Saint Boaz Sees His Unseen God

Second Sunday of Christmas

January 5, 2014

John 1:18

Seeing the Unseen God

In the name of Jesus.

I.

They didn't have due dates in Bible times. No Hebrew midwife told the blessed Virgin Mary, “Well, based on the ultrasound, He's going to be born on December 25.” You didn't know; you just waited.

We do have due dates today, but really, you still don't know. You can plan to induce on such-and-such a day, but the best-made plans don't always go to plan.

I sometimes fall under the spell of an imagined romantic Christmas, where everything goes to human plan. That specific Virgin Mary is supposed to get pregnant; Mary and Joseph were supposed to get married; they were supposed to undertake a major trip to a far-away village near the end of the pregnancy; they were supposed to find the perfect setting for having the Baby surrounded by cute and cuddly animals. As believers who hear the Story after it has happened, it has to happen that way. That was the plan. How romantic.

But Christmas was anything but planned by man. Virgins aren't supposed to have babies; Jospeh planned on ending the marriage before it really started; going to Bethlehem wasn't something that ancient or modern parents would plan to do when the mother is great with child; no one plans to have their baby in their third cousin's guest room surrounded by goats and sheep.

The joy of Christmas isn't in a series of unexpected events or a charming tableau of a baby on a land-based Noah's ark. It is a delightful story, but its central delight comes from God's eternal Son becoming the Son of Man born into the world.

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

This Divine Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and then when the time had fully come, this Divine Flesh cradled in Mary's arms, is what saves little Boaz from his sinful human flesh, recently of his mother's womb, and now cradled in Sarah's arms.

II.

There were many plans around Boaz's birth. Most of these plans were changed. Pregnancy is not really very romantic; childbirth is not cute. The only predictable part of Boaz's arrival is that he is a poor miserable helpless little creature.

Without the heavenly Father's daily bread, provided by his mother, Boaz couldn't survive.

And without the Bread of Life, Jesus Christ, provided by His pastor, Boaz couldn't survive.

Christ is always with us. This is an everlasting promise to us, His children. But His presence is undetectable to us and we cannot see Him in our midst. But He reveals Himself to us in specific ways.

And today He shows Himself to us through His Word, His Water, and His Body and Blood. This is how our unseen God chooses to let us see Him. First, the Word of God become flesh and blood. Second, the Word of God comes to us in His acts of forgiveness to us.

And for Boaz, who arrived later, then sooner, than later, and then finally a bit sooner than expected, this Savior of his will change him as planned and promised from a helpless sinner into a forgiven saint.

In the name of the Father

and of the † Son

and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.