 --> 00:21:36.849 This is not a momentary reaction for Mary. It 00:21:36.849 --> 00:21:41.470 is a way of being. Mary lives with open hands 00:21:41.470 --> 00:21:45.190 and an open heart before the work of God. She 00:21:45.190 --> 00:21:50.849 trusts that God's truth unfolds over time. And 00:21:50.849 --> 00:21:53.569 this is crucial for us as we think about what 00:21:53.569 --> 00:21:56.089 it means to be a church that is not only multicultural, 00:21:56.369 --> 00:21:59.730 but cross -cultural, centered in our diversity 00:21:59.730 --> 00:22:05.099 upon the cross. Too much certainty tends to close 00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:10.920 us off, but constant wonder keeps us open. Wonder 00:22:10.920 --> 00:22:13.640 makes room for voices and insights we did not 00:22:13.640 --> 00:22:17.119 expect. Wonder allows us to receive from foreigners, 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:20.680 from shepherds, from the margins, without needing 00:22:20.680 --> 00:22:25.619 to reshape them first into our image. Mary shows 00:22:25.619 --> 00:22:27.799 us that discipleship does not require having 00:22:27.799 --> 00:22:31.059 everything figured out. What it does require... 00:22:31.319 --> 00:22:36.299 is attentiveness humility patience with mystery 00:22:36.299 --> 00:22:41.319 she teaches us that the proper response to god's 00:22:41.319 --> 00:22:46.319 surprising work is not control but contemplation 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:50.440 now at the end of luke's gospel which was read 00:22:50.440 --> 00:22:54.079 to us so beautifully today in tamil we are invited 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:57.579 to walk alongside two travelers who are really 00:22:57.579 --> 00:22:59.940 confused about everything that just happened 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.220 in jerusalem now these two are not outsiders 00:23:04.220 --> 00:23:07.900 to the story they are disciples of jesus and 00:23:07.900 --> 00:23:10.880 yet even though they walked with him for over 00:23:10.880 --> 00:23:15.539 three years the crucifixion was so beyond their 00:23:15.539 --> 00:23:19.000 understanding that they could not recognize this 00:23:19.000 --> 00:23:22.500 man who now joined them on their seven mile journey 00:23:22.500 --> 00:23:27.079 it's bewildering and yet interestingly when this 00:23:27.079 --> 00:23:29.680 man shows up He doesn't jump right in and say, 00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:33.559 hey guys, it's me, it's Jesus. What does he do? 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:36.480 Instead, he walks them through the scriptures. 00:23:37.299 --> 00:23:40.259 But what I really want to highlight today is 00:23:40.259 --> 00:23:43.519 that it isn't just about an increase in the disciples' 00:23:43.839 --> 00:23:49.200 intellectual understanding. Because when these 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:52.039 two travelers finally come to recognize this 00:23:52.039 --> 00:23:55.500 co -traveler as the resurrected Jesus, Luke tells 00:23:55.500 --> 00:24:00.470 us that their hearts, burned within them while 00:24:00.470 --> 00:24:05.150 he talked with them. Like Mary, these two disciples 00:24:05.150 --> 00:24:08.670 are models not of perfect understanding, but 00:24:08.670 --> 00:24:13.509 of marvel and wonder, of hearts that burn within 00:24:13.509 --> 00:24:17.730 with an openness to being surprised by the living 00:24:17.730 --> 00:24:21.450 Lord. It's interesting also that Jesus was recognized 00:24:21.450 --> 00:24:25.410 at the dinner table, at the table of hospitality. 00:24:25.509 --> 00:24:28.720 And as I understand, you soon will be hosting 00:24:28.720 --> 00:24:31.920 a cross -cultural meal. That's very exciting. 00:24:32.119 --> 00:24:34.500 And so as you prepare to host and share this 00:24:34.500 --> 00:24:36.839 meal in coming weeks, I would like to extend 00:24:36.839 --> 00:24:39.839 a modest invitation through Mary's story and 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:42.880 through the story of these two disciples. If 00:24:42.880 --> 00:24:45.920 we want to practice true welcome, a welcome without 00:24:45.920 --> 00:24:51.819 assimilation, let us then recover wonder. Because 00:24:51.819 --> 00:24:55.660 wonder makes space. for others to belong without 00:24:55.660 --> 00:25:00.319 demanding sameness. And I want to equip us with 00:25:00.319 --> 00:25:03.319 a couple of practical suggestions on how to live 00:25:03.319 --> 00:25:10.640 with wonder in a multicultural setting. Tell 00:25:10.640 --> 00:25:14.720 me more. Some call this appreciative inquiry. 