December 23, 2007
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

Prepared for Christmas: 3. Relationships
Matthew 1:17

“Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.”

If you think your family has problems, consider the marriage mayhem created when 76-year-old Bill Baker of London recently wed Edna Harvey. She happened to be his granddaughter’s husband’s mother. That’s where the confusion began, according to Baker's granddaughter, Lynn.

Lynn said, “My mother-in-law is now my step-grandmother. My grandfather is now my stepfather-in-law. My mom is my sister-in-law and my brother is my nephew. But even crazier is that I’m now married to my uncle and my own children are my cousins.”

From this experience, Lynn should gain profound insight into the theory of relativity.^[i]

Relationships give life meaning—family, friends, acquaintances, even strangers. It was the relationship with people around him that gave George Bailey’s life meaning in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” (Picture of George being introduced to Clarence the angel.)

I. Realize people need you.

We can fully live only in relationships. We need each other. A rather crude and cruel experiment was carried out by Emperor Frederick, who ruled the Roman Empire in the thirteenth century. He wanted to know what man’s original language was: Hebrew, Greek, or Latin? He decided to isolate a few infants from the sound of the human voice. He reasoned that they would eventually speak the natural tongue of man. Wet nurses who were sworn to absolute silence were obtained, and though it was difficult for them, they abided by the rule. The infants never heard a word -- not a sound from a human voice. Within several months they were all dead.^[ii]

You matter to others. You affect other people.

Matthew breaks Israel’s history into three sets of 14 generations, but there were probably more generations than those listed here. Genealogies often compressed history, meaning that not every generation of ancestors was specifically listed. Thus the phrase the father of can also be translated “the ancestor of.” In the first 17 verses of Matthew we meet 46 people spanning 2,000 years. All were ancestors of Jesus, but some were heroes (and heroines) of faith—like Abraham, Isaac, Ruth, and David. Some had shady reputations—like Rahab and Tamar. Many were ordinary—like Hezron, Ram, and Akim. Others were evil—like Manasseh and Abijah. God’s work has never been limited by human failures or sins; he works through ordinary people. God used all kinds of people to bring his Son into the world; he uses all kinds today to accomplish his will. And he wants to use you.

Your Christian presence is important to others—encouraging, reminding them of the strength of our Faith, standing along side them for support and to help carry their life’s challenge. People need you to manifest Christ’s presence to them. After 35 years it still amazes me that church people, especially long-time church people feel more like God is present when I or Clarinda show up. To me, I’m just Terry. To them, I represent the presence of someone in whom and through whom Christ works. I long for the day when we feel that same thing for all our Christian brothers and sisters! We ought to have that same attitude that THEY can pray for us, the THEY can be lead by God to read us Scripture to encourage us. That THEY who have walked where we are walking can bring Christ’s compassionate love and supportive grace to our situation.

Jesus said that the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor! That is the fulfilling of the law. It is also manifesting Christ in our world!

People watch and follow the lead you take. They need you to manifest Christ to them. You may be the only presence of Christ they experience. You can show them forgiveness or patience, or compassion, or mercy. Allow God work through you to produce the presence of Christ in your part of the world.

II. Accept that you need people.

Leonard Syme, a professor of epidemiology at the University of California at Berkeley, indicates the importance of social ties and social support systems in relationship to mortality and disease rates. He points to Japan as being number one in the world with respect to health and then discusses the close social, cultural, and traditional ties in that country as the reason. He believes that the more social ties, the better the health and the lower the death rate. Conversely, he indicates that the more isolated the person, the poorer the health and the higher the death rate. Social ties are good preventative medicine for physical problems and for mental-emotional-behavior problems.^[iii]

We were made for relationships. You, too, need people. God said, “It is not good to be alone.” Dr. Bernie Siegel reported in, Homemade, that single men are jailed more often, earn less, have more illnesses and die at a younger age than married men. Married men with cancer live 20% longer than single men with the same cancer. Women, who often have more close friendships than men, survive longer with the same cancers. Married or not, relationships keep us alive.^[iv]

Making a difference in the lives of other’s gives our lives meaning. The poem “Just Think”: “Just think, you’re not here by chance, but by God’s choosing. His hand formed you and made you the person you are. He compares you to no one else—you are one of a kind. You lack nothing that His grace can’t give you. He has allowed you to be here at this time in history to fulfill His special purpose for this generation.” Other people will help you achieve and fulfill your purpose.

There is more than one reason for the “Buddy System.” Ecclesiastes 4:12-“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” You need to know that you can rely on someone else. Reach out to them.

Learn from your interaction with others so you can develop a quality character. Patience, forgiveness, compassion, understanding, and other qualities are learned as we interact with other human beings. Accept that you need other people.

III. Let Christmas bring people together.

Christmas will bring people together if we allow it to happen. There is something about the message and time of Christmas that softens the heart. People become more willing to be considerate, to give to others, to be friendly to people that they normally wouldn’t speak to.

The Bible tells us about Jesus in Ephesians 2:14-“For he (Jesus) himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility.” Born is the Prince of Peace who brought grace and forgiveness to the human race. When we choose that life attitude, we live in Christmas.

In our world, sin separates. Love brings together. Self-consumption and unforgiveness separate. Compassion and forgiveness bring together. We can choose to live in the message of Christmas throughout the year in our relationships. It depends on how you want to experience life each day.

Ephesians 2:21-22-“In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²²And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.” Work with the Christ of Christmas to be turned into a human bridge-builder and a Jesus-life demonstrator.

What will you do now?

Don’t ever be deceive by the thought, “It would have been better if I weren’t born.” Your life has meaning and power. “Reach out and touch somebody’s hand, make this world a better place.” Amen.

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