God and The Singin' Angel Armies--December 25, 2024

God and The Singin' Angel Armies--December 25, 2024

"In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” (Luke 2:8-14)

It's an army.  A "host," that is.

You know, the word the Christmas story uses to describe the whole flock of angels that gathers to break into a praise chorus to God as the birth of the Messiah is announced to the night-shift shepherds?  It's "host"--and it means "army." (This is one of my pet peeves about translation--sometimes we lose meaning because a word in our own language has lost its earlier meaning, or we just all get used to bad but familiar mistranslations, like the Greek word often translated "inn," which isn't really the word for "inn" but rather the one for "guest room" or "spare room." Alas... soap box moment over...)

Anyway, the whole "heavenly host" is the standing battalion of angelic warriors at God's disposal.  The Greek word Luke uses here is the word for a military unit, an "army," and he just got the idea from the Scriptures of ancient Israel. Throughout the Hebrew Bible (what we sometimes call the "Old Testament"), God is described as having command over countless ranks upon ranks of angel armies, or "hosts," to the point that one of the most frequent titles for God in ancient Israel was "Yahweh, God of hosts." Even some English hymns and songs use that language, either translating it, or using English letters for the Hebrew word "tsavaot," so you'll sometimes see God referred to as "Lord Sabaoth." That's not a misspelling of "sabbath," but rather the word for "hosts," as in "God of the many angel armies." (The other word "host" meaning "person throwing a party" is a homonym, but that's a conversation for another day.)  

So anyway, just to make sure we're picturing the right thing here, the Savior of the world is born in Bethlehem.  God dispatches an angel to go tell, not King Herod or the high priest, not the local leader of the Zealot militia or the mystic Essenes out by the Dead Sea, and not any notable citizens of power or influence, but a bunch of low-ranking sheep herders (fans of Star Wars might add "scruffy-looking"). And then, after the initial announcement, the lone angel is now flanked by a "multitude of the heavenly host"--a vast number of angel armies, who are perpetually on call and ready at a moment's notice to snap into action at God's beck and call.

And what do these ever-ready angelic warriors do at this climactic moment in salvation history?

They--sing.

They break into praise of God, in those familiar words, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace..." It is the big show-stopping number of Luke: The Musical.

But what these angelic warriors notably do NOT do... is fight anybody.

Funny, isn't it?  After literally centuries of build-up in the Scriptures of ancient Israel, reminding us that God has a plethora of platoons of these supernatural warriors ready to snap into action, when they are finally called upon to do something, God sends them to sing.  They do not do battle at the birth of the Savior, because that is not how God saves the world.  Despite the fact that God has seemingly limitless numbers of armored angels ready for action, the way God actually saves the world is through Jesus, the helpless infant just being laid in a pile of hay.  The angels have a role to play on this day, but it's not as the warriors--more like the cheerleaders or the marching band.  That's because the way God saves is not ultimately through zapping, smiting, fighting, or destroying, but through self-giving, suffering love.  Salvation comes through the humanity of Jesus and the seeming weakness of a cross, not a SEAL Team of Supernatural Seraphim armed to the teeth.  The Christmas story insists that God doesn't need to bomb anybody, threaten anybody, or invade anybody in order to save the world. God saves through incarnation, death, and resurrection, not intimidation, shock, and awe. The angel armies are there that night--but they just sing.

And of course, it's worth remembering that on the night of Jesus' arrest, when the lynch mob is coming and Jesus' followers are contemplating an armed fight to retaliate, Jesus speaks up and reminds them, "Don't you know that I could call down twelve legions of angels to fight for me if I chose to?"  In other words, Jesus has the potential back-up ready and available. He just knows that's not how God's Reign works.  (Again, a Star Wars quote comes to mind: Rose Tico says, "That's how we're going to win--not by fighting what we hate, but saving what we love.")  That's how it works with Jesus and the angel armies, too.  They are there at the key moments: silent as Jesus is arrested by the police and put on trial; present on the night of his birth, but only to sing; testifying to the resurrection, but immediately handing the message onto the women at the scene of the empty tomb.  The angel armies are at the ready, but their role is ultimately not to fight, but to give glory to God as God does the saving.

As theologian N.T. Wright put it recently, "There are two ways of projecting power: there is Herod’s way, and there is Jesus’ way. Those who celebrate Christmas in a world of power plays and power struggles near and far should read" the gospels and rediscover that Jesus' way was never going to involve zapping enemies with the fire and fury of angel armies.  The heavenly hosts are called in, but to sing, not to slay. The way God wins, after all, is to save what God loves.

And that, most definitely, includes you.

Merry Christmas.

Glory to you, O God, in highest heaven.  And on this war-weary world, Good Lord of Hosts, bring peace.