Christmas is just around the corner and it is time to go back to Luke 1 and 2 and hang out with the shepherds in the field, the heavenly host, and baby Jesus in a manger. This download pack will give you visual resources to tell the familiar story in new ways. Enjoy!

What About Matthew?!?

For those of us who follow the Narrative Lectionary, we are in the Gospel of Matthew this year. Why don’t we preach from Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth on Christmas?

Great question. Here are a few notes about that:

• Why not? Matthew’s version of Jesus’ birth is just as valid as Luke’s. It’s radically different, but it is equally awesome.
• Our culture, thinking particularly about those of us descended from Western European Christendom and the 20th century capitalization and commercialization of Christmas, has sentimentalized Luke’s version of the story. Therefore, it is very difficult for people to not associate Christmas Eve and/or Christmas morning with shepherds and sheep.
• The liturgical calendar is an attempt to bring together (harmonize) the two birth stories of Matthew and Luke. Therefore, the nativity story of Luke’s Gospel generally kicks off the twelve days of Christmas and Matthew’s story ends the celebration on Epiphany with the arrival of the Magi.
• Special Note: DON’T PUT THE MAGI WITH THE SHEPHERDS!!!! I know this is scandalous for those who deeply revere their nativity scenes, but let’s at least make this commitment to the bilbical narrative. Matthew and Luke tell radically different stories. They each paint a different portrait of Jesus. Let’s let them each tell their own story in their own way.

Explore the life of Jesus as a graphic novel. I’ve spent the last four years illustrating each Gospel: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These are not dramatic re-tellings of the stories. Think of these books as an illustrated summary of the texts. They are designed to help you see the passages as you read them in your Bible.