Star Child

Scripture: Luke 4:16-30

Some years ago I was talking with my theology lecturer and asked him what he did his Phd thesis on

• It had a long name that I can’t remember exactly now but essentially it focused on the work of a dead theologian from the middle ages
• What I do remember about that conversation is my lecturer’s advice
• He said, if you are going to do a thesis on someone else’s work it is best to it on a dead person because they can’t disagree with your findings 

Today we continue our ‘Anthems’ series

• In this series we are looking at the lyrics of one hymn or Christian worship song each week to see how that song informs our thinking about God and how it connects with Scripture and the heritage of our faith.
• The song we are looking at this morning is Star Child

Star Child was written by a New Zealander, Shirley Murray, who I believe is still very much alive

• I have never met Shirley and I don’t know what she would think of the connections and interpretations I am making with her song
• She may disagree with some (or maybe all) of what I’m about to say
• So my message today comes with a disclaimer: this is what Shirley’s song puts me in touch with and is not necessarily the meaning she intended to convey – please don’t hold my words against her
• In any case the lyrics to Star Child are so broad and spacious they invite a wide range of interpretive possibility.

Shirley Murray was born in Invercargill, NZ, in 1931 – which I guess makes her 88 years old now

• Shirley studied music as an undergraduate and then did a Masters in classics and French at Otago
• She grew up attending a Methodist church but later became a Presbyterian when she married the Rev John Stewart, a Presbyterian minister
• Shirley started her working career as a teacher of languages, then did research for the Labour party for a number of years
• She was also involved in Amnesty International

Shirley was quite prolific, writing (I think) around 600 hymns including: Carol our Christmas, Our life has its seasons and God speed you on your way (which is sung to Tawa College school leavers)

• Many of her songs address human rights issues, women’s concerns, social justice, peace and care of creation – and were written at a time when these things were considered a bit edgy and not as mainstream as today.   

The song Star Child was written in 1993 and explores the meaning of Christ’s birth in light of the growing gap between rich and poor

• Shirley is quoted as saying: “The carol grew out of increasing concern at the market values dictating our welfare system, now creating more and more ‘social rejects’.”
• In other words, Shirley saw how the government’s economic policy was detrimental to the social well-being of many New Zealanders at that time
• Certainly the early 1990’s saw relatively high unemployment rates, peaking at 10.7% in 1992 – which equates to nearly 181,000 people out of work. [1]  
• The point is, Shirley wrote about real world issues – she was of that ilk who held the Bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other. 

The music for Star Child was written by Carlton Young, but I think Colin Gibson may have had some involvement too, as his name is on the music score alongside Carlton’s 

The song begins with the words: Star-Child, Earth Child, go between of God, love Child, Christ Child, heaven’s lightning rod,

This verse is clearly about Jesus

• The phrase Star Child instantly creates a variety of connections
• It makes us think of Jesus’ natal star – the bright light in the evening sky which guided the wise men to Bethlehem the place of Jesus’ birth
• More generally though it indicates that Jesus comes from heaven above
• Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it
• As a star, we could say Jesus is the one we look to, to navigate our way through life, much like sailors at sea navigate by the stars at night
• Then of course, Jesus is a star in the sense of being famous and adored, sort of like a rock star, except without the sex and drugs

But Jesus isn’t just a star child from above. He is also an earth child – conceived by the Holy Spirit but born of Mary, humble and down to earth

• Star child indicates the transcendence of God – God far above us, God who is different from us and as unreachable as the stars
• While earth child suggests the immanence of God – God’s presence close to us, God with us in a form that is accessible and relatable

Jesus is the go between of God – he creates a bridge between humanity and God through his very person

• This is the doctrine of the incarnation – Jesus is both truly divine and truly human. As we read in John’s gospel…
• The Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.    

