4^th Sabbath in Advent

December 21/23, 2007

Victor H. Nixon

NEED SECURITY

Micah 5:2-5a

In this sermon series, Seeking Something More, we’ve heard from seven of the seventeen prophets: Isaiah on peace, Jeremiah on forgiveness, Lamentation on pain, Ezekiel on hope, Hosea on faith, Malachi on blessing, and Zechariah on joy. The final sermon in the series will be Christmas Eve based upon Luke, entitled "Need a Savior?" Today the eighth prophet Micah speaks a timely word about our need for security.

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Several months ago when this sermon was in the planning stages I had some reservations about the subject of security given the close proximity to Christmas Day. Why deal with something unpleasant on a joyous occasion? But I decided to go ahead with it because the prophet Micah speaks directly about it in our text for today—"And they shall live secure . . ."(5:4). Certainly, the subject is relevant because security is a major concern in our world today, even in this Christmas season.

Furthermore, there was a security problem in the story of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, according to Matthew’s gospel (2:1-23). Upon hearing from Wise Men about their search for the one "born to be King of the Jews," King Herod asked them to bring word of his whereabouts so that he too might pay homage to the newborn. Herod, of course, actually planned to have the baby killed. After presenting Jesus with gifts and being warned in a dream, the Magi returned to their country by a different route without telling Herod. Joseph too was warned in a dream and fled with his family to Egypt for protection, barely escaping the wholesale infanticide Herod ordered around Bethlehem, killing children two years of age and under. After Herod’s death, Joseph planned to return with his family to Judea, but upon learning that the king’s son was now ruler, he settled at Nazareth in Galilee instead. Yes, security was a major concern when Jesus was born.

And it appears that this Christmas is not an exception. In recent days we’ve read and heard about the tragic shootings in Colorado in which five people died, including two teenaged sisters as they arrived for worship at New Life Church in Colorado Springs. A few days earlier a teenager armed with a semi-automatic rifle opened fire on Christmas shoppers in Omaha, killing several people before turning the gun on himself.

But it isn’t just the Christmas season. Earlier in the year, a student killed 32 classmates and staff at Virginia Tech University. Last year a gunman took hostages in an Amish schoolhouse, killing five girls and himself. Since 9/11 we’ve all become accustomed to the screening, long lines and inconveniences of Homeland Security. We build fences to keep outsiders from entering the country. Our homes are equipped with security systems. Yet, burglaries, violence and death continue at home and abroad and we don’t feel safe. We worry about our financial and social security. So, when Micah speaks about security and peace and the One who brings it, we listen—as well we should.

Micah was an 8^th century prophet in Judah, the Southern Kingdom. The name "Micah" is an abbreviation of the Hebrew name "Micayahu," (sometimes spelled "Micaiah), rather similar to our abbreviation "Mike." It means "Who is like Yahweh?" It is a common name in the Hebrew Scriptures and very similar to the name Michael which means "Who is like God?"

The prophet’s name is a rhetorical theological question to which everybody knows the answer: "Nobody is like God." But evidently there were some big egos in power at the time who needed to be reminded of who they were and who God is. Micah was God’s man for the job who did not hesitate to forecast doom and gloom for people and princes alike who ignored God’s will— when other prophets were telling leaders what they wanted to hear.

Micah lived in a fearful time when the security of the nation was at stake. The Northern Kingdom had been defeated by Assyria, many disbursed to captivity or scattered about the Mediterranean world. Jerusalem, the Southern Kingdom, was under siege by the Assyrians and King Hezekiah had been publicly humiliated. People lived in fear, not knowing when the Assyrian juggernaut would inevitably consume them. It was a bad time, an insecure time. They longed for peace.

