Sermon Notes: The Feast of the Holy Name

The Rev. Anne Schnaare

January 1, 2012

 

Note:  A few people have asked me for copies of my sermons.  Since I don’t preach from a finished manuscript, I thought I would provide some written reflections instead.  This is not meant to supplant the finished product of my sermon or to be an authoritative commentary on the scriptures, but merely to give you a glimpse of my thought process on the way to the pulpit.  I hope you enjoy these notes, and feel free to share any questions or discussion that you may have.  Peace be with you.

                                                                                                                                  -Mother Anne

 

The Collect of the Day: Eternal Father, you gave to your incarnate Son the holy name of Jesus to be the sign of our salvation: Plant in every heart, we pray, the love of him who is the Savior of the world, our Lord Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen. (BCP 213)

 

We know from the Gospels that Mary and Joseph didn’t come up with Jesus’ name, but that his name came from God himself.  The choices God had, of course, are infinite.  The name of God’s incarnate Son would speak to the nature of his mission, and his relationship with mankind.  It sent a message – what message would it be?  Comfort?  Wrath? Forgiveness?  Judgment? Disappointment? 

The answer, we know, is Salvation.  Compassion.  Hope.  Not only did God choose a name that means “the LORD delivers,” or “the LORD rescues,” God chose a name that already existed in Jesus’ time and culture.  God didn’t come up with a brand-new, unrecognizable name.  God chose to build on a name that people already knew.  This sends the message that God is not unreachable or alien to humanity, but already knows us and is willing to speak to us in a way that is familiar to us. 

 

Numbers 6:22-27

            This is the Aaronic blessing, with a little coda: “So they shall put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”  This calls to mind a much-loved song that have sung many many times.  I never noticed before how the spelling of “lord” is not “the lord” or even “the Lord,” but rather “the LORD.” This is significant because when we see this spelling in English translations of the Bible, it indicates that the original Hebrew contained the tetragrammaton[*], which was the four-consonant word used to represent the name of God that is by many considered too sacred to pronounce (YHWH).  This blessing is not asking the Lord generally to bless the people of Israel, but the LORD to bless them personally.  Given the fact that we are still celebrating the Feast of the Nativity, and that today is specifically the Feast of the Holy Name, I think it’s safe to say that we are meant to see this blessing fulfilled in Jesus’ birth. 

            It’s interesting to note that while the Aaronic blessing reinforced the Israelites’ identity as belonging to God, the very blessing contained the name of the Lord, which they were forbidden to pronounce.  The Incarnation broke an even stronger taboo, when God took on our very flesh, crossing all barriers between God and humanity!

 

Psalm 8

            Here we get a list of the many ways God is wonderful, bookended by an exclamation about how great God’s name is.  In fact, here we see again the use of “LORD.”

 

Galatians 4:4-7

            With all this naming talk, here we get a new name:  Abba.  A lot of the significance of this is lost on us because of cultural differences.  Abba is Aramaic for “Father,” with a slightly more intimate connotation, much like Dad or Daddy.  It was a name used by children to address their father in an intimate and personal way.  This is in part what was accomplished by the Incarnation:  a new and more intimate relationship with our creator.  By taking on our flesh, the Word was not merely bridge building; by doing what he did, Jesus built a bridge, built a house on the bridge, and invited us all to move in together and establish a family.  Well, he established the Church, in which we are all brothers and sisters, living in relationship with each other and with our beloved, heavenly “Dad.” 

 

Luke 2:15-21

            We hear again the story of the shepherds visiting the Christ Child and end with Jesus’ circumcision and naming.  Jesus’ naming reinforces his humanity.  He was subject to tradition, just like any Jewish baby, and Mary and Joseph fulfilled their parental duties like every other parent. 

 

Putting it all together…

            As expected, the overall naming theme is resonating the strongest on Holy Name Day!  Names are incredibly powerful, especially in the ancient world.  In mythology it was thought that by speaking a being’s true name, you gained power over that entity.  In fact, in the Bible, many a demon has tried that trick on Jesus before they were cast out.  That’s why you frequently hear of a demon saying, “I know who you are, you are the Son of God!”  They’re not just making conversation, they’re making a power play. 

What I find especially striking is the progression in how we are able to address our Creator.  First we have the name of the LORD, YHWH, a name so holy, that we can only refer to it with substitutes, such as Adonai and Elohim.  Then, at the naming of Jesus, we gain the ability to speak to the Word personally and directly, using words that are quite familiar to us.  And, once Jesus shows us how, we gain the ability to address our Creator with astonishing familiarity.  The distance is bridged, and we are finally able to address God as beloved children, not subordinates or mere creations.  He is Abba, and we are his sons and daughters.