Jesus is sitting in the synagogue, as he normally does on the Sabbath. Today he is the lay liturgist for the service, so he is invited to the pulpit. “Brother Jesus, would you please read the Word of the Lord today.” Jesus unrolls the scroll of Isaiah and proclaims, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me. He has sent me to preach good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, to liberate the oppressed and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (CEB). He calmly sits down and then says, “By the way, this word is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The crowd raves and shouts, “Amen, Amen, Brother Jesus,” but Jesus replies, “Wait . . . I’m not finished. You’re not going to like this, but do you remember Elijah, how he was sent to a Gentile town? Well, once I get going I’m going to be inviting a lot of folk to this house of God and they are outsiders, outcasts, undesirable. They probably won’t vote for the same person you will be voting for. They probably love people you don’t think they should. Friends, we are all in need of healing, grace, justice and mercy, especially those whom we have shut out because of our zealous following of a Law written in stone instead of the law which should be in our hearts.”
Then the congregation turned on him. They got very angry and drove him out of town. They even wanted him dead, but he simply went on his way.
Christmas is prime time for evangelism. It is a time in which the world is begging for the church to proclaim the gospel. Department stores change their displays. Businesses hand out bonuses and host parties. City Hall hangs holly and ivy. Even the nominal Christian puts a tree in his or her living room. The world is begging for the church to give meaning to this transformation. Unfortunately, many of the self-avowed righteous (SAR’s) answer this call through Pharasaic rejection rather than holy healing.
SAR’s become offended when someone says, “Happy Holidays,” instead of “Merry Christmas.” Never mind the fact that “Holidays” is rooted in “Holy Days” as in the “Holy Days of the Christmas season.” Remember–it is a full twelve days.
“Keep Christ in Christmas,” some say, as if it is something which needs to be protected instead of proclaimed. Yes Christ is at the center of Christmas, but instead of “keep,” should we rather say, “show?”
What I mean is this. Too often our model of Evangelism is like reading Luke 6 backwards: start with “Woe to you,” then show the blessings; then heal the crowd; then meet them where they are. Or in another way, reading Luke 6 backwards suggests that we ask for confession, then we work to heal the soul, then we form relationship.
I am suggesting we use Luke 6, as written, as our model of evangelism, especially during this time when the world is hungry. What did Jesus do? First, he met the crowd where they were–“Jesus came down from the mountain with them and stood on a large area of level ground.” Second, he healed their wounds–“The whole crowd wanted to touch him, because power was going out from him and he was healing everyone.” Finally, Jesus revealed to them the beauty of the kingdom of God–“Happy are the poor . . . Happy are the hungry . . . happy are those who weep . . . Woe to you who are rich, full, and popular.”
Having this backwards is like seeing the hungry under the overpass, and when they ask for bread we say, “You should feast on the bread of heaven.” The act of giving IS the bread of heaven. The disciples wanted to send the crowd to Walmart to buy their own bread. Jesus, rather, sat them all down and said, “You feed them.” He met their need. He left them full, and only when they returned did he say, “I am the bread of heaven. What you saw yesterday is the kingdom I’m talking about.”
Meet people where they are–The world is hungry. Does Old Navy change their display for Transfiguration Sunday? Do not reject consumerism, rather renarrate it. Go into Old Navy and buy a sweater for someone who has none, and here’s the kicker–tell Old Navy what you did.
Meet people where they are, then heal their wounds through the Spirit of God as best you can. Not everyone hears, “Merry Christmas” with the same joy. For some, this is a blue season. For some, especially those who have been wounded by the church, “Merry Christmas” may sound like hypocrisy, bigotry, and exclusivism. Instead of rejecting a “Happy Holidays,” serve the person twelve times, once for every day of the season, and here’s the kicker–when they ask you why on earth you did that, tell them “This is what having a Merry Christmas looks like.”
Meet people where they are, heal them of their wounds, and then reveal to them the beauty of the Kingdom of God. For the brave soul who wanders into a Christmas Eve service, ask them their name before handing them a bulletin. Instead of telling them the hundreds of things your church does, offer to treat them to breakfast before next week’s service. Instead of telling them they need to get to church more often, be the church for them. Serve them. Love them. Invite them to your small group. Pray for them and with them. Instead of telling them what you love, ask them what they love and find a way for them to express their gifts in the Kingdom.
Before rejecting those who say “Merry Christmahannakwansika,” meet their needs, heal their wounds, and reveal to them the beauty of the Kingdom. For those who love scripture, read Luke 6 and do likewise. Meet them. Heal them. Show them. Amen.