“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:14) These words, sung by the angels when Jesus Christ’s birth was first announced, resonate during the Advent Season, bringing hope and joy in the midst of human suffering and anguish.
Sri Lanka has been through probably the most disastrous year in its history. From a model South Asian country to be emulated, it became a byword for failure, corruption, and rampant inflation. The common man struggled for the basics of living: cooking gas, petrol, and coping with lack of rations; the poor struggled for their very existence, marked by hunger, lack of food for infants and children, etc. We thank God that things are now recovering slowly, but the pain and vivid memories will remain for some years.
At such a juncture only a message of peace, goodwill, and hope can sustain us: What is this message? That God entered a broken world to restore man to Himself. As St Augustine said, “The only Son of God, having become the son of Man, makes many sons of men the sons of God.” Christmas brings a message of comfort and peace to suffering humanity. When we ask Jesus, “Do you know anything about our suffering?” He gently replies, “Yes I do.” So as you try to celebrate Christmas through bitter memories, remember that Jesus knows and cares for you. It is in the Cross that we understand that He knows!
The message of the good news of Jesus’ birth came to shepherds who were in the fields watching over their flocks. God chose to share the message of Jesus’ birth with lowly shepherds. Perhaps the message to the shepherds was to show that God loves the humble and meek. From the lowly shepherds we move to consider the wise men.
The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the wise men or Magi coming from the East, following a Star to Bethlehem (Matthew 2:1-12). These wise men were astronomers and astrologers. The gifts they offered (gold, frankincense, and myrrh) showed that they were wealthy men. The visit of the Wise Men shows the other spectrum of the people to whom the Message came - it came for those who were educated, intelligent, wise, and rich. In short, the message of Christmas is for everyone! As Apostle John writes, “. . . to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). We see this in the Christian church.
In the early centuries of the Christian era vast numbers of men and women became Followers of Christ from all walks of life: from the Roman Imperial household, from influential wealthy families, and also, a majority from the community of slaves. Slaves were not simply labourers: some were even better educated than their Masters, they were tutors, stewards, and even physicians; they were taken captive in wars and sold to wealthy Romans. Slaves found the Christian message liberating!
Jesus was born when the Roman world was experiencing Pax Romana (Roman Peace) – roughly a two hundred year period of peace, but this peace was primarily for Roman citizens. Since the Roman Emperor was worshipped as a deity, Christianity was considered an illegal religion. Severe persecutions marked the beginnings of the Christian Church, until the Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in the early fourth Century.
During those difficult years of persecution, hundreds of martyrs laid down their lives for the faith. Despite severe persecution, the Christian religion spread throughout the Roman Empire! How was it possible for an outlawed religion to multiply so rapidly? It was by Christians living out the teachings of Jesus, by doing good works, and by loving one another.
The promise for you this Christmas is not that you will not have troubles, but that you will have peace in the midst of trouble. Jesus said: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33b).
May this Christmas be meaningful to you as you find that you can trust the Prince of Peace – the Lord Jesus Christ!
(The writer is Principal Emeritus, Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Dehradun, India)
Add new comment