“The Lesson of Jabez Dawes”
Text: Luke 1:26-38
a sermon by Kevin Fleming
December 21, 2014
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - EVANSVILLE, INDIANA
For some time, we have witnessed an annual collision – a smashing
together of two Christmas traditions. The first victim in the crash is the
fellow in the red suit. The other victim is God.
We seem to get them confused with each other. At least, they seem to
share many of the same characteristics. Both are omniscient – all knowing
– beings. “He sees you when you’re sleeping, he knows if you’re awake.”
Both are supreme judges – “he knows if you’ve been bad or good.” Both
listen to what people “want” and are supposed to be in charge of meeting
those needs.
Ogden Nash, the great American poet, wrote a wonderful little piece,
entitled, “The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus.” I would not suggest it
for children, but there are plenty of parents who would probably get a
chuckle. I won’t read you the whole thing. We’ll leave rhyming sermons
for later in the week. But it begins, “In Baltimore there lived a boy, he
wasn’t anybody’s joy. Although his name was Jabez Dawes, his character
was full of flaws.” Simply put, Jabez Dawes was a pure terror. “He hid
old ladies reading glasses,” “his mouth was open while he chewed,” “he
stole the milk of hungry kittens.” But Jabez’s worst offence was that he
did not believe in Santa Claus.
Well, don’t you know, that the time came when Jabez and Santa Claus
stood face-to-face. Here’s how Nash describes the encounter and the
consequences:
© 2014 Kevin Scott Fleming
What was beheld by Jabez Dawes?
The fireplace full of Santa Claus!
Then Jabez fell upon his knees
With cries of ‘Don’t,’ and ‘Pretty Please.’
He howled, ‘I don’t know where you read it,
But anyhow, I never said it!’
‘Jabez’ replied the angry saint,
‘It isn’t I, it’s you that ain’t.
Although there is a Santa Claus,
There isn’t any Jabez Dawes!’
Said Jabez then with impudent vim,
‘Oh, yes there is, and I am him!
Your magic don’t scare me, it doesn’t’
And suddenly he found he wasn’t!
From grimy feet to grimy locks,
Jabez became a Jack-in-the-box,
An ugly toy with springs unsprung,
Forever sticking out his tongue.
The neighbors heard his mournful squeal;
They searched for him, but not with zeal.
No trace was found of Jabez Dawes,
Which led to thunderous applause,
And people drank a loving cup
And went and hung their stockings up.
All you who sneer at Santa Claus,
Beware the fate of Jabez Dawes,
The saucy boy who mocked the saint.
Donner and Blitzen licked off his paint.
Wow! A vengeful, unforgiving, merciless Santa Claus! No grace, no
compassion, no forgiveness. You’re on the “nice list” or on the “naughty list”
and there’s nothing old Santa can do. Yikes!
Little wonder some in the Christian family find it so easy to believe that
God is just like that – saving some and condemning others. Little wonder
those who think they are on God’s good list get a little puffed up with pride as
they decide who will be on God’s naughty list. Little wonder so many
Christian preachers spend so much time talking about the unquenchable fires
of hell and so little time talking about the unquenchable love of God.
This sadness is made all the more profound when we consider the story
that is at the heart of our worship this morning. It’s the story of a young girl –
perhaps as young as her early teenage years – and her encounter with an angel
of the Lord. As we move forward, may I suggest that we remember that this is
a story and not a literal happening? Let’s avoid the temptation to say that this
is exactly how it happened. We don’t know. In fact, when you travel to
Nazareth, there are two places in town that are claimed to be the location of the
Annunciation. One has a church built over it. The other is the town well. No
one knows the where or when of any of this, which may lead us to understand
the story in a more helpful manner.
But, the story goes that Mary is visited by an angel who tells her that she is
to be the mother of God’s own child – the Promised One – the Messiah. Mary
raises a few questions – good questions – obvious questions. But at the heart
of what the angel tells Mary is this single sentence: “Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.” That’s an amazing statement – so
amazing that many think it is unique to Mary – that Mary is the only person to
ever hear such words. “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with
God.”
The simple truth is that those marvelous words are spoken to all of us
through Mary. God does not find us off-putting, distasteful, or abhorrent in
any way. God is not disgusted or repulsed by us, as some suggest. God is not
watching to see when we mess up and putting our name on some naughty list.
At the heart of our story for the morning is the very heartbeat of the
Christian gospel. As Christian people, we believe that God is with us – for us
– desiring the very best for us. God’s love for us lifts us from mundane and
monotonous existence and gifts us with authentic life, which we experience in
abundance – a life that is really life as God intended it in the first place. Our
story for the morning reminds us that God comes to us in personal and intimate
ways, meeting us where we are, meeting us as we are, meeting us in ways that
change us and, through us, change the world, bringing it back to the course
God had set for it so long ago.
Our story for the morning reminds us that there is such a thing as grace –
that unconditional, unrestricted, unreserved love of God. Our story reminds us
that no matter what we have done – and no matter what we have left undone –
God still wants to be in partnership with us, still wants to be connected to us,
still wants to be joined to us. Our story of the Annunciation still reminds us
that God has work for us to do and that God will be with us in accomplishing
that work, even when it seems that we are totally incapable of rising to the
challenge set before us – “for nothing will be impossible with God.”
So, what is the lesson of Jabez Dawes? Well, one lesson is that it probably
is best not to diss Santa Claus. Evidently, according to Ogden Nash, Santa has
a bit of a temper and will turn you into a jack-in-the-box if you are found to be
without sufficient belief. The lesson of Jabez Dawes goes on to teach us that
Santa has no problem with punishment.
But, at a much deeper level, the lesson of Jabez Dawes is found in
reflecting on the lack of love and grace that seeps from the pages of Nash’s
poem. Jabez Dawes and his story could not be further from the truth of the
gospel. The words of the poem gift us with a time of reflection on what we
can really believe and how we can really live.
Contrasted to Jabez and his story, the story of an angel coming to a teenaged girl with the news that, through her, God is about to do something new,
brings us hope and joy. God can use regular people – like you and me – to do
exceptional things. God calls each of us to some new thing – some new action
– some new way of living – and through our acceptance of that calling, God
promises to continue doing exceptional things in our world and in us.
And there – right there – is the wonder of the Christmas story. Through
imperfect, flawed, and fallible folk – like you and me – God’s work of grace
goes on. Through God’s faulty folk – like you and me and all the other Jabez
Daweses of the world – God’s message of love, peace, hope, joy, acceptance,
and abundant life goes on and on and on.
Which means that God’s work to bring all things together in the perfection
of Jesus Christ is the good news for now and evermore. Amen.