HIDDEN TREASURE

Luke 1:39-56

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ 12/29/24

WHEN I WAS A CHILD​​ 

THERE WAS A GAME​​ 

WE WOULD PLAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD

TO PASS THE TIME ON RAINY AFTERNOONS.

IT WAS A GAME OF THE IMAGINATION,

AND IF IT HAD HAD A NAME,

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN CALLED

"WHERE WOULD YOU LEAVE THE TREASURE?"

THE IDEA WAS THIS:

SUPPOSE YOU HAD A TREASURE,​​ 

BUT SOME UNEXPECTED CRISIS HAS COME UP,

AND SUDDENLY YOU HAVE TO LEAVE THE TREASURE

WITH SOMEONE FOR SAFEKEEPING.

YOU CAN'T PUT IT IN THE BANK

OR BURY IT UNDER THE MAPLE TREE​​ 

IN THE BACK YARD --

THERE ISN'T TIME.

THE RULE OF THE GAME

IS THAT YOU HAVE TO​​ ENTRUST​​ IT TO SOMEONE,

SOME HUMAN BEING.

WHOM WOULD YOU CHOOSE?

THE FUN OF THE GAME

WAS SITTING AROUND IN A CIRCLE

AND EXPLORING ALL THE CHARACTER FLAWS

AND VIRTUES OF THE VARIOUS POSSIBILITIES,

SEARCHING FOR A TRUSTWORTHY PERSON.

"HOW ABOUT THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL?"

SOMEONE WOULD SUGGEST.

"NAH, HE'D PROBABLY KEEP IT."

"WELL, HOW ABOUT THE PREACHER?"

"TOO RISKY. ​​ HE'S PROBABLY PUT IT

IN THE COLLECTION PLATE."

"OK, THEN, WHAT ABOUT YOUR SISTER?"

"ARE YOU KIDDING? ​​ SHE'D WANT TO SPLIT IT."

AND ON IT WOULD GO,​​ 

THE SEARCH FOR JUST THE RIGHT PERSON

TO SAFEGUARD THE TREASURE.

IN THE MIND OF A CHILD, THE STAKES WERE HIGH:

YOUR WHOLE TREASURE RESTED ON SOMETHING

AS FRAGILE AS THE TRUSTWORTHINESS

OF ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.

NOW, ONE WAY TO READ THE FIRST CHAPTER

OF THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

IS AS A​​ DIVINE​​ VERSION OF

"WHERE WOULD YOU LEAVE THE TREASURE?"

GOD WAS SEARCHING​​ 

FOR SOME PLACE IN HUMAN LIFE

TO LEAVE THE TREASURE.

IN GOD'S CASE, THE TREASURE WAS NOT GOLD,

BUT THE​​ GOSPEL.

THE TREASURE WAS NOT SILVER, BUT NEWS…

GOOD​​ NEWS.

NOT COLD, HARD CASH,

BUT THE DEEP, RICH, AND ABIDING PROMISE THAT,

WHEN ALL IS SAID AND DONE,​​ 

WE ARE NOT ALONE,

THAT GOD IS, FINALLY, "GOD​​ WITH​​ US,"

AT WORK IN OUR WORLD, SETTING THINGS RIGHT.

THAT'S THE TREASURE.

DESPITE APPEARANCES TO THE CONTRARY,

THERE IS COMING A TIME

WHEN SWORDS​​ WILL​​ BE BEATEN​​ 

INTO PLOWSHARES,

AND PEACE​​ WILL​​ FLOW LIKE A RIVER.

THAT'S THE TREASURE.

THE DAY​​ IS​​ COMING WHEN JUSTICE

WILL COVER THE EARTH LIKE THE SEA,

AND EMPTY BARNS, AND EMPTY STOMACHS,

AND EMPTY HEARTS

WILL BE FILLED WITH GRAIN AND HONEY,

JOY AND HOPE,

AND THE DARK STAIN OF HUMAN DESTRUCTION

WILL BE BLEACHED CLEAN​​ 

BY THE GRACE OF GOD.

THAT'S THE TREASURE.

NOW, WHERE IN THE WORLD

DO YOU LEAVE A TREASURE LIKE THAT?

MORE FRAGILE THAN GOLD, IN A WAY,

AND YET INFINITELY MORE VALUABLE.

A TREASURE ABLE TO BE SQUANDERED,​​ 

DISMISSED, RATIONALIZED, EVEN CRUCIFIED.

WHERE DO YOU LEAVE A TREASURE LIKE THAT

SO THAT IT WILL BE PRESERVED, CHERISHED,

AND ALLOWEED TO GROW?

THAT'S WHAT LUKE WANTS TO TELL US.

