Bible Study Notes: St Luke’s Gospel
Session 8: Chapter 2:8-14
There were shepherds camping in the neighbourhood. They
had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among
them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel
said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event
that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Saviour has just been born in
David's town, a Saviour who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're
to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."
At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth
who please him".
© The
Message
We left our story at the end of the last session meeting the baby Jesus, the one who was to be the Bread of the World, lying in an animal food tray, so for the next couple of sessions before we get down to the business of Jesus' ministry perhaps we might look at some of the other characters that surround this story.
St Luke draws our attention in a big way to Angels, he has them running around all over the place in the run-up to the birth and at the birth itself there they are again like some heavenly Bach choir!
The shepherds were blessed with the appearance of an angel and surrounded by the glory of the Lord. Like an imperial messenger proclaiming the birth of a new emperor, the angel announced to the shepherds the birth of the Saviour. As in all such revelations, there was fear in the recipients and an effort on the part of the one revealing to dispel the fear.
In St Luke's narrative the angel speaks of a Gospel, of Good News of salvation that will be brought by Jesus who is Messiah and Lord. The angels' announcement was like that of Isaiah's prophecies of the birth of a Messiah in Chapters 9 and 40 of his prophecies.
But what are we to make of these angels, what is the relevance of such beings? Are they anything at all to do with us or are they just there to make the story a little more comfortable?
I find myself curiously drawn to angels, mysterious beings who bring and add mystery to the wonder and workings of God. The thing about angels for me is that they are a powerful sign of all those things in God's creation that I do not understand.
They are something beyond my every day experience and remind and teach me that there are things occurring in this world, in the universe and in all creation about which I know nothing.
I guess the problem is that we have dressed them up in taffeta outfits, appended great wings and made them the stuff of childish interpretation. We have reduced them to manageable proportions and made them, at best, something like heavenly motorcycle couriers dashing back and forth through the universe conveying news items from the heavenly news desk.
The image presented by the Bible is very different from this. I believe they can be terrifying as in the angel wrestling with Jacob. They are continually found to be worshipping and praising God, something we often fail to do. They are described as 'great beasts, 'flying serpents', 'carrying the chariot of God' and 'filling the Temple'. The angel in Isaiah 6 is anything but suitable material for a Christmas card as it wings its way to Isaiah, clutching a coal of fire. People often see angels in the form of humans who deliver messages from God.
However you understand angel and I know a lot of people have problems it is worth thinking of them in a sort of way that open up possibilities of something bigger, greater than ourselves.
We could refer here to Abp Rowan's book that we are using for Lent where he says:
"Anything that puts our own human destiny a bit more into perspective isn't a waste of time in this obsessional and addictive age, where we are tempted to think that if it's nothing to do with us it isn't significant." © Tokens of Trust Rowan Williams
© Fr Michael Fuller: February 2008