Luke 2:22-40
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”[a]), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”[b]
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss[c] your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.[d] She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
Galatians 4:4-7
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.[a] 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,[b] Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication shines out like the dawn,
her salvation like a blazing torch.
2 The nations will see your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
3 You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
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The Galatians passage uses two different terms to describe Jesus’s relationship with God: “son” and “child.”
Both are accurate, and both are perfectly good words.
In our modern day, though, the sensitivity to inclusive language has led us to use the word “child” more often than son, which can, I think, present a problem.
At least in my mind, “child” carries more of a suggestion of childhood, with all that represents. It has connotations of helplessness and dependence, innocence and ignorance, that aren’t present as much with “son” or “daughter.” That might just be my reading, but I suspect others hear it as well.
One example is in the United Methodist Hymnal version of “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” where the line “With God as our Father, brothers all are we,” becomes “With God our creator, children all are we.” While I understand the reasoning for the change and the limitations presented by the tune, the updated version seems to emphasize the disparity between a distant, superior creator and children, where the original was a statement of intimacy and solidarity.
That’s a roundabout way of getting to Galatians 4:4-7.
With its emphasis on our adoption as not only sons – and daughters – of God, but also as heirs, it seems to bring in the responsibilities as well as the benefits of adoption. Yes, we are totally dependent on God. But as heirs, we also have to recognize our role in maintaining the integrity and sustainability of the household as it were.
A danger of Christmas is letting the sentimental feelings that accompany a newborn baby obscure the seriousness of the work God is doing as he comes into the world. God is bringing salvation.
That salvation, though, fundamentally defines our relationship with God and with the world. We now have a responsibility to protect and defend the interests of God’s family.