LUKE WANTS TO TELL US THE STORY

OF WHERE GOD DECIDED TO LEAVE THE TREASURE,

AND THIS IS THE WAY HE BEGINS:

"IN THE DAYS OF HEROD, KING OF JUDEA…" ​​ 

(Luke 1:5).

ALMOST AS IF TO SAY,

"NOW,​​ THERE'S​​ A POSSIBILITY!"

GOD​​ COULD​​ HAVE LEFT THE TREASURE

WITH THE HERODS OF THE WORLD,

WITH THE​​ POLITICIANS,

THE ONES WHO PAVE THE ROADS

AND COLLECT THE TAXES,

THE ONES WHO BUILD THE SCHOOLS

AND PASS THE LAWS,

THE ONES WHO COMMAND THE ARMIES

AND, AT THEIR BEST, PROVIDE FOR THE POOR.

GOD​​ COULD​​ HAVE LEFT THE TREASURE

WITH THE HERODS,

AND IT'S NOT AS STRANGE A POSSIBILITY

AS IT MIGHT AT FIRST SEEM,

BECAUSE, AFTER ALL,​​ 

THE TREASURE IS IN PART​​ POLITICAL.

THE TREASURE IS THE NEWS​​ 

THAT GOD IS AT WORK IN THE WORLD

TO PULL TYRANTS OFF THEIR HIGH HORSES

AND TO LIFT UP THOSE

WHO HUNGER AND THRIST FOR JUSTICE.

THAT WHEN ONE MORE STARVING CHILD IN AFRICA -- OR ANYWHERE ELSE -- DIES,​​ 

SOMETHING AT THE HEART OF​​ GOD​​ DIES, TOO.

THAT GOD IS AT WORK TO BREAK THE DEADLOCKS,

TO FILL THE BOWLS WITH FOOD,

AND TO SEND THE GREEDY AWAY EMPTY.

THAT EVERY VALLEY SHALL BE EXALTED

AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL MADE LOW --

AND THAT'S NOT REAL ESTATE; THAT'S​​ POLITICS!

AND SINCE IT​​ IS​​ POLITICS,

IT WOULD HAVE MADE A CERTAIN KIND OF SENSE

FOR GOD TO HAVE ENTRUSTED THE TREASURE

TO THE MOVERS AND THE SHAKERS --

THE HERODS OF THE WORLD.

BUT GOD DID​​ NOT​​ LEAVE THE TREASURE​​ 

WITH HEROD,

BECAUSE THE GOSPEL IS THE GOOD NEWS THAT,

IF THERE IS TO BE JUSTICE IN THE WORLD,

THERE CAN ONLY BE​​ ONE​​ TRUE KING.

IF THERE IS TO BE PEACE IN THE WORLD,

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE TRUE RULER.

IF THERE IS TO BE COMPASSION IN THE WORLD,

THERE CAN ONLY BE ONE TRUE LORD…

AND HIS NAME IS​​ NOT​​ HEROD.

EVERY YEAR AT THE​​ 

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN NEW YORK,

THERE IS DISPLAYED,​​ 

BENEATH THE GREAT CHRISTMAS TREE,

A BEAUTIFUL EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

NEAPOLITAN NATIVITY SCENE.

THE USUAL CHARACTERS ARE ALL THERE:

SHEPHERDS ROUSED FROM SLEEP

BY THE VOICES OF ANGELS;

THE EXOTIC WISEMEN FROM THE EAST ;

JOSEPH, MARY, THE BABE --

ALL ARE THERE,

EACH FIGURE AN ARTISTIC MARVEL

OF WOOD, CLAY, AND PAINT.

THERE IS, HOWEVER, SOMETHING​​ SURPRISING​​ 

ABOUT THIS SCENE, SOMETHING​​ UNEXPECTED.

WHAT IS UNEXPECTED IS THAT THE STABLE,

AND THE SHEPHERDS, AND THE CRADLE ARE SET,

NOT IN THE​​ EXPECTED​​ VILLAGE OF BETHLEHEM,

BUT AMONG THE​​ RUINS​​ 

OF MIGHTY ROMAN COLUMNS.

THE FRAGILE MANGER IS SURROUNDED

BY BROKEN AND DECAYING COLUMNS.

THE ARTIST KNEW THE MEANING

OF THE TREASURE:

THE GOSPEL, THE​​ BIRTH​​ OF GOD'S NEW AGE,

WAS ALSO THE​​ DEATH​​ OF THE OLD WORLD.

HERODS KNOW IN THE DEPTH OF THEIR SOULS

WHAT WE PERHAPS HAVE PASSED OVER

TOO LIGHTLY:

GOD'S​​ PRESENCE IN THE WORLD

MEANS, FINALLY, THE END OF THEIR POWER.

