Sometimes
Christmas is not all that it is cracked up to be. We like to sing about a
silent night but the reality is something very different. It always has been.
When Christ was born, it was anything BUT quiet. Or peaceful.
Palestine and
every other country in the Mediterranean was ruled by the Roman Empire, and,
even though Caesar was supposed to have been divinely ordained to bring peace
and salvation to the whole world, the empire had been rocked by murder and
civil war. Conquered people, like the Jews, were kept in line by threats of
attack by the massive Roman army. In Israel, Herod was installed as King,
cities were named after Caesar, and Jewish priests were required to make
sacrifices to him. Numerous Roman temples and fortresses were built, and the
Jews were taxed to pay for all of it.
That is why Mary
and Joseph were in Bethlehem that night. The governor of Syria had decided to
count all the citizens, presumably so he could make sure everyone was paying
taxes. And, for whatever reason, Quirinius thought it was a good idea to make
everyone return to their home towns in order to be counted.
It was a HUGE
inconvenience. It’s not like they could jump in a car and make a quick road
trip. For Joseph and Mary, it meant walking 100 miles, over mountains to the
Sea of Galilee and then south through the desert until they reached the rocky
hills of Bethlehem. It was a difficult journey, and a dangerous one. Thieves
often attacked travelers on the road. But none of that mattered to Quirinius,
as long as he got what he wanted.
He did not care
about the Jews. To be honest, no one did. The Romans and their supporters had
all the power. They owned most of the land, and they were the only ones who
could hold political office, so their interests were the only ones directly
represented in the government. The rich lived luxurious lives in the city. They
rented out their land in the countryside to tenant farmers, who paid
substantial rents and taxes. But the tax revenue was not used to build schools
or improve roads, things that might benefit the poor. Instead, it was all used
to further the interests of the rich. International trade also focused on the
desires of the rich. And, even though others worked the land, rich land owners
decided what crops to plant. Of course, they wanted to make the most money
possible, so they favored cash crops instead of growing food that the poor
could live on. As a result, most people were constantly in danger of hunger or
starvation. Since most farms were too small for workers to make a comfortable
living, some became day laborers to make ends meet, but work was not steady.
Farmers and tradesmen often fell into debt, and failure to pay could be
disastrous. The debtor and his family could be sold as slaves, or they might be
tortured or imprisoned to force other family members to pay the debt. Anyone
without family was extremely vulnerable.[i]
But those were
not the only problems facing the people of Israel. God had not spoken to them for 400
years. There had been no word from God, no new prophet, since Malachi.[ii]
And their own nation was divided. Four different groups sought to lead the
people. Riots were common, and everyone lived in a constant state of stress and
anxiety.[iii]
On top of all
that, they lived in a highly structured class system that declared some more
honorable than others. Associating with anyone less honorable could bring shame
on your whole family.
That’s the world
that Jesus was born into. A world of poverty, prejudice, injustice and
violence. That’s the reality of Christmas. Jesus was born in the midst of
chaos. In the midst of confusion. In the midst of noise. He was born in a tiny
town that was overrun with weary travelers. To parents who were dirty, tired
and disgraced. To a nation that was occupied by a powerful enemy. To a land
where the rich and powerful exploited the poor and weak. The Son of the Most
High God was born into a dangerous and difficult world. But he came! He came!
Just as God promised! He came!
Jesus was born
like us, into a world full of sin and death and disease. Into a world of
conflict and crime and conceit. Into a world that celebrated strength. Jesus
was born. He was born as a weak and vulnerable child. Helpless. Defenseless.
Completely at the mercy of God and man.
This is the
reality of Christmas. It’s messy. It’s scary. It’s hard! It’s life.
And life is what Ebeneezer Scrooge needed to see. He had lived for far too long behind carefully
constructed walls that kept the world at a distance. So the Ghost of Christmas
Present came and commanded Scrooge to come and see and know.[iv]
Then the Spirit
showed Scrooge the world as it truly is, which is what the Spirit will do for
all of us, if we are willing to open our eyes and see. That night, Scrooge saw
hard work and joy. Simplicity and beauty. Poverty and grace. Everywhere there
was hardship and peace. Miners on a bleak desert moor. Lighthouse keepers on a
dismal reef of sunken rock. Sailors on a black and heaving sea. They knew what
Scrooge had failed to see.[v]
The Son of God was born into their world. Jesus had come to save them from the
chaos. Jesus had come to them.
Sometimes
Christmas isn’t all that it is cracked up to be. We need to see. We need to see
the hardworking people around us. The poor. The lonely. We need to see those
who are separated from their families. Those who are sick. Those who are in
prison. We need to see those who will spend Christmas in a shelter or passed
out on park bench or dancing in some strip club. We need to see. We can no
longer turn a blind eye to the world around us. Ignorance brings destruction.
But the good
news of Christmas is that Jesus Christ is born! He has come like us to live in this
world, in this present reality. Right here where we are. Wherever we are. Whoever we are.
The angel told
the shepherds living in the fields, “I am bringing you good news of great joy
for ALL the people!” Even for dirty shepherds who were considered unclean,
unworthy, and unacceptable. To YOU is born this day a Savior!
We cannot turn a
blind eye to the world because Jesus is in the world. Jesus has come to save us
ALL. Jesus has come into our turbulent world to save us from the chaos. Jesus
has come to give us peace. Lord knows, we need it.
On Tuesday, August
16, 2005, Brother Roger, the founder of a Catholic community in Taize, France,
was stabbed to death during a prayer service. While the brothers were praying,
a Romanian woman emerged from the congregation and murdered the 90-year-old man
in his wheelchair. At his funeral service, the brothers lifted up the name of the murderer and asked God to forgive her.[vi]
They found peace in the chaos. Jesus gave them peace.
We may not
witness murder, but are witnesses daily to the suffering of others. Sometimes,
we are the ones who suffer. To all of us, the angels sing, “I bring you good
news of great joy! To you is born this day a Savior! Glory to God and on earth
peace.”
[i] Much of the history is from “The Life and Times of First-Century Palestine.” Published on the St. Mary’s
Press website at www.smp.org/resourcecenter/resource/4011/.
Copyrighted 2010 by St. Mary’s Press. Downloaded December 19, 2016. P 7.
[ii]
David Schrock. “Darkness: The World in Which Christ was Born.” Published
December 12, 2011 on the Via Emmaus website at https://davidschrock.com/2011/12/12/darkness-the-world-in-which-christ-was-born/.
Downloaded December 19, 2016.
[iii]
Schrock.
[iv]
Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol.
New York: Scholastic Book Services, 1962. 57
[v]
Dickens, 60-77.
[vi]
Matt Rawle. The Redemption of Scrooge. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2016.
Location 1153, Kindle edition.
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