"There was then no man that sinned not. Even from the day that sin entered into the world there was not a just man upon earth that did good and sinned not, until the Son of God manifested 'to take away our sins.'"
John Wesley, Christian Perfection (John Wesley's Sermons: An Anthology, ed. Albert C. Outler and Richard P. Heitzenrater, pg. 76)
8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people:
11to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah,* the Lord.
12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’
13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host,* praising God and saying,
14 ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’*
Luke 2:8-14
In today's reading, Bonhoeffer poses an interesting scenario in which we are "so accustomed to the idea of divine love and of God's coming at Christmas that we no longer feel the shiver of fear that God's coming should arouse in us." We readily embrace the joyous parts, but the judgement seems to be less important. I for one fall into that category. In all truthfulness I do not like to think about the "shiver of fear." The reality, though, is that despite the brokenness of the world we live in, despite sin, death, and judgement, God is redeeming us, loving us, and purifying us as only God can.
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