00:25:15.500 --> 00:25:18.579 Especially when it's your first time encountering 00:25:18.579 --> 00:25:21.079 a new culture, it's easy for those differences 00:25:21.079 --> 00:25:24.220 to stand out, which can quickly feel like a barrier. 00:25:25.079 --> 00:25:30.099 But curiosity invites conversation. Tell me more 00:25:30.099 --> 00:25:33.940 about this practice. Why is this dish so meaningful 00:25:33.940 --> 00:25:37.720 at your table? Who taught you to cook this? Is 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:41.619 there a story behind this? And as they share, 00:25:41.819 --> 00:25:46.180 lean in to what you appreciate. What common values 00:25:46.180 --> 00:25:48.779 are expressed through this cultural practice 00:25:48.779 --> 00:25:51.140 that at first may have looked very different? 00:25:52.109 --> 00:25:55.410 What table traditions are similar to our own? 00:25:56.869 --> 00:26:02.289 This requires active listening, which means listening 00:26:02.289 --> 00:26:06.049 without interruption, so that you can say back 00:26:06.049 --> 00:26:09.430 to the other person what they just told you in 00:26:09.430 --> 00:26:14.150 a way that assures them that you got it. How 00:26:14.150 --> 00:26:16.730 can we treasure up and ponder what is communicated 00:26:16.730 --> 00:26:20.849 unless we first listen actively? Appreciative 00:26:20.849 --> 00:26:25.380 inquiry? Active listening. These are tools that 00:26:25.380 --> 00:26:27.920 cultivate wonder. And when we cultivate wonder, 00:26:28.160 --> 00:26:35.200 our welcome extends wide. Now the shepherds and 00:26:35.200 --> 00:26:39.099 magi, when they were welcomed, they affirmed 00:26:39.099 --> 00:26:42.740 what Mary already knew about her baby, and they 00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:46.539 expanded and deepened that knowledge. In the 00:26:46.539 --> 00:26:49.740 Gospels of Matthew and Luke, the outcasts and 00:26:49.740 --> 00:26:53.359 outsiders are not objects of our mission to them, 00:26:53.460 --> 00:26:57.759 but they are agents of spiritual truth who transform 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:01.839 us as well. There's this interesting mutuality 00:27:01.839 --> 00:27:04.799 that occurs. And when the gospel is translated 00:27:04.799 --> 00:27:08.819 across different cultures, ethnic, socioeconomic, 00:27:09.140 --> 00:27:12.900 generational, and so forth, we come to know Jesus 00:27:12.900 --> 00:27:18.400 more faithfully as healer and as deliverer, as 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:23.960 savior. as king and we come to know that he is 00:27:23.960 --> 00:27:27.519 king through the gifts that the people bring 00:27:27.519 --> 00:27:31.920 whatever else the gold and the incense and myrrh 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:36.839 may signify the magi's gifts are clearly fit 00:27:36.839 --> 00:27:41.559 for royalty the gifts tell us that he is more 00:27:41.559 --> 00:27:45.559 than just a rabbi or even a priest but that he 00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:49.490 is king so what do our gifts say about who Jesus 00:27:49.490 --> 00:27:52.250 is. And this is where we'll turn back to our 00:27:52.250 --> 00:27:57.549 nativity scenes for just another moment to see 00:27:57.549 --> 00:28:00.410 how the Magi have been translated from culture 00:28:00.410 --> 00:28:04.490 to culture. In this Pueblo nativity scene, the 00:28:04.490 --> 00:28:06.970 Magi are holding gifts appropriate to Pueblo 00:28:06.970 --> 00:28:11.509 culture, bread, corn, and chili peppers. Now, 00:28:11.509 --> 00:28:14.690 corn is a deeply sacred symbol of life. It's 00:28:14.690 --> 00:28:18.200 central to spiritual ceremonies. Bread represents 00:28:18.200 --> 00:28:21.220 community, resilience, and a link to ancestors 00:28:21.220 --> 00:28:24.779 and tradition. Chili peppers, and some of us 00:28:24.779 --> 00:28:28.000 don't like spicy food, but it's important still 00:28:28.000 --> 00:28:30.900 to value the fact that chili peppers speak of 00:28:30.900 --> 00:28:34.660 identity and pride in one's culture. What might 00:28:34.660 --> 00:28:39.660 these gifts tell us about Jesus? In this nativity 00:28:39.660 --> 00:28:43.009 from Peru, The Magi are members of an indigenous 00:28:43.009 --> 00:28:46.369 people, bringing gifts from the rainforest, including 00:28:46.369 --> 00:28:50.230 a bunch of bananas, cacao bean pods, and perhaps 00:28:50.230 --> 00:28:57.109 most strangely of all, a turtle. This seems foreign, 00:28:57.250 --> 00:29:01.529 and yet all display a connection to the people 00:29:01.529 --> 00:29:05.049 and to the land. What might these gifts tell 00:29:05.049 --> 00:29:09.930 us about Jesus? Lastly, I end with this piece. 