There's Something About that Name...
(Free Version)- The Feast of the Holy Name, Numbers 6:22-27; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:15-21
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We are in the season of Christmastide, or “The Twelve Days of Christmas” a season of basking in the reality of the incarnation. In this season, we choose to be intentional about Christmas, not rushing past it. The Church calls us to sit, to wait, to reflect. Within this season, there are also a few feast days: The Feasts of St. Stephen (26th); St. John, Apostle and Evangelist (27th); Holy Innocents (28th); and the Feast of the Holy Name (1st).
What do we celebrate on this day: Jesus. It seems pretty simple, huh? Specifically, we honor the name of Jesus. This is the eighth day after Christmas Day. Traditionally, eight days after a child’s birth was when the Law of Moses required that every male child be circumcised and also be named.
We see earlier in the story that Mary and Joseph did not choose Jesus’ name. It was given to them by divine command. Jesus is a Jewish name. The Son of God took on human flesh and also took on a human name. The name Jesus means “the LORD is salvation. Or, “Savior” or “Deliverer” in Hebrew. At the name of Jesus, there is freedom. This Sunday, we celebrate that name.
On the Feast of the Holy Name, we hear the good news that Jesus took on every part of the human experience. He was born into a family, a tribe, a language, and was given a name. In the same breath, we hear the good news that this Jesus also carries the divine name, God’s very nature.
In our Old Testament reading (Numbers 6:22-27) we are reminded that God places his name (his glory) on his people and he does so uniquely by the speaking of other human agents. It is not the priests who provide the blessing, for blessing only comes from God. But it is the priests who perform the blessing, another way in which God invites his people into the divine life.
Our epistle reading (Galatians 4:4-7) is the good news that Jesus has come to bring about a new exodus from slavery. We are set free from the elemental forces of this world; we are led to our inheritance, no longer as slaves, but as children of God. This is good news for both Jew and Gentile. We are told that this is the work of the Father, who has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, enabling us to shout our Father’s name! We have a new name and a new family.
Finally, we hear the story of the witness of the shepherds, Mary treasuring the events of Jesus’ birth in her heart, and Jesus’ circumcision and naming (Luke 2:15-21).
What does all this mean? Because of Jesus, as Christians, we have a new name, a new identity. This means that all the other names and identities that we carry have to, at best, take a backseat; while many need to simply be obliterated.
The good news for our congregations: You are loved by God. You are adopted. You are a child of God. This means that you no longer carry the names: “shame,” “lost,” “broken,” “never quite right,” “quirky,” “weird,” “ugly.” Those names have no claim on you. You are no longer a slave to false identities. They may still look like they define you, but they are a mirage, a remnant of an old world. In Christ, you live in a new world.
This also means we have a new authority. We take our cues from someone other than ourselves and our own whims. We are part of a new family, the Church. This also means that our lives have meaning and mission. We carry the name “Christian.” Our lives are not random. Our lives are blessing.
I often tell the story of when my daughter Lucy was adopted. From the moment we heard about her, we knew that she was part of our family. Yet, for the first year after she was born, before the adoption was finalized, we carried around papers that said “temporary guardians.” This felt odd, even though we knew the truth. There was something about when the judge slammed the gavel and decreed her as Lucy Rachel Sharpe. We knew that something changed in that moment.
This may be an opportunity for you to invite those in your congregations into baptism. Many have felt the pull of God’s love and grace; they know he welcomes them into the family, but they’ve never stepped into the waters.
May we know the name that is above every name. May we know the power of the name which is light in the darkness, food for our hunger, and medicine for our sickness. Amen.