[AI translation] My Christian Brothers and Sisters! Since the birth of Christ, seldom has the preaching of the Christmas message been in a more difficult situation than today, Christmas 1941. In the face of world events, the faith of the Christmas gospel is now beginning to waver in many souls. Of course, when there is such a glaring contrast between the happy Christmas message and the sad reality. The birth of Christ is an inexpressible message of joy from heaven to earth, announced by the herald angels: 'I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all the earth' - and the reality is that today there is more sorrow and grief in the world than perhaps ever before. The angels in Bethlehem are singing a hymn of peace, and the reality is that the terrible fires of war have already been lit on all five continents. The Christmas message proclaims goodwill to all peoples and nations of the earth, and the reality is that malice, cruelty and rampant satanic violence have perhaps never been more rampant than they are right now. If we look at events on earth, it is impossible not to see that the wrath of God's wrath is now upon this earth - and if we look at the manger at Bethlehem, it is impossible not to understand the Christmas gospel, which proclaims the outpouring of God's eternal, infinite love on earth. The reason why the preaching of Christmas is in a difficult situation today is that it has to interpret the message of love of an angry God to a frightened humanity.The times we are living in today are particularly appropriate for understanding the double meaning of Christmas as expressed in our basic hymn: Christ 'came among His own, and His own received Him not. But those who received Him gave Him power to become the sons of God, to those who believe in His name". From this Word we see that Christmas not only proclaims joy to the world, but also terrible chastisement and torment. For the coming of Christ to this earth divides people into two great groups: those who receive Him and those who reject Him. This Christmas feast today, then, brings judgment on those who have not received Christ and grace to those who give Him a place in their lives.
I have spoken to several people in recent days and I have increasingly found that many people are in a crisis of faith. They cannot reconcile the current world situation with the Christian doctrine of God's providence and love. If God loves us, they say, if there is a God, how can he allow human interests to become so entangled? Not long ago, a believer came home from the front - a disbeliever. He had such an experience that his faith in God was shaken to the core: if there is a God, he is just as much a bystander to Satanic events as any man of good will. To many people, it seems presumptuous that we should celebrate Christmas and sing fervent hymns of praise for the love of the Saviour of the world. Was there any point in God appearing in person on earth if, 1941 years after his birth, the world still looks like this?! The silent or loud accusation against God, against Christmas, is creeping into many souls today: they accuse Christ that, behold, he did not have the power to redeem the world!
Like a great protest, this Word now stands before us: let us not judge the goodness of God, for He is now judging us! Let us not accuse Christmas, because Christmas is now accusing us: for Christ came among His own, but His own did not receive Him! God really did all that was in His power: He came among us, He shrunk into a human body, He walked among us here on earth, along the path by which we had drifted away, lost our way from His nearness. He came after us, spoke to us, told us that God welcomes us back, forgives us. He urged us to go with Him and then He would lead us back to our Father. He will restore us to our holy and innocent state before we sinned - and that all this precious offer will not remain just words, but become a concrete reality for us: He has taken the punishment for our sins upon Himself, He has tolerated a crown of thorns being placed on His head radiant with divine glory, the garment being torn from His holy body, His innocent being mocked and scourged, His healing hand of blessing being pierced, His being executed as a malefactor. All this to prove not only in word, but also in bloody deeds, that God loves, is not angry, has forgiven, and behold, through Christ the way back to the Father is open to all. That is why Jesus came, that is why we rejoice at Christmas, and why he came, he did it perfectly, without any leftovers!
There was only one big problem: that His own did not receive Him - as we read in the Word! I feel, Brethren, that this is the terrible accusation that is most loudly proclaimed in the Christmas message today. It is the rejection of divine love that is now accusing this world, which, in its failure to accept Jesus, is most evident from the very fact that it has come to this. If a sick person refuses to take the medicine offered to him that would cure him, it is not the doctor's fault if he dies of his illness. If a man drowning in water refuses the life-belt thrown to him, let him not blame others for not helping him. Christmas means that God has done everything for this world, but the world didn't need Christ, it rejected the divine hand that reached out to it - and that is a state that can no longer be helped. Jesus came among His own, and His own did not receive Him. So the Christmas message of God's holy love is true, but what else can God do when a man puts up his ears when God speaks to him, turns away his eyes when God comes to him, and shuts himself off when God asks him to let Him in?
Someone once asked me, why doesn't God deal with this stubborn, obstinate man violently? Against his will, why does he not use his divine power to force man to submit? Why doesn't God break man to do his will? He did not create man to be His slaves on earth and after death in heaven - but His fatherly heart desires filial love. Only Satan has slaves - God wants to make them His children. Servile obedience is only demanded by Satan - God demands filial obedience from us. This is precisely what cannot be forced. No one can be forced to love. Forced love is worthless! That is why God cannot treat us against our will. That is why the world is in such a crisis. That is why the whole world is burning in cannon fire. That is why the opposite of everything that Christmas proclaims about joy, peace and goodwill is raging. That is why this holiday is accusing and condemning the world! My brothers and sisters, our human coexistence without Christ must necessarily have come to this, and if it continues to remain without Christ, it must fall much further.
