Christmas / Navidad (A) (Christmas II) + Jesus and empire, salvacion para todos + 12.25.13

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M. Campbell-Langdell+
All Santos, Oxnard
Joseph, a shepherd, Marc Chagall (wikipaintings.org)
(Is. 62:6-12, Ps. 97, Titus 3:4-7, Luke 2:  [1-7] 8-20)

A very popular film this last month was “Catching Fire,” the second in the Hunger Games series.  Por todo el país el mes pasado mucha gente vio la segunda película de los Hunger Games, “Catching Fire.” Si hubo violencia, que trato de evitar, pero para mí lo que me atrae es el desarrollo de los caracteres.  What is really fascinating in the series is to see the characters develop.  They start off as kids from the very margins of society, and then something crazy happens, they win this big “hunger games” event in a way no one has done before.  Ellos ganan el evento de los “hunger games” en una manera que nunca ha pasado antes porque la protagonista está dispuesta a sacrificarse a sí misma.  After their victory, they are thrust into the center of activity through their success, and exposed to fame and fortune.  But they never lose their sense of loner, independent identity.  Katniss, the protagonist’s, favorite thing, is still to go hunting in the woods, snuggled in her father’s hunting jacket. 
Lo que realmente nos interesa es que Suzanne Collins describe un grupo de jóvenes adultos quienes mantienen su lugar fuera de poder aunque ellos están en una posición de adquirir poder por ganar los “hunger games,” un evento raro en que por la diversión de los en poder los niños de los distritos pobres tienen que luchar uno en contra de otro.[1]
What does this all have to do with Christmas?  ¿Qué tiene todo esto que ver con la Navidad?  Pues en esta lectura de San Lucas vemos que Jesús nació bajo el poderoso imperio romano, pero a los márgenes.  Luke makes it clear by placing Jesus’ birth in the narrative context of emperor and governor and required census that Jesus was born at the margins of a likewise very oppressive system.  Because as John Dominic Crossan points out, Jesus was born into the “Matrix” of empire.  These same terms that we have heard should be used for the Messiah, those were the terms being used about Emperor Augustus, who led the empire to a peaceful period and was therefore termed the “Prince of Peace,” and in some cases, “Savior.” El emperador Augusto fue famoso porque el trajo paz al imperio romano, y con esta paz la gente empezó a llamarle “Príncipe de Paz” y “Salvador.”[2]  This was the context that Jesus was born into.  Esto fue el ambiente de poder en que nació Jesús.
And we know from the Jewish scriptures, in the reading we heard from Isaiah last night that these same Words, “Prince of Peace,” and “Savior” were only for the Messiah.  Sabemos que estas palabras, “Príncipe de Paz” y “Salvador” fueron anatema para los judíos para describir cualquier persona excepto el Mesías.  The Word “evangelion” or “good news” was at that time used to describe news from the emperor.  La palabra “evangelio” fue ocupado para describir las noticias del emperador.[3]  And what else is going on?  The people are being counted.  El censo da una idea del impacto diario en la vida bajo el imperio romano.  This wasn’t our nice census that we have today, of people politely coming to our door with pencils and paper.  Esto fue un requisito que todos viajaran a su hogar ancestral con su familia para estar contados.
Así que, ¿qué pasa?  Jesus enters this matrix of empire and turns it all upside down.  Porque él es el verdadero “Príncipe de Paz,” un salvador más fuerte en su amor que pudiera ser un emperador humano.
The strong Roman Empire, for all the power that it seems to have, cannot withstand the strength of God’s love.  Porque aunque Jesús esta nacido a los márgenes, el evento de su nacimiento cambiará el mundo por completo.  Jesus followers will take all the above phrases and claim and re-claim them for God rather than human power.  Los seguidores de Jesús van a recuperar estas palabras para Dios en vez de para el poder humano.
So Jesus was born and revealed to those on the margins.  Conocemos la historia del “pobre pesebre” y que no había lugar en el mesón.  Jesus’ birth in the manger, we know was stark humility.  But also, these shepherds, the first to hear the news in Luke, are a bit like Katniss and her friends. Because even though they were loner types, these shepherds had some importance in their own day.  Un poco como los vaqueros en la cultura del oeste de los EEUU y de México, ellos fueron independientes, un poco feroces, pero también admirados como un tipo de héroe romántico.  Joel Hoffman points out that shepherds were not so much the bottom of the social scale in the ancient world as much as they were these fierce, romantic loners, a bit like our cowboys.[4]
A bit like Katniss and her friends from the Hunger Games, who though they have access to power really don’t want to use it or participate in it.  Un poco como Katniss Everdeen de los Hunger Games quien prefiere sacrificarse a sí mismo que participar en el poder del capitolio.
These are the people to whom Jesus was revealed and born—the humble, the lowly but also the proud loners.  Pero aunque fueron tipos aislados, ellos hicieron algo grande.  Ellos compartieron las buenas nuevas.
Because the shepherds don’t just hear the news, terrifying but wonderful, and keep it to themselves.  Los pastores no guardan las noticias a sí mismos, pero lo comparten con otros.  The shepherds share with Joseph and Mary, and another part of the holy mystery is uncovered.  Y hay que saber que los pastores no fueron tipos muy comunitarios. 
Así que, imaginen ellos, yendo a Jose y María y diciéndoles lo que va a suceder.  Can you imagine, it’s an almost comic scene—a bunch of rough cowboy types coming into the gentle but humble scene with Mary and Joseph, and filling them in.  Can you imagine what Mary was thinking? Pueden imaginar lo que debe haber pensado María en recibir estas noticias de estos tipos— ¡posiblemente fueron más temibles para ella que los ángeles!
But it’s important they spread the word.  Es bien importante que ellos, recibiendo el mensaje de los ángeles, los mensajeros de Dios, compartió las buenas nuevas también. 
Because truth is found in community.  Salvation is for all. La verdad se encuentra en comunidad, y la salvación es para todos. 
Así que es buenas nuevas para cada uno de nosotros que a veces podemos sentir a los márgenes del poder tanto como en el centro.  Fue a nosotros quien vino nuestro señor.  The good news was brought to us, especially if we feel at the margins of power.  
God gives us power to share the good news. Es nuestro deber de recordar al mundo que Jesús vino humilde para reclamar toda la gloria para Dios.  
And in that re-claiming the world is changed once more—as it was then.  Reclaimed for God.  Y en esta reclamación, que el mundo se cambia y recordamos algo bien importante.
In Jesus all glory goes back to God, who came that all could be free.
And in that glory, we can finally begin to see God’s perfect peace.  Y en esta gloria nosotros empezamos a ver la paz de los ángeles; la perfecta paz de Dios, que vino para la salvación de todos.
Merry Christmas! Feliz Navidad.


[1] Suzanne Collins, Catching Fire (Hunger Games 2), (Scholastic, 2009).
[2] J.D. Crossan, “Lecture at Trinity, Santa Barbara on The Greatest Prayer,” March 2013.
[3] Linda M. Eastwood, “Comentario del San Lucas 2:1-14, (15-20)” de www.WorkingPreacher.org para December 24, 2013.
[4] Joel M. Hoffman, And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning (NY: St. Martins, 2010), 131.

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