The expression Love child has a double meaning I think

• In the 1970’s the term ‘love child’ referred to a child born to parents who were not married to each other
• Mary was not married when she conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit but she was married to Joseph by the time Jesus was born
• God is love, so love child could also refer to Jesus being the Son of God
• Jesus shows us what God’s love is like. It is a self-giving love

Jesus is the Christ child

• In Luke 2, an angel appears to the shepherds and says…
• Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
• Christ is not Jesus’ surname – Christ is a title which literally means ‘anointed one’ or king 
• Christ means the same thing as Messiah – Christ being the Greek term and Messiah being the Hebrew word

The last line of verse 1 is a bit troubling – it talks about Jesus being heaven’s lightning rod

• In my sixth form year at Hamilton Boys’ High School we had an electrical storm during the day.
• About 20 boys (I was not one of them) were sheltering from heavy rain under a tree when a bolt of lightning struck the tree.
• Eleven boys were knocked to the ground and one had to be revived with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
• He suffered serious burns to his face, neck and shoulders, and especially to his elbows and the soles of his feet.
• You don’t want to be hit by lightning

To protect people from lightning strikes like this, tall structures sometimes have a rod-like conductor installed to divert lightning away to the ground

• With this in mind the term ‘lightning rod’ is an English idiom for someone who attracts a lot of criticism or anger in order to shield others
• A lightning rod personality is often blamed for other people’s mistakes
• Most people who have ever been in a leadership role know what it means to be a lightning rod for people’s anger and criticism.
• The Bible doesn’t specifically talk about Jesus as heaven’s lightning rod but we do get the idea of a scapegoat from the Bible, which is similar

To say that Jesus is “heaven’s lightning rod” does not mean that God directs his anger at Jesus. God was not angry with Jesus – He was pleased with Jesus

• Jesus comes from heaven but the lightning does not come from heaven
• The lightning comes from earth
• Jesus is a lightning rod for the anger, criticism and sin of people    

There were a number times in the gospel when Jesus acted as a lightning rod, in order to save those in need

• Like when Jesus defended the woman caught in adultery, in John 8
• And it seems whenever Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath he got a hard time from the religious leaders. No good deed goes unpunished.

Please turn with me to Luke 4, page 80, toward the back of your pew Bibles

• This passage describes one occasion, near the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, when he became a lightning rod for people’s anger
• From Luke 4, verse 16, we read…

¹⁶ Then Jesus went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went as usual to the synagogue. He stood up to read the Scriptures ¹⁷ and was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written,

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has chosen me to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovery of sight to the blind,
to set free the oppressed
¹⁹     and announce that the time has come
    when the Lord will save his people.”

²⁰ Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. All the people in the synagogue had their eyes fixed on him, ²¹ as he said to them, “This passage of scripture has come true today, as you heard it being read.”

²² They were all well impressed with him and marvelled at the eloquent words that he spoke. They said, “Isn’t he the son of Joseph?”

²³ He said to them, “I am sure that you will quote this proverb to me, ‘Doctor, heal yourself.’ You will also tell me to do here in my hometown the same things you heard were done in Capernaum. ²⁴ I tell you this,” Jesus added, “prophets are never welcomed in their hometown. ²⁵ Listen to me: it is true that there were many widows in Israel during the time of Elijah, when there was no rain for three and a half years and a severe famine spread throughout the whole land. ²⁶ Yet Elijah was not sent to anyone in Israel, but only to a widow living in Zarephath in the territory of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were many people suffering from a dreaded skin disease who lived in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha; yet not one of them was healed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”

²⁸ When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were filled with anger. ²⁹ They rose up, dragged Jesus out of town, and took him to the top of the hill on which their town was built. They meant to throw him over the cliff, ³⁰ but he walked through the middle of the crowd and went his way.     

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us

This passage from Luke 4 provides a kind of executive summary of Jesus’ earthly ministry – it outlines the gospel in a short story

• Jesus came with a message of salvation for everyone but not everyone welcomed him or his message
• Yes, he was popular at first but it wasn’t long before his words and actions rubbed people up the wrong way and they were out to kill him
• Jesus is sent from heaven and becomes a lightning rod for people’s anger
• This episode, in Nazareth, foreshadows Jesus’ rejection & crucifixion 

Why did the people of Jesus’ home town get so angry with him that they were ready to throw him off a cliff? I don’t know.

• Perhaps they didn’t like the way Jesus was claiming the status of prophet.
• Maybe they thought he had committed blasphemy
• Or perhaps they took offence at the way Jesus seemed to imply that God was more interested in saving social rejects like the widow of Zarephath and Naaman the Syrian (both of whom were Gentiles).  

