Kiss the Son!

There’s this poingnant little verse that comes at the end of Psalm 2:  “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”  It comes at the end of a Psalm in which God is describing how some conspire against him, who see his saving activity as an intrusion on their independence.  It goes on to point out two big ideas:  one, human efforts to throw off God’s rule of the universe and thwart his plans have failed and will always fail; two, the Savior God has given us will be met either as Savior or as condemning Judge.  I get what that means, do you?  It’s actually a good advent message:  God in his love and mercy has set about to rescue us from the guilt and punishment of our sins.  Those who trust in his finished work in that regard have the blessing of peace with God now and forever.  Those who don’t trust him as Savior will stand before him naked and alone with nothing but their own rebellion hanging on them in tattered rags.  The urgent advent message is clear, isn’t it?  Jesus is coming – prepare to receive him!

And that brings me to a delightful little incident that is a powerful portrayal of that passage from Psalm 2.  It happened this past Saturday morning as church members were busy decorating God’s House for the Advent/Christmas/Epiphany season.  Little Aubrey was drawn to the nativity figures that stand in the chancel right in front of the lectern where I read the Scripture readings each week.  She leaned over and gave Mary a hug because that’s what Mom’s deserve – especially that one.  She reached over and patted Joseph on the hand as if to say, “Steady hand there, foster Daddy of Jesus.  He’s quite a little boy.”  And then she leaned over the manger and gave baby Jesus a little kiss.  And there it was, Psalm 2:12 come to life.  She knew that little baby as her Savior.  She knows the story of what he would grow up to do for her.  She knows to be true what she sang in Sunday School the next morning:  “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.  Red and yellow, black and white – they are precious in his sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world.”  She kissed him because that’s how he met her at her baptismal font and that’s how her awesome Mom and Dad taught her to approach Jesus.  And that’s why it never occurred to her to fear that little Savior in the stable.  There’s nothing scary about a Savior who loves you so much he’s willing to sacrifice himself for you. 

So from one portly preacher to a pint-sized one:  thanks for the awesome sermon, Aubs.  You nailed it!

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