From Heaven Above

From Heaven Above – a Christmas hymn by Martin Luther

Meditation for Christmas Day

Who are these angels who come to earth?
Verses 1-3       The angels tell us about a child who is born low but will lift all people up.

This new child will be the joy of all the earth…

            Mangers from many places

Jesus hears your sad and bitter cry and will set you free from all that harms you.

Who are these shepherds who run to see?

Verses 4-6       We are the shepherds, invited to go and see. 

When we hear that a baby is born, we just want to go and see the baby

In a way, they don’t do very much—but we look into their eyes, we watch all their little wiggles, we listen to every little sound, we touch their very soft skin and notice everything 

Babies are vulnerable and babies are a miracle—and so we gaze at them in wonder…

Kind of like that, but even more, the shepherds went to see for themselves this wondrous gift of God.

Who is this Child, so small, so slight?

Verses 7-9       Unexpectedly… God!

O noble Guest!

How did you come to be so small?

This is the thing that is so strange and amazing about how God comes to us in Jesus (and how God comes to us again and again…) that God comes in unexpected ways, in unexpected places…

We can hardly believe it.

Who is this King, a manger his throne?

Verses 10-11 –                        We think God will only come if things are good enough, but…
Our most fancy, rich things are not even enough… velvet vs. rough manger

But Jesus came even more humbly.

So if your Christmas is not fancy, if it is not what you hoped or just like an ordinary day,
Jesus comes to you right there, where you are and invites you to love and wonder, 

Whatever your circumstances.

Who is this Child, who sends a Son?

Verses 12-14   God comes to the manger, and God comes to us today.

Make my heart (make me) like a manger where you can be born.

Since Jesus is in my heart—I want to sing and leap!

We sing together with angels (all messengers) who bring the good news about God-with-us and we start all over again—with a new year singing our joy and love for God’s great gift.