No Exchange, No Return

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:2-12 ESV).

The day after Christmas is one of the most crowded days at retail outlets. It’s not usually because of all the sales and mark-downs available. It’s because of the thousands of gifts being returned or exchanged. Jesus’ teaching in our reading today speaks a little about the gifts that are given to the believer through the work of God’s grace. For those who are classified as “poor in spirit” their gift is the “kingdom of heaven.” That certainly would not be a gift anyone would want to return or exchange. Luke recognized another great gift to a group of men who would have been considered “poor.” In the beginning of his Gospel he writes: And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. (Luke 2:8-11 ESV). You can bet the shepherds weren’t headed for the return line at BethlehemMart that night. This gift was a keeper! Joy invaded that hillside as they went to see what the angels were singing about. The “good news of great joy that will be for all the people” propels them back to shepherding with thanksgiving on their lips and spring in their steps. Light has broken into their darkness. A revolutionary and countercultural miracle has been revealed to them, the lowly and disrespected. A new Shepherd, a Good Shepherd, a Savior, has come! Joy erupts from both heaven and earth. Angels sing, shepherds praise, wise men rejoice exceedingly with great joy. Their voices echo Mary’s refrain from the beginning of her journey: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). Join the chorus, sing along, and take pleasure in His grace. “Joy to the world, the Lord is come”!