In chapter 4, Micah envisioned a time when the Messiah would come to "teach us his ways . . . that we may walk in his paths."(4:2) In beautiful Hebrew poetry the prophet casts a magnificent vision when the people of earth will:

. . . beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more."(4:3)

In our text for today, Micah speaks of a shepherd-king, like David, who will come, not from the metropolitan city of Jerusalem, but from the little town of Bethlehem.(5:2) Such a shepherd-king, Micah says, "shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord"(5:4) and "they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace."(5:4b-5a). This is very different from the warrior messiah for whom many hoped to throw off the Assyrian menace. Micah expresses the hope of a people who are longing for leadership that will direct and inspire the rebuilding of the political, moral and religious foundations of their society. We long for that same leadership, security and peace.

Across the centuries Christians have seen the fulfillment of Micah’s prophecy in the coming of Jesus. In fact, the Gospel of Matthew cites our text from Micah in its description of Jesus’ birth.(2:6) One of them was Phillips Brooks, the famous Episcopal rector at Church of the Holy Trinity, Philadelphia, who visited Bethlehem one Christmas Eve and was inspired to write the well-known carol, "O Little Town of Bethlehem" in 1868.

We believe with them that Jesus is our Messiah Shepherd-King who still brings peace and security to our lives and to the world when we follow in his paths. We believe that when we trust him, Jesus is the source of our personal and ultimate security. Of course, the world does not follow and we do not trust completely. Despite our sophisticated security and defense systems we remain vulnerable to violence. There is no such thing as total immunity from violence or harm whether intentional or accidental. But, trusting God, there are some things that we can do to increase our sense of security and peace.

1. Take sensible precautions to protect yourself and your family, just as Joseph and Mary did. We have an alarm system in our home to protect our possessions and ourselves. Mostly, it has alarmed the neighbors when one of us forgot to disarm it or forgot the code. I don’t advocate buying or carrying a handgun—too many people unintentionally kill themselves, children and others with those dangerous things—but you should know how to defend yourself. Know your neighbors, teachers and colleagues. Be careful about walking and traveling alone in strange places. Require background checks for sitters and childcare personnel. Resist intimidation. Don’t fight. Play it safe. Be cautious because the world can be a dangerous place.

2. Practice peace and justice in your relationship with others. Like Jesus, offer the blessing of peace to all people, your advocates and adversaries alike. Let shalom (the Hebrew word for "peace") be your greeting and goodbye, as well as your blessing of goodwill and desire for wholeness in all people. Practice non-violence and always be willing to work through conflict rather than avoiding it. While you may not always be the recipient of peace, you can make the world and others more secure by your goodwill and hospitality. Peace comes to those who practice it.

3. Be an advocate for peacemaking in the community and in the world. Join and support those groups that work for peace and justice, that positively address root causes of violence, such as abuse, hunger, disease, oppression, lack of education and opportunity. Vote for leaders who are advocates of peacemaking measures. Educate yourself, be informed and share information with others. Sharing gifts at Christmas with those in need speaks volumes in terms of goodwill and peacemaking, as well as providing assistance.

4. Above all, pray for peace in your life and the lives of others. A traditional prayer in Latin, often set to music, is Dona Nobis Pacem, "give us peace." Peace is a gift of God that comes through relationship with God. It is one of the "fruits of the Spirit"(Gal. 5:22) that occurs in the practice of faith. Pray for God’s peace in the midst of conflict or disturbance. It is amazing, said a friend, that when I introduce God into my circumstances how much calmer I feel. When you share your troubles and fears with God and ask for guidance, the result can be that you are able to manage your troubles and fears rather than your troubles and fears managing you. Dona nobis pacem.

For some reason that escapes me, one of the verses of "O Little Town of Bethlehem" did not make it into our hymnal. I wish that it had because it sums up what I’ve been trying to say about security:

Where children pure and happy pray to the blessed Child,

The good news is that Jesus Christ was born in the midst of insecure lives and an insecure world to lead us in the paths of peace—and he still is. May God grant you and all the world peace and security this Christmas. Thanks be to God. Amen.