Sermon Notes for Holy Innocents/ 1st Sunday of Christmas | Revd. Walter Macdaniel Nakan
Sermon Notes: Sheltered by Grace; Love in a Dangerous World
Date: 28 December 2025 | Preacher: Fr. Walter Macdaniel Nakan
Scripture: Isaiah 63:7–9; Hebrews 2:10–end; Matthew 2:13–end
Introduction: Two Kinds of Politics
● Human Politics: Often driven by a desire for leverage, power-plays, and self-absorption (as seen in King Herod).
● God’s Politics: Defined by grace, service, and the protection of the vulnerable.
● The Big Idea: God’s love persists even when human systems become dangerous or abusive.
1. Love in Action: Protection as a Shield
Love is often viewed as a feeling, but in the Gospel, it is a protective action.
● Divine Initiation: God initiated the flight to Egypt to shield His Son. Often, what feels like a "disruption" or a "forced move" in our lives is actually God pulling us toward safety.
● Love as a Warning: Sometimes, God’s love doesn’t look like a hug; it looks like a warning to leave what is toxic or spiritually harmful.
● Reflection: Where is God calling you to "flee" from today to protect your spiritual life?
2. Love in the Conflict: The God of the Furnace
The Massacre of the Innocents reminds us that evil is real and life-threatening.
● God’s Presence in Lament: The Gospel is silent about God stopping Herod, but it is loud about God’s presence in the weeping. Rachel’s tears are gathered into the heart of God.
● The Fourth Man: Like the friends of Daniel, we may find ourselves in the "furnace" of life. God does not promise a problem-free life, but He guarantees His presence in the fire with us.
● Resurrection Hope: While the innocents died for Christ to live, in Christ, they—and we—find the promise of eternal life.
3. The Path: Love that Leads Home
God’s guidance is persistent. He led the Holy Family not to a palace in Jerusalem, but to a lowly town called Nazareth.
● God of the Lowly: God identifies with the despised and the insignificant.
● Immanuel (God With Us): He is present with us in our Exile (Egypt), our Sorrow (Bethlehem), and our Insignificance (Nazareth).
Conclusion: The Church as a Refuge
The story of the Holy Family fleeing for safety is a wake-up call for us. The Church is called to be a safe-refuge—a place that stands apart from the evils of the world to affirm the ever-presence of God to those who are battered and weary.
Key Thought for the Week:
"The presence of evil does not eliminate God’s love. Instead, God’s love is the strength that carries us through the fire."
Sermon Notes: Diterabai ulih Pengasih; Pengerindu ba Dunya ti Jai
Haribulan: 28 Disember 2025 | Preacher: Fr. Walter Macdaniel Nakan
Bacha: Isaiah 63:7–9; Hebrews 2:10–ujung; Matthew 2:13–ujung
Jaku pemuka: Dua bansa Politik
● Politik kitai mensia: Suah beduduk ari pengingin ke kuasa, deka bekuasa atas orang bukai, enggau semina ngerundingka diri empu aja (baka Raja Herod).
● Politik Allah Taala: Dikelala ari pengasih Iya, penyiru, enggau penyanggup Iya nyaga orang ti lemi tauka kurang.
● The Big Idea: Pengerindu Allah Taala tetap meruan taja pen atur mensia balat ngerusak ke pangan diri.
1. Pengerindu diayanka: Diterabai Pengerindu Allah Taala
Pengerindu suah dikumbai pengasai ati, tang dalam Injil, tu mai reti pengawa Allah Taala ti ngelindung.
● Allah Taala ti mungkal: Allah Taala ti mungkal ngasuh Josep seduai Maria lari kena ngelindung Anak Tunggal Iya. Selalu, utai ti dikumbai kitai “penanggul” tauka “diangkatka” enggau paksa nya kebatang iya chara Allah Taala mai kitai lari ari pengerusak ngagai selamat.
● Pengerindu nya lalau: Kekadang pengerindu Allah Taala nya ukai asai ke diberap; iya baka tangkan tauka lalau awakka enda tepejuh ba utai ti tau ngasuh pengidup roh kitai rusak.
● Perundingka tu: Allah Taala ngasuh nuan “lari” ari ni sehari tu awakka pengidup roh nuan tau likun?
2. Pengerindu dalam Konflik: Allah Taala dalam Serumbung Api
Bala nembiak mit ke mati dibunuh ngingatka kitai penyai nya nyata lalu tau ngasuh bebadi.
● Allah Taala bisi dalam sabak nuan: Injil nyangka nadai madahka kitai bakani Allah Taala nagang Herod, tang Allah Taala terang ayan ba maya sabak. Ai mata Rachel “ditimbun” Allah Taala dalam ati Iya.
● Orang lelaki ke-empat: Baka bala pangan Daniel, kitai nyangka ngasaika diri ditikau ngagai “serumbung api” ba dunya tu. Allah Taala enda besemaya ke pengidup ti nadai penusah ba dunya tu, tang Iya besemaya deka enggau kitai dalam api nya.
● Pengadang ba Pengangkat ari Mati: Taja pen bala nembiak nya mati awakka Kristus tau idup, dalam Kristus, sida enggau kitai mega—deka ngasaika pengidup ti meruan.
3. Jalai: Pengerindu ti mai nuju jalai pulai
Iring Allah Taala tu tetap. Iya ngulu ke sida sebilik ukai pulai ngagai Jerusalem, tang nengeri ti mit benama Nazaret.
● Allah Taala ba orang ke baruh: Allah Taala semak enggau orang ke dipegedi sereta nadai guna ba mata dunya.
● Immanuel (Tuhan enggau kitai): Iya bisi lebuh kitai nyadi Kampar (Ejip), lebuh Sinu (Bethlehem), sereta ba maya kitai ngasaika diri Enda diguna (Nazaret).
Simpul Ajar: Gerija nyadika Kuta endur Belindung
Cherita sida sebilik tu ke lari ari penyai patut nyadika cherita ti tau ngerak kitai. Gerija dikangau awakka tau nyadi pala endur beteduh—endur ti diserara ari penyai dunya ke patut ngayanka Allah Taala endang nyata bisi ngagai bala ti tasah sereta lelak dipangka penguji dunya tu.
Batang runding ke minggu tu:
"Pengerindu Allah Taala enda lenyau taja pen penyai bisi ba dunya tu. Tang kebendar iya, pengerindu Allah Taala meh pengering ke tau mai kitai meraka api nya."
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