THEY SEEK NOT TO​​ PRESERVE​​ THE TREASURE,

BUT TO​​ CRUSH​​ IT.

FOR HEROD, THE GOSPEL IS NEWS​​ 

TOO BAD TO BE ENDURED,

AND LUKE WANTS US TO SEE

THAT GOD HAD TO FIND​​ ANOTHER​​ PLACE

TO LEAVE THE TREASURE.

"IN THE DAYS OF HEROD…THERE WAS A​​ PRIEST

NAMED ZECHARIAH…" ​​ (Luke 1:5)

LUKE TELLS US,

AND THERE'S ANOTHER POSSIBILITY.

GOD​​ COULD​​ HAVE LEFT THE TREASURE

WITH THE ZECHARIAHS OF THE WORLD,

THE ONES WHO THINK HOLY THOUGHTS,

HANDLE HOLY THINGS, AND PERFORM HOLY DEEDS.

GOD COULD HAVE LEFT THE TREASURE​​ 

WITH THE ZECHARIAHS,

AND ITS NOT A STRANGE THOUGHT,

BECAUSE ZECHARIAH IS A PRIEST.

PRIESTS ARE THEOLOGIANS OF A SORT,

AND, AFTER ALL,​​ 

THE TREASURE IS, IN PART,​​ THEOLOGICAL.

THE TREASURE IS THE GOOD NEWS

THAT IT IS​​ GOD​​ WHO IS AT WORK

TO SET THINGS RIGHT,

THAT IT IS​​ GOD​​ WHO GATHERS UP ALL EFFORTS

OF HUMAN GOOD WILL AND GIVES THEM

STRENGTH BEYOND THEIR MEASURE,

MERCY BEYOND THEIR DEPTH,

AND HOPE BEYOND THEIR GRANDEST DREAMS.

IT IS​​ GOD​​ WHO HAS MADE US,

AND​​ GOD​​ WHO IS WITH US,

AND​​ GOD​​ WHO RECLAIMS US,

AND NOT WE OURSELVES.

SO, ZECHARIAH,​​ 

A MAN WHO HANDLES HOLY THINGS,

AND THINKS HOLY THOUGHTS,

AND PERFORMS HOLY DEEDS,

WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE​​ 

TO LEAVE THE TREASURE.

THERE ARE SIGNS THAT GOD DID, INDEED,

CONSIDER LEAVING THE TREASURE​​ 

WITH HIS PRIEST ZECHARIAH.

ZECHARIAH WAS AN ORDINARY PRIEST,

WITH THE ORDINARY PRIESTLY RESPONSIBILITIES

OF BURNING INCENSE AND MAKING SACRIFICES

AT THE TEMPLE,

AND HE HAD DONE THE ORDINARY THING

OF MARRYING ELIZABETH,

HERSELF THE DAUGHTER OF A PRIEST.

BUT HE AND ELIZABETH HAD ONE

VERY BIG PROBLEM.

THEY HAD NO CHILDREN --​​ 

COULD HAVE NO CHILDREN --

FOR ELIZABETH

WAS CONSIDERED TO BE BARREN --

AND FOR REASONS WHICH HAVE TO DO

WITH THE CULTURE OF THE FIRST CENTURY,

THAT WAS A PAIN TO THEM BOTH,

AND A HUGE EMBARRASSMENT TO ELIZABETH.

THEN, ONE DAY IN THE TEMPLE,

WHEN ZECHARIAH WAS LIGHTING THE INCENSE,

GOD -- ALMOST AS A WAY OF TESTING

TO SEE IF ZECHARIAH'S FAMILY

WAS A GOOD PLACE TO LEAVE THE TREASURE --

GAVE ZECHARIAH A TASTE OF THE GOOD NEWS,

AN ANTICIPATORY TOUCH OF THE TREASURE.

AN ANGEL APPEARED TO ZECHARIAH​​ 

AND TOLD HIM,

"DO NOT BE AFRAID,

YOUR PRAYER HAS BEEN ANSWERED.

YOU WILL HAVE GREAT JOY AND GLADNESS.

YOUR WIFE WILL BECOME PREGNANT​​ 

AND BEAR A SON."

IT WAS THEN THAT ZECHARIAH,

WHO THOUGHT HOLY THOUGHTS,

AND HANDLED HOLY THINGS,​​ 

AND PERFORMED HOLY DEEDS,

SHOWED THAT HE WAS​​ NOT​​ THE PLACE

TO LEAVE THE TREASURE.

ZECHARIAH, SO FAMILIAR WITH THE HOLY,

COULD NOT BELIEVE​​ 

THE PRESENCE OF THE HOLY

WHEN IT INTRUDED INTO HIS LIFE.

"HOW SHALL I​​ KNOW​​ THIS?" HE WHINED.

