The Baby Grew Up

December 2011

Dr. Halford E.  Luccock (1885-19610), prominent Professor of Homiletics at Yale Divinity School, is reputedly one of the most persuasive and prophetic preaching voices of the 20th century. One of his oft-quoted sermons is a Christmas Homily titled, “The Baby Grew Up". I've read only references about this sermon, not the actual sermon itself. However, apparently, the title says it all, for both listener and preacher. It seems to convey that we do injustice to the Incarnation when we  confine the Bethlehem Babe to swaddling clothes and a manger.   

As beautiful and alluring as are the tunes and texts of the Carols of Christmas, we do wrong to ourselves and to the Christmas Gospel if we sing “ Joy to the World" and then fail to pick the baby up and carry it within us into our contemporary world. “The Baby Grew Up"! “ O holy child of Bethlehem" grows up to become the Holy ONE for and with all others. “The Baby Grew Up"!The homeless manger-born Child of the Christmas event grows up to become a passionate companion with the homeless people of his day, and our day. He “occupies our cities" in solidarity with the poor and the hungry ones, with the diseased ones who have no health care access, with the imprisoned ones who have no other Advocate, with all people who are pushed to the margins of any social order.

By now, my  words  have probably long since departed from Luccock’s  sermon words and intent. Well, blame it on his memorable sermon title! And, my imagination! “The Baby Grew Up" to become the Voice and the Body of an empowering resistance movement called the Kingdom of God, a timeless movement of Justice and Peace inspired by the Prince of Peace. Such a relentless movement will cost One his very life.

His Bethlehem birth will begin a clear and certain journey to Resurrection birth. Do we not sing this truth in Charles Wesley's words set to a majestic Felix Mendelssohn tune: “Born to raise us from the earth, born to give us second birth”……or, in the words of the breathtaking  ”Hallelujah” Chorus from Handel’s MESSIAH:……(Shhhhh; quietly, please) ….”The kingdoms of this world….(louder) have become…(now crescendo) the Kingdom of our God. And he shall reign forever. And ever! Hallelujah!"