We used to say that God punishes the world with such turbulent historical times. This is too human a concept. But the reality is that man punishes himself by not accepting Christ, just as a drowning man punishes himself by pushing away the lifeline - for without Christ all roads lead to hell. And so it is not only with the life of the world and of humanity, but with yours and mine. Christ has come, and if you do not receive Him, you will begin to smell the breath of hell in your soul or in your home, right now, right here on earth. Hell is not God's punishment, it is the natural end of your chosen path. Moreover, God even tends to bring good out of it when a man or a nation or the whole of mankind sometimes comes very close to hell, because that is when people become disgusted with themselves, frightened by hell and turn back. God often awakens in human hearts a longing for His love by treading terrible depths. Christmas accuses this world - oh, but when God accuses, how much grace there is even in the accusation!!
And this is where the other great message of today's Christmas takes on meaning. For this day not only accuses, but also proclaims grace, showering us with the infinite love of God, giving us something precious, a great gift. "And to those who receive him, he gives the power to become sons of God, to those who believe in his name." When I receive Christ, something fundamental changes in my relationship with God: I become a son of the Lord!
In general, I have found that many of us have a very wrong idea of our relationship with God. We think in a rude way of some kind of a master who rules over us with fearsome power, who holds us accountable as a judge, before whom we must report our petty affairs with fear and trembling, who strikes us down and beats us, who dresses us like a dog trainer. That is why we cannot really love God, for such a fearful Lord cannot be truly loved. Without Christ, God will always remain the most fearsome power in the world for us. But the one who receives Christ understands at once that this fearsome power is his Father! And all this Father's concern is to make you feel the warmth of His Fatherly love, and all His desire is only to receive love in return from you!
We who receive Christ become sons of God through him. The son is heir, he inherits all his father's farms and possessions. We, my brothers and sisters, have not become the children of some poor father, but the inexpressible riches of our Father extend beyond the boundaries of this earthly life, and that is where they really begin! This is the riches that Jesus says will not be eaten up by rust or moth, nor will it be dug up and stolen by thieves. Or in today's language: that which neither world war nor any other misery can take away from us. Is this heavenly inheritance waiting for you too, my brother, can you rejoice in it with all your heart? Jesus makes you sons of God, children, children again! On Christmas Eve, when we see little children around the Christmas tree, their eyes sparkling with joyful excitement - what do they care about war, shopping difficulties, apocalyptic times, the thousand worries of adults, they can rejoice unhindered, they can be enthusiastic without any inhibitions - we involuntarily sigh: how good it is for a child, how happy, how joyful only a child can be!
Well, my Brother, Christmas proclaims that you too, with your graying head, can become a child again, a carefree, joyful child of our divine Father. For those who receive Jesus, he gives them the power to become sons of God. He does not give me the power to be safe from harm, to avoid storms and sickness, but to be able to count on His Fatherly care and help in every situation. This is our greatest Christmas gift, that behold, we have become children again. It means that no one is alone. We need family fellowship especially at Christmas, when loneliness hits people hardest. When you receive Christ, He gives you the power to become a child of God, and that means that your heart and your home are miraculously transformed into a parental home, a dwelling place of our heavenly Father, and you feel alone in the most sacred family community. This is how we can all become truly joyful, happy children of Christmas.
The Word says that Christ gives us the power to do this. In other words, I could say that Christ empowers us to do this. So, if you want to become a child of God, my brother, do not expect any special miracle, do not think that something extraordinary has to happen to you, because it is simply by virtue of authority. You just have to receive Christ, and He will empower you, and you will be able to consider yourself a child, to behave, to walk and to approach God as His sweet child.
My brethren, even on the first Christmas Eve, when the angels appeared in the field of Bethlehem, the earth was full of woe, and of many troubles and sufferings, and yet the angels were not disturbed, and yet they rejoiced to give the glad tidings of Christmas. Even today, the angels are not disturbed in their joy by the war raging on five continents, and the Christmas message is still a joyful message of joy that cannot be spoken: the fault is in you if you cannot rejoice. Does Christmas make you feel guilty or happy? Will you accept the coming Christ or reject him? On this depends for you not only the happiness of Christmas, but also the happiness of your whole life!
Come, my brothers and sisters, let us ask our Father for a happy Christmas filled with Christ!
Amen.
Date: 25 December 1941 (Christmas)
Lesson
Lk 2,1-14