“Is THIS Part of Christmas?”

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 26th 2010
First Sunday of Christmas
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Matthew 2:13-18; Luke 2:22-40
“Is THIS Part of Christmas?”

If we listen too closely to the voices of our culture we might believe that Christmas is over and we should move toward Valentine’s Day. However, the Christian calendar is slightly at odds with the Julian calendar. For Christians, Christmas has only just begun. The season of Christmas will last for twelve days. As a child, I felt this strange tension, even if I could not name it as such.
I think this was most evidenced in the letdown on Christmas night. Once all the presents had been opened and everyone settled in for their afternoon nap, the anticipation gave way to sadness. After all, there was nothing left for which to look forward. As I got older and the excitement of Santa Claus faded to the background, Christmas seemed to lack all the magic it once had. The joy, the lights, the signing, the parties, and the food began to feel a bit strange. I was not bitter or disappointed; it was that something deeper seemed to be missing.
When the experiences in our life no long hold the magic and power they once did, we look toward the past nostalgically. Or, we try and recapture the past by doubling our efforts with practices and customs meant to re-create a past feeling or experience. In the end, neither of these will bring about hoped for renewal. So then, what are we to do? One way could be to engage the current battles surrounding, “Merry Christmas,” or “Happy Holidays.” No matter who is victorious in the battles will find that the results were less than satisfying. In fact, I believe Christians ought not to rely on the outside culture to be the bearer of our faith traditions. Instead, there is a treasure trove just waiting for us to discover in the scriptures. Focusing on the scriptural stories of the birth of Jesus is a more fruitful enterprise and a better stewardship of our energy and resources.
While joy is the emotion most associated with Christmas, the announcement of Jesus’ birth brings fear to the Herod and all Jerusalem. Even those who rejoice must first be told not to fear. Next week we will talk about the Magi and the response of the community to the announcement. Today, I want to focus on a part of the story mention a story that is often lost in post Christmas lectionary.
I have often wondered if the placement of this story, our scripture from this morning, in the lectionary is deliberate. After all, the Sunday immediately preceding a major holiday means attendance will be down. So by placing this story here many people will never connect the death of children with the birth of Christ. And while the placement of this scripture on a Sunday when many will be away is not deliberate, it has some unfortunate consequences.
The full story of Christmas involves all sorts of things not really designed for a Christmas pageant. After all, “Mommy, what is a virgin?” is a question that can lead some parents to blush. Imagine what might happen if we include the destruction of all the male babies because of the birth of Jesus. “Why would someone want to kill Jesus?” or “Why did God let all those babies die?” And that is just the beginning. But while those questions and this scripture do not seem to fit with the Christmas story we know, it actually fits uncomfortably well. That is, if we tell the whole story.
When God chooses to enter into the world in human form it is not in the royal palace and there is no official royal decree. The bloodline of the child is suspect and Nazareth was a backwater town in a region known for political unrest and bandits. The announcement is made to people employed in professions not well thought of, shepherds were rather suspect individuals. And a group of people who watch the stars came to worship him as well. On top of this, the title and announcement of this child’s birth was seditious. To proclaim a new King was grounds for execution unless you had the army to back it up. In other words, by the time we get to the story of the killing of innocent children, we should not really be all that surprised.
When Herod seeks to uphold his power by killing children-babies, it does not seem to give him pause. Whatever is necessary to keep order in the empire is justifiable. That is the morality of empire. Since the local population could not be trusted to hand over this family and child from Nazareth, a message had to be sent. Anyone who helps this child will pay a price. Anyone who is not with us is against us. So when God’s love enters the world in the form of a child, death and destruction is the world’s response. The message of Christmas is indeed God’s love, but it is also the world rejection of that love.
Now, if you are a student of history, you might want to point out that there is no historical record of the massacre of babies in Bethlehem under the reign of Herod. I would certainly concede that point. So, I believe we can do two things with this historical reality. The first is theological and the second is a comment on practical politics.
The birth of Jesus is not merely a new story. When Moses was born, babies died. Moses lived and helped to set his people free. Jesus too will set his people free and so much more. The emphasis being that what is happening in Jesus is part of God’s ongoing action of liberation for the whole world. So, the historicity matters less than the theology.
However, from a practical political perspective there is something worth considering. Is it possible that a world power, or for that matter a local vassal king, might not give historical record to such atrocities? Is it possible for hundreds of children and babies to disappear without the world recording their deaths? Have innocent people been killed and their stories never been told? Indeed, that is probably more the norm than the exception. So what are we to do with this part of the Christmas story?
I do not think it is necessary to add King Herod to the manger scene we so often argue about in the public arena. Instead, I believe we need to look for ways to expand the story that is told. God entered and enters the world in times and places where life is a struggle. When kings rise up and abuse people, when food is scarce, when love is atrophied, and where fear reigns. These are the places when God acts. God is not waiting to act in places of perfection and endless joy. When we face times of uncertainty and trouble, when the authorities of this world act is capricious ways, and when our communities come apart at the seams, that is where the Christmas story is most as work. Christmas is not about putting on a happy face and singing carols when you do not feel like it. Christmas is good news because it comes in bad news times. And when that becomes the story we tell of Christmas it is then we can sign because we know death and sadness does not have the last word. It is then we can join with others to work for peace and justice without the hope of results because we know the results are in God’s hands. When this is the Christmas story we know, the end of gifts is not the end of joy but just the beginning. May Christmas continue in our hearts and our lives. Amen? Amen!