"I NEED​​ PROOF. ​​ I'M AN OLD MAN.

THIS IS​​ IMPOSSIBLE.

MY WIFE IS AN OLD WOMAN.

HOW SHALL I KNOW THIS?

I NEED​​ PROOF."

AND IN A SCENE OF GREAT SADNESS,

THE ANGEL REACHES TOWARD

ZECHARIAH'S LIPS, SAYING,

"YOU WILL BE SILENT.

YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO SPEAK,

FOR YOU DID NOT BELIEVE MY WORDS."

THERE IS A​​ FAMILIARITY​​ WITH THE HOLY WHICH,

IRONICALLY, PRODUCES A​​ NUMBNESS​​ TO THE HOLY.

ZECHARIAH WAS NOT THE PLACE

TO LEAVE THE TREASURE.

FOR HEROD, THE GOSPEL​​ 

WAS NEWS TOO BAD TO BE ENDURED.

FOR ZECHARIAH, IT WAS TOO AMAZING

TO BE​​ BELIEVED, TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.

GOD DID NOT LEAVE THE TREASURE

WITH THE HERODS;

THEY WOULD CRUSH IT.

GOD DID NOT LEAVE THE TREASURE

WITH THE ZECHARIAHS:

THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.

GOD DID NOT LEAVE THE TREASURE

IN THE COURTHOSE OR THE SANCTUARY.

GOD DID NOT LEAVE THE TREASURE

IN THE PALACE OR UNDER THE ALTAR.

IT IS NOW THAT LUKE TELLS US THE SURPRISE:

GOD LEFT THE TREASURE IN A PLACE

WHICH WAS IN THAT TIME

THE WEAKEST OF ALL PLACES,

THE LEAST LIKELY OF ALL SPOTS --

THE WOMB OF A WOMAN.

AND LUKE ALSO TELLS US THAT THE FIRST TIME

THE GOSPEL IS PROCLAIMED BY HUMAN LIPS,

IT IS NOT IN THE ROMAN SENATE

OR IN THE HOLY OF HOLIES;

IT IS NOT BY CAESAR, OR PETER, OR PAUL.

IT IS IN A PLACE THE WORLD AT THAT TIME

WOULD COUNT FOR NOTHING:

A CONVERSATION BETWEEN TWO WOMEN,

MARY AND ELIZABETH,​​ 

FACING THEIR PREGNANCIES.

GOD LEFT THE TREASURE IN A WOMAN'S WOMB,

AND IT IS IN A CONVERSATION

ABOUT STRETCH MARKS AND SWOLLEN ANKLES

THAT THE TREASURE IS FIRST PROCLAIMED.

FOR HEROD, THE NEWS​​ 

WAS TOO BAD TO BE ENDURED.

FOR ZECHARIAH, IT WAS NEWS

TOO AMAZING TO BE BELIEVED.

BUT FOR MARY,

TOO UNIMPORTANT TO BE COUNTED,

IT WAS, IN FREDERICK BUECHNER'S PHRASE,

"TOO GOOD​​ NOT​​ TO BE TRUE."

MAYBE LUKE WANTS US TO KNOW

THAT THE TREASURE OF THE GOSPEL,

WHICH WILL ONE DAY FILL THE EARTH

WITH ITS POWER,

MUST​​ FIRST​​ BE PLANTED​​ 

IN THOSE WEAK AND HELPLESS PLACES

WHICH YEARN FOR IT THE MOST,

HUNGER FOR IT MOST DEEPLY,

AND THUS CAN BELIEVE AND CHERISH IT

MOST FULLY.

IT IS THE PLACES OF​​ WEAKNESS​​ IN OUR LIVES

AND IN THE WORLD

WHICH ARE MOST OPEN

TO THE AMAZING INTRUSION OF GOD'S PRESENCE.

AND PART OF THE GOOD NEWS

IS THAT IT IS PRECISELY​​ THERE​​ 

WHERE GOD LEAVES THE TREASURE.

GOD DOES NOT COME​​ 

TO THAT PART OF OURSELVES

WHICH SWAGGERS THROUGH LIFE,

CONFIDENT IN OUR SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

GOD, RATHER, LEAVES THE TREASURE

IN THE​​ BROKEN​​ PLACES WHERE WE KNOW

WE CANNOT MAKE IT ON OUR OWN.

GOD COMES TO US IN THOSE MOMENTS

WHEN WE TRANSCEND OUR SELFISHNESS

LONG ENOUGH TO GLIMPSE THE NEEDS OF OTHERS

AND TO FEEL THOSE NEEDS DEEPLY ENOUGH

TO HUNGER AND THIRST​​ 

FOR GOD TO SET THINGS RIGHT.

AMEN.