Going home is an annual dominant theme at Christmas time and it should be. Perhaps more than ever Christians especially need to be reminded that we are not at home in this society. In two other articles this past week (Servant And Christmas and Frodo And The Suffering Servant) I have looked at Isaiah 53. Now let’s borrow this famous biblical passage once more this Christmas day to think about going home. And not just for the holidays. 
 

You see the suffering servant has a special role. By the very nature of their prophetic witness other folks experience the home left behind, the kingdom of God. Only a beaten down, bruised up savor, can help us understand the gentle, forgiving, generous nature of our God. False god’s ask people to sacrifice to the god’s selfish desires, the Real God sacrifices for us. Like good parents who go out of their way to make the homestead inviting to their children by cooking, cleaning and decorating for Christmas, God paves the way through the wilderness for our return home. And, just as my parents even paid my families airfare so we could join them over the holidays years ago, God continually pays the price to bring us home now.

How stupid we American Christians are to feel that this society, this culture we often lend our flag waving support to, is our home. Again, harking back to theologian Walter Bruggemann’s book Hopeful Imagination: Voices In Exile, I like what Walter writes about Jesus’ style of teaching:

"Jesus invites his listeners to a homecoming, for he insists that this kingdom is in fact one’s true home. Every other place, no matter where, is a place of exile and alienation. That is why we know about ‘restless hearts’ and "social unrest." These stories are an offer of genuine rest, at home."

There is no place as lonely as Christmas without a home to go to. More people commit suicide during the holidays than at any other time of the year. Yet, while we who have homes to go to, embrace the blessings – and sometimes curses! – of belonging, we should also remember that we Christians are indeed exiles in the wilderness. For the kingdom of God is not at home even in a country with generally good intentions like the United States of America. If the kingdom were here our nation would act the role of the suffering servant rather than military conqueror. We would seek to redeem the convicted rather than jail them off the street and execute them. God’s kingdom is an open table with no immigration limits.

Probably no nation will ever really be able to govern like the kingdom of God. But the kingdom of God exists only in small amounts when Christians reject the armor of the suffering servant offered by Jesus and instead take up the weapons of the world. And by weapons I don’t mean just guns and smart bombs. Think of personal relationships where we put ourselves above the needs of others. The times when we feel attacked by friends or foes and strike back rather than feel the pain of the other person. The power of holy war for the suffering servant comes not from killing, but from an ethic of dieing for the wellbeing of the other person.

That’s crazy you say. Living like that would never work in this world. And you know what, you’re right. But this world is not our home. Christians should know that. And we should also know that Jesus expects us to be cleaning this place up for the real home coming that’s on the way. This is the eternal message of Second Isaiah and the suffering servant.