The Angels: A Song of Joy
For Meditation
We’ve been listening to the original Christmas soundtrack this month and learning the lyrics of the Kingdom from Zechariah, Mary and Simeon. Finally, we turn to the fourth and final song Luke records: the song of the angels. Angels are more active in Luke 1 and 2 than in nearly every other part of the Bible, perhaps other than the book of Revelation. It’s like they were sitting around for thousands of years, and with the birth of Christ they are finally getting busy! Gabriel appears to Zecahariah and then to Mary; then another angel appears to the shepherd, and finally in Luke 2:13-14 a whole choir of angels appears in the night sky and breaks out into the famous Gloria.
Why are angels so famously central in the Christmas story? Because angels are messengers called to announce the meaning of Christmas to all. “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom God’s favor rests!” The peace that the angels anounce is not global peace, or inner peace, but relational peace between God and humanity. It is the good news that in and through Christ, “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ” (2 Cor 5:19). After years of conflict between God and humanity, Christmas is the work of God to end the conflict and to broker peace between himself and humanity. And the angels are ecstatic! After years of witnessing the separation between heaven and earth, they rejoice that the birth of Christ means the coming of peace.
I love what St. Gregory the Great said in his Christmas sermon in the 6th Century, speaking on the perspective of the angels:
Before the Redeemer was born in the flesh, there was discord between us and the angels, from whose brightness and holy perfection we stood afar, in punishment first of original sin, and then because of our daily offenses. Because through sin we had become strangers to God, the angels as God’s subjects cut us off from their fellowship. But since we have now acknowledged our King, the angels receive us as fellow citizens…..Because the King of heaven has taken unto Himself the flesh of our earth, the angels from their heavenly heights no longer look down upon our infirmity. Now they are at peace with us, putting away the remembrance of the ancient discord ; now they honor us as friends, whom before they beheld weak and despised below them.
Thanks be to God! The angels rejoice that we are no longer in conflict with God, that once again we can be members of the heavenly family. This is the good news of Christmas: “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.”
Luke 2:25–35
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.