he comes to make his blessings flow

far as the curse if found


A Christmas Sermon from Luke's Nativity

This is the night of our dear savior’s birth!
…and all the while, the world is busy doing what it does best; counting.
…Yeah, counting…
Emperor Augustus does what emperors do; keeps track. Keeps count. 
He organizes a census to count all the world’s population…

And everyone goes along with it, too. All go back to the towns of their ancestry to be enrolled in the latest survey… 

But, while the world was going about its business as usual, “the time came for Mary to deliver her child…”

While the world is busy counting; the one who refuses to to count is born! 
Mary gives birth to Jesus. Jesus who, as St. Paul once put it, “does not count our trespasses against us!”
On the night when all the world is counting, the one who doesn’t count is born! Jesus who refuses to count our trespasses against us!

The irony! While the Emperor tries to count his kingdom, another king is born. A King who would rule by not counting. Jesus, the king of kings! 

Jesus, who, instead of calling all to him to be counted; sends the message to us while out in the fields counting. Counting down the hours until quitting time. Counting the bank account until it’s built up enough to retire or pay off of Christmas bills. 
And while we’re counting, God sends a messenger to declare God has quit the counting business once and for all!

While the world is busy counting, the one who doesn’t count is born!


…But it wasn’t just the emperor who was counting, either. 
Because the rest of the world goes along with the accounting. 
“ALL went to their own towns to be registered…”

Including two peasants who would normally just be two quickly forgotten statistics; Joseph, “who went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child.”

And make no mistake, even Mary and Jospeh are counting that night. 

They’re counting all the “no vacancy” signs. They’re counting their steps until they can find a place to call it a night. They’re counting down the hours until they give birth to their firstborn son. 
*They’re even counting their children!

But, while they’re going about business as usual, “the time came for Mary to deliver her child…”

While the world is busy counting; the one who refuses to to count is born! 
Jesus who, as John once put it, “from his fullness we have received grace upon grace!”

A small town, in the corner of small state, bursts at the seams with travelers out to be counted. And there the one who doesn’t count, who makes room for everyone is born!

This is how Jesus fills his kingdom! By abundantly forgiving all people! 
Not only does Jesus not count our trespasses against us; neither does he keep track of all the times we come to him in need of grace!

By his fullness, we have not only, not been turned away, but we have been welcomed over and over again! Grace upon grace…

…And that includes this night, too. 
Because maybe this is the first Christmas Eve service you’ve been dragged to. Or maybe it’s your fiftieth; but either way, we’re all the same here tonight, aren’t we? We all come in need of grace. Of mercy. Of forgiveness. 

And the Good News of great joy for you on this day is, is not only does your savior not count your trespasses against you; neither does he count how many times he’s cleared your ledger!

Your savior will NOT count! 
He doesn’t keep track on either side of the equation! He doesn’t count your sins against you. And neither does he keep track of how many times he’s offered you forgiveness!
Every time you come in need of forgiving; Jesus just does the deed all over again! 
By his fulness we have received grace upon grace!

And while the world is busy counting, the one who refuses to count is born…


…And that’s the rub tonight, isn't’ it?
Because even after all these years, we’re STILL counting. Aren’t we?
We’re counting down the hours until we can go home and open presents. We’re counting the number of presents we have under the tree. 
*And look, I’m not throwing shade, either! I mean, yeah, I’m glad you’re here tonight, but if you think I’m not thinking about what’s under the tree with my name on it; you’re crazy!

And while all of us are busy counting; the one who refuses to to count is born all over again! He is born on this day! He is born to you!

At that trough, Jesus trespassed from heaven to earth! And at the inn, Jesus snuck-in! Now that he’s on the loose, he’s not about to be put off from his work of erasing our ledgers!

The one who refuses to count our trespasses against us, trespasses himself to gives you his grace upon grace on this holy night!

Jesus doesn’t count your trespasses against you! And he gives you this grace upon grace, over and over again!
Here’s your Christmas promise you can count on!
*So long as you quit counting…

Whenever you’re caught in your trespasses. 
Whenever the numbers are stacked against you. 
Whenever you can’t break free of your tendency to count; 
to you is born the one who refuses to count all over again! 

The one who won’t count your trespasses against you. The One who won’t count how many times he’s cleared your debt either, is given to you!
This is the message that can make counters like us, drop our ledgers and sing for joy! 
Your sins have not, and will not, be counted against you!
This Christmas you are forgiven! You are free! For, to you is born this day a Savior. The Messiah. The Lord! Jesus Christ!

And that’s something to sing about!

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