Several years ago, Washington state experienced significant flooding in the western farmland area. While filming the disaster, a TV crew spied a lone, cold, shivering cat anxiously perched on top of a farm outbuilding that was surrounded by water. And for some reason this TV crew decided that they would come to the rescue and save the poor cat. But as they began to approach in their small boat with lights and noise and splashing of water, what the cat saw was not good news of salvation, but imminent doom - and the cat responded accordingly.
One camera recorded this kitty’s great escape as it leapt an amazing distance across the water to land on another metal outbuilding. Then, still in a panic and against all odds, this cat scurried up at least twelve feet of aluminum siding until he reached the peak of the roof where he felt he was far enough away and safe from his would-be rescuers. In total darkness and feeling utterly defeated, the TV crew turned the boat around and left. Checking the next day they found the flood waters had receded and the desperate cat had disappeared.
It’s not just cats, though, who find themselves fleeing or fighting against saving rescue attempts. We too sometimes behave in similar ways. I’m sure any lifeguards in the congregation, past or present, remember their training - when attempting to rescue a drowning victim, one must approach very carefully and cautiously because in their panic the one who is drowning may push the rescuer underwater in an attempt to save themselves. However, such action only leads to the demise of both.
For it’s just plain hard to be saved. Because in order to be saved one must be willing to surrender, to let go of the attempt to save oneself. Instead the one to be saved must trust another to do something that can’t be done on one’s own. In order to be saved a person has to live with some degree of uncertainty in regards to how the saving process will go. Being saved really isn’t an easy at all.
2000 years ago, it was God who launched the biggest saving mission of all. It begins in Matthew’s gospel like this, “Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way…” As the familiar story goes, Mary is found to be pregnant before she is married. The gospel of Matthew introduces us to Joseph in the middle of this personal crisis. Whatever Joseph’s plans were, his hopes, his dreams for the future, they have all been dashed. The only thing that Joseph can do now is to simply cut his losses. And being a good and righteous man, he decides to dismiss Mary quietly. However, before he can put his plan into action an angel of the Lord comes to him in a dream with news: Do not be afraid, do not flee, do not run from taking Mary as your wife. The baby she is carrying is of the Holy Spirit. It is a boy and you are to name him Jesus (which is Greek for the Hebrew name Joshua, which means, “God Saves.”) for this child will save his people from their sins.
It would have been quiet easy and understandable for Joseph, like the poor cat, to panic and run. Did the angel’s news really sound all that good or saving? But to Joseph’s great credit, he recognized that this news was actually a life ring tossed from heaven and he decided to grab hold. Upon waking from his dream, he took Mary as his wife knowing that the saving way for both him and Mary was found in trusting God. Even in the womb, before his human birth, Jesus was good to his name - God saves.
Now in some Christian traditions salvation is talked about quite a bit. “Are you saved?” can be shorthand for asking, “Are you sure that you are going to heaven when you die?” That is one aspect of being saved, but the salvation that Jesus comes for is bigger than that. God’s salvation is about the fullness of life - in this life and in the life to come. God's salvation is about healing and wholeness in its richest sense. In the children’s homily, Fr. David explained to the kids, “God saves us from anything that hurts us.” And quoting from theologian Marcus Borg, Salvation is: “Light in our darkness, sight to the blind, enlightenment, liberation for captives, return from exile, the healing of our infirmities, food and drink, resurrection from the land of the dead, being born again, knowing God, becoming “in Christ”, being made right with God (“justified”).” The usual understanding of salvation is included in this list, but it certainly isn’t the only thing. The truth is, is that there is more than one way to be saved and more than one thing we need to be saved from so that we are fully healed and made whole - not just as individuals, but as a community, a country, and a world.
God saves: that’s what the name of Jesus means. That that’s what Jesus is all about. He comes to save Joseph, to save Mary, to save all his people - all of us, from darkness, from brokenness, from our sins. It’s a bold and daring rescue mission indeed. That’s what we will celebrate on Christmas, but even more glorious than that it’s what we are invited to be a part of each and every day.
But sometimes allowing Jesus to do his work of salvation in us is easier said than done. The process of being saved may look and feel just as scary to us as a boat full of loud, but well-meaning, TV reporters did to that poor cat and we too may be tempted to flee. Brave Joseph allowed himself to be rescued and saved so that he might become Mary’s husband and Jesus’ earthly father. Did he know the whole plan? Unlikely. Was it an easy path? Absolutely not. Did he sometimes wonder if God really know what God was doing? Perhaps. And yet it was God’s way of salvation for him.
Our way will be different for sure. Still, no matter how we are allowing Jesus to save us is risky. For being saved means letting go of attempts to save ourselves. Being saved means trusting another to do what we cannot do on our own. Being saved means being OK living with uncertainty, with not having all the answers about how the salvation process will go. But being saved is worth the risk. So like Joseph, no matter whether we are in the midst of a personal crisis or blissful calm, may we recognize the heavenly life rings that are thrown into our lives and be willing, be brave enough to take hold trusting in the one whose very name proclaims the good news of our wholeness and healing - Jesus: God saves.
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