Shirley Murray’s song connects with Luke 4 in a number of ways

• Luke 4 talks about Jesus being good news for the poor and the oppressed
• Star Child is a song which highlights the needs of the poor & oppressed
• The chorus expresses the ‘now but not yet’ of salvation

This year, this year, let the day arrive, when Christmas comes for everyone, everyone alive.

On the one hand God’s salvation and kingdom have arrived in the person of Jesus but the fruit of that salvation is yet to mature and be realised

• The world we live in is still filled with the poor and oppressed
• Christmas is not good news for everyone
• For some it only highlights their need and what they don’t have
• We pray to God, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven’,and we wait in hope.

If the first verse of the song is about Jesus, then the next three verses are about us. Verse 2 reads…

Street child, beat child, no place left to go, hurt child, used child, no one wants to know,

This verse seems to be addressing the reality of homelessness and being displaced.

• Beat is another way of saying street. The police walk the beat
• Beat also hints at violence and being beaten up
• For a variety of reasons family violence tends to spike at Christmas time
• Sadly, some young people feel safer on the streets than they do at home

Thinking about the connection with Jesus’ story I am reminded of how, shortly after Jesus’ birth, an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream warning him to take his family to Egypt for a while

• This was to escape king Herod who felt threatened by the news of Christ’s birth and sought to manage the situation by killing all the babies in the area under two years old. Talk about child abuse.

The line no place left to go connects with what Jesus said to a would be follower, in Matthew 8 verse 20: Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.

• Jesus knew what it was to have no fixed abode.   

The last line in verse two of the song is intriguing: hurt child, no one wants to know. This speaks of rejection and abandonment and neglect

• To get to know someone you have to spend time with them
• Children need the time and attention of caring adults. Not every waking moment, but often enough for a healthy relationship to develop.
• Consistently enough for the child to know they are safe and valued

We are reminded of the story in Mark 10 where the disciples try to shoo the children away and Jesus rebukes his disciples saying…

• Let the little children come to me for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.
• Jesus welcomes the little children and, by his example, encourages us to give them our time

Verse 3 of the song continues the theme of harsh reality…

Grown child, old child, memory full of years, sad child, lost child, story told in tears,

This verse makes me think of the child within each of us

• It is perhaps more of a modern psychological idea
• If you go to counselling, you will probably be asked about your childhood and once those memories are unearthed you may be asked to take care of that child in you  

To some extent the experiences we had in our childhood stay with us into adulthood

• All of my grandparents grew up during the Great Depression of the 1930’s and they went without
• This experience stayed with them and, consequently, they were careful with money, always making sure they had some put aside just in case
• They didn’t want to go through that same experience of deprivation again 

Story told in tears is an interesting line

• It speaks of someone who doesn’t tell their story in words, so much as reveal the sadness of their life through tears
• Blessed are those who mourn. They shall be comforted

Each of us is telling ourselves a story to help make sense of our lives

• We need to make sure the story we are telling ourselves is true 

Once there was a girl named Stacey

• Stacey grew up in an average middle class kiwi home
• Both her parents worked hard to pay the bills and provide for their family
• One day Stacey’s mum left, she ran off with another man
• Her father was devastated of course
• He stayed around to provide for his kids and he did his best but he was struggling with his own grief and that limited his emotional availability  

Stacey was the eldest of three children and so she did what most eldest siblings do in a situation like this – she stepped up and took responsibility

• Stacey cooked the dinner and made the lunches and read stories to her younger brothers
• She made sure her dad knew about the important stuff like paying the power bill and remembering the boys’ birthdays
• Stacey worked hard at school, got lots of excellence credits and thought about going to Uni at Otago but put that aside so she could stay home and look after her family
• Stacey appeared like the model daughter. Always taking care of everyone else’s needs. Never really attending to her own. Not properly.
• Stacey sacrificed her childhood to be a mother to her father and brothers

One day a young man became interested in Stacey. He was kind, handsome and from a good family

• The young man asked Stacey out and they started dating
• Things seemed to be going along nicely at first but whenever he tried to get close emotionally Stacey put up a wall
• She never really let him in. There was always a distance there.
• The young man would have stayed around but Stacey ended the relationship, saying they could still be friends, but knowing in her heart that wasn’t going to happen
• When he asked her why, Stacey couldn’t find the words to tell him how terrified she was at the way love made her feel so vulnerable

You see, Stacey was telling herself a story – a story told in tears. It went like this: ‘I am to blame for my mother leaving. I am responsible for that.’

