Sermons by Rev. Jason S. Glombicki (Page 38)

“Today’s Gospel reading is Jesus’s most famous sermon. If you’ve heard this sermon before, you might question your memory or today’s translation because it sounded a bit different. But, this is not the Matthean version of the “Sermon on the Mount” that says “Blessed are the poor… in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” No, Luke doesn’t sugar coat reality. Luke’s retelling of the beatitudes is geographically among the people and symbolically given from the place of suffering, misery, and despair. Luke’s version of this sermon is not metaphorical, symbolic, or spiritualized in content. With down-to-earth realism, he states “Blessed are you who are poor.” And, frankly, this isn’t anything new from Luke…”

There is one thing that I have never understood about today’s gospel story. That is, how did Herod and his advisors miss the star? If it was something so visible and unique that the Magi set out on a journey, why didn’t Herod’s people see it? Living in Chicago, I know that I frequently miss the happenings in the sky. If it’s not light pollution or the weather blocking my view, then it’s because I don’t think it has an impact on my life. Yet, the Magi were different; they had an eye to the sky…

There is no getting around it, today’s gospel is horrific. It seems like an odd reading for the Christmas season. It appears to be a poor choice to read it on a baptism Sunday. It seems like a reading that we’d want to hide under the carpet and pretend it doesn’t exist. No matter our feelings, it’s here for us to hear. It’s here for us to wrestle with today…