00:29:10.920 --> 00:29:13.599 from the Philippines because its aesthetics may 00:29:13.599 --> 00:29:16.799 feel the most unfamiliar to many of us. First 00:29:16.799 --> 00:29:19.259 of all, the perspective is different from what 00:29:19.259 --> 00:29:22.279 we're used to. It's a top -down nativity by the 00:29:22.279 --> 00:29:24.700 local artist Christopher Ardenia. And there's 00:29:24.700 --> 00:29:27.940 a lot going on here. Villagers with candles gather 00:29:27.940 --> 00:29:30.579 around the newborn Christ on a hand -woven mat. 00:29:30.799 --> 00:29:34.460 They stand under a parol, which is a traditional 00:29:34.460 --> 00:29:37.779 star -shaped lantern at the top. made of bamboo 00:29:37.779 --> 00:29:40.640 sticks meant to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem. 00:29:40.980 --> 00:29:44.960 At the bottom, as we zoom in, the tastes and 00:29:44.960 --> 00:29:47.240 flavors of the street market come to the crib 00:29:47.240 --> 00:29:50.579 as vendors approach with eggplant and squash, 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:54.819 you see on the left, fish and balut, steamed 00:29:54.819 --> 00:29:58.859 duck eggs. Now, the artist says that he substituted 00:29:58.859 --> 00:30:01.279 these figures for the Magi who brought gold, 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:03.660 frankincense, and myrrh because he wanted to 00:30:03.660 --> 00:30:07.220 emphasize that Jesus' birth is for the poor as 00:30:07.220 --> 00:30:11.319 well, and that simple gifts given in love are 00:30:11.319 --> 00:30:16.140 just as dear to Jesus as any other. In the center 00:30:16.140 --> 00:30:19.559 is the Holy Family, and notice that Jesus wears 00:30:19.559 --> 00:30:23.740 a necklace of animal bones. That feels strange, 00:30:23.880 --> 00:30:27.079 too. It doesn't jive with most depictions of 00:30:27.079 --> 00:30:31.920 Jesus that we find in Canada. But such a necklace 00:30:31.920 --> 00:30:36.059 is a characteristic ornament of a tribal chief 00:30:36.059 --> 00:30:39.700 in the Philippines. In other words, a ruler, 00:30:39.900 --> 00:30:44.539 a king. What might these gifts tell us about 00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:48.940 Jesus? There's no question, Mary's understanding 00:30:48.940 --> 00:30:52.859 was expanded and deepened by the magi and the 00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:57.859 shepherds. And our picture of Jesus is made deeper, 00:30:58.180 --> 00:31:01.480 more expansive, more beautiful, and more true 00:31:01.480 --> 00:31:05.200 when we translate the gospel and our response 00:31:05.200 --> 00:31:09.920 to it across our various cultures. The Nativity 00:31:09.920 --> 00:31:13.940 is a place of wide welcome where we are invited 00:31:13.940 --> 00:31:18.779 to marvel and to wonder. The welcome we see at 00:31:18.779 --> 00:31:22.160 the Nativity is not a welcome that erases difference. 00:31:23.000 --> 00:31:27.259 but a welcome without assimilation, a belonging 00:31:27.259 --> 00:31:32.279 that does not demand sameness. And so to close, 00:31:32.380 --> 00:31:38.119 I invite you to reflect on these questions. What 00:31:38.119 --> 00:31:42.519 presence do you bring to baby Jesus and his family? 00:31:43.400 --> 00:31:47.640 What do your presence say about who he is to 00:31:47.640 --> 00:31:53.160 you? What are others bringing to the table? And 00:31:53.160 --> 00:31:57.200 what do these gifts teach you about who he is? 00:32:00.079 --> 00:32:02.099 Thank you for listening to this week's episode 00:32:02.099 --> 00:32:04.559 of Trinity Sermons. This sermon was recorded 00:32:04.559 --> 00:32:07.079 at Trinity Church Streetsville in Mississauga, 00:32:07.140 --> 00:32:10.799 Ontario on January 18th, 2026.