• The story was false of course. No one else was blaming Stacey for what her mother did.
• Stacey was just 13 at the time, it was nothing to do with her
• But Stacey needed to believe she was to blame in order to feel safe
• As long as she was responsible, she was in control of the situation
• (Or at least that’s what she thought)
• Facing the truth that she had no control over her mother, that her mother’s leaving had nothing to do with her, was just too scary, too painful
• It made her feel powerless & vulnerable, like being in love with someone
• But if Stacey told herself it was her fault, that she made it happen, then in a twisted way she felt like she had some control over her circumstances
• Taking responsibility for everyone else helped to support the illusion.   

Sometimes when we are going through a difficult situation we tell ourselves a lie, to protect ourselves, just to get through that situation, but once the situation has passed we need to tell ourselves the truth and the truth may be a story told in tears

• Jesus came to set people free. We are set free by the truth.
• Jesus helps us to face the truth so we are not afraid to love and feel vulnerable

It’s Christmas time, so I can’t leave Stacey’s story with a sad ending

• Some years later the young man, who had asked Stacey out, returned
• He was still single, still holding a flame for Stacey
• In that time apart (a time of waiting) Stacey’s heart was touched by Jesus and she figured a few things out
• Now Stacey was able to tell herself a new story. It went like this:
• ‘I am not responsible for the choices other people make. I am only responsible for the choices I make. My mother’s leaving was a gift. It showed me who I am; strong, loyal, compassionate.’  
• With this new story Stacey was no longer emotionally closed off.
• Yes, she was discerning about who she trusted but she was also ready to love and be vulnerable.
• The young man asked Stacey out again and this time it worked out – they were able to get close to one another

Verse 4 of the song reads…

Spared child, spoiled child, having, wanting more, wise child, faith child knowing joy in store,

This verse draws a contrast between those who have too much (and for whom things come too easily), with those who are made to wait in faith

• Ever noticed how God often makes us wait
• Sometimes he answers our prayers quite quickly.
• Other times he says ‘no’ or he says nothing
• Waiting is God’s way of teaching us to value something
• When things are given to us too easily we tend to take them for granted
• But when we are made to wait, we value the gift (and the giver) more
• Not always getting what we want shows us what we really need

Advent is about waiting for the coming of Christ

• Waiting is not easy.
• Waiting in faith for test results
• Waiting in faith for your surgery
• Waiting in faith for the baby to come
• Waiting in faith for the pain to pass so your body and soul can heal
• Waiting in faith for Christ to touch your heart with God’s love & truth so you are free to be vulnerable and love again, without fear.

Yes, waiting is difficult but there is hope and joy in the waiting

• Knowing joy in store speaks of the joy of anticipation
• Joy is the positive energy that comes from hope

The song finishes in the same way that it started, by focusing on Jesus

• The first verse was all about Christ and so is the last

Hope-for-peace Child, God’s stupendous sign,

down-to-earth Child, star of stars that shine,

Jesus is our hope for peace – peace with God, peace with each other and peace with ourselves

• The Biblical idea of peace (or shalom) is more than the mere absence of conflict. The peace Christ gives is the presence of abundant life
• Jesus said: I have come that they may have life and have it to the full [2]
• Abundant life is life worth living, life at its best
• We are yet to realise the fullness of life and peace that Jesus came to bring – but we wait for it, knowing joy in store   

God’s stupendous sign is a phrase that may need some explanation

• Stupendous does not mean stupid or dumb
• Stupendous means surprising in a pleasing way, generous, better than expected, large or extravagant 
• Jesus surprises us in a good way, he reveals the extravagance and generosity of God’s love
• God’s love is deep and wide – deep enough to heal the hurt child within you and wide enough to embrace those a market driven economy rejects

Let’s stand and sing Star Child now, and as we do I invite you to feel the words

• Let them in.
• What line or verse is God impressing upon your heart?
• What is God saying to you today?

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[1] http://socialreport.msd.govt.nz/paid-work/unemployment.html

[2] John 10:10b