“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.“When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds (Luke 2:10-18).
Along with being way too familiar with the Christmas story, we are also way too use to the Christmas story as we celebrate it—our own seasonal habits. We are now accustomed to juxtaposing the revealed story with the commercialism, tinsel, and lights of a holiday season made for our economy rather than our souls. Although America can still boast of a vast population of believers, society as a whole would prefer that we keep our “religion” and Jesus out of the public life—out of school boards, out of government, out of the bedroom, etc. But not out of the major retail season of the year. Even when they attempted to take the word “Christmas” out of the stores, they kept the “spirit,” the Christmas-grin from the invisible Christmas-Cheshire cat. They want just enough belief to treasure the concepts and images of a virgin birth, angelic choirs, and that baby in swaddling cloths in a manger to make sure people are inspired to buy, buy, buy. In an article entitled, “The History of Christmas,” G. K. Chesterton describes how it is that modern man has exchanged the wonder of the Christmas story for commercialism:
“Moving step by step, in the majestic march of Progress, we have first vulgarised Christmas and then denounced it as vulgar. Christmas has become too commercial; so many of these thinkers would destroy the Christmas that has been spoiled and preserve the commercialism that has spoiled it.”
We are in danger of exchanging the wonder and worship for comercialism
Luke 2, part 1...
Posted by Chip Anderson at 06:00 AM. Filed under: In the Margins • Gemara (expository notes) •
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