BIBLE STUDY #25

CHRISTMAS

December 25, 2010

Gospel                     Luke 2:1-14

In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus
that the whole world should be enrolled.
This was the first enrollment, 
when Quirinius was governor of Syria.
So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town.
And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth 
to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, 
because he was of the house and family of David, 
to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child.
While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child, 
and she gave birth to her firstborn son.
She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, 
because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields 
and keeping the night watch over their flock.
The angel of the Lord appeared to them 
and the glory of the Lord shone around them, 
and they were struck with great fear.
The angel said to them,
“Do not be afraid;
for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy 
that will be for all the people.
For today in the city of David 
a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord.
And this will be a sign for you: 
you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes 
and lying in a manger.”
And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel,
praising God and saying:
“Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

The Gospel of the Lord

Reflection

I am reflecting on the gospel for the midnight mass. The Ordo (The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist 2011) tells us all we need to know about mass and it states, “The readings from any of the Christmas masses may be used according to the pastoral needs of each celebration.” Here at St. Joseph’s, we use this gospel at all masses.

If you look at the other gospels, you will see why we do this. The gospel for the vigil mass of Christmas is Matthew 1:1-25, which is the genealogy of Jesus. The gospel for the mass at dawn, well, it doesn’t really matter to me because I would never do a mass at dawn, anyway. The gospel for Christmas Day is the Prologue of John’s gospel (John 1:1-18) and has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus. The gospel for midnight mass (above) is what people want to hear at Christmas, so for pastoral reasons, this is what we read. We are preaching on it, wee might as well read it.

The gospel starts out mentioning a decree that all should be enrolled, that is, a world wide census, each to their own town. This census is not confirmed in non biblical sources, so the scholars aren’t sure if it ever happened. More importantly, it was common knowledge that Jesus grew up in Nazareth. Luke is getting Jesus to Bethlehem for theological reasons. According to Matthew’s Gospel, chapter 2, the Magi visit King Herod and ask where the newborn king of the Jews is to be born; the chief priests and scribes told him in Bethlehem. They quote the ‘prophet (Isaiah, maybe?): “And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; since from you shall come a ruler, who is to shepherd my people Israel.”

Jesus is also born in Bethlehem for Christological reasons, that is, his identity as the Christ, the Messiah. The Messiah was supposed to come from the house of David and be of his lineage. Having Joseph as his father takes care of the lineage, as Jesus was known as the son of David; and he was born in Bethlehem, as befits someone who is to follow David as a great ruler. Just as David brought Israel to its height as a worldly power, Jesus brings all of us to our height in the spiritual sense. And, just as in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus is fulfilling all the prophecies about the messiah.

Jesus birth seems anticlimactic. Luke states it almost blandly, “While they were there,
the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son.”  We need to read this passage in the context Jesus being born in the Roman Empire of the royal house of David but, more importantly, he is born of poor parents in a stable that contrasts with the political world around him. Jesus as the Savior and Messiah has nothing to do with earthly gains or aspirations, but of establishing a kingdom for all; here we see an aspect of universalism: the kingdom is meant for all, not just a few.

Jesus is the first born son, not in the sense that Mary had other children, but that Jesus had all the rights and privileges of a first born son; and that all who follow Jesus in the future claim Mary as their mother.

Jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes could be an illusion to the book of Wisdom chapter 7, where Solomon, also a son of David, was wrapped in swaddling clothes; it is a reference to Jesus future kingship. Being laid in a manger (a feeding trough for animals) shows Jesus identification and membership in the family of the poor. It is what we would now call a “preferential option for the poor.” We have a king who is poor in the world’s eyes, but incredibly rich in God’s eyes.

The proclamation of the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds was more than just an announcement; it tells us who he is and what his mission is. When the angels appear, the shepherds are fearful, but are told not to be afraid because of the good news of great joy that a savior has been born. The shepherds go to see for themselves, and it is the wonderment caused by a king being born humbly that is good news (gospel): God has come to earth for all people. The angels refer to Jesus as savior, the only time this happens in the infancy narratives in the synoptic gospels. Here we see Jesus as savior, the one who comes to save us from our sins. Already the shadow of the cross looms over Jesus.

As inheritors of what Jesus began, we too need to proclaim the gospel to the entire world. We need to live our lives in such a way that the light of Christ is evident in our lives. I am convinced that one reason the Apostles were so successful was that people could see that belie fin Christ made a big difference. They may not have understood why, but it was so apparent that others wanted it. Can people say that about us?

When I look at all the event surrounding the Christmas story, I see the impossible becoming reality. The Annunciation, the Visitation, the birth of Jesus, and all the events surrounding this great story are beyond the realm of possibility. It doesn’t make sense in a strictly human context. A virgin becoming with child by the Holy Spirit? A woman beyond child bearing years having a son? A baby boy who is also the Son of God? It’s only through faith that we can believe all this. And believing it is a great sign of hope, isn’t it. Hope that God loves us so much to send his son to save us from our sins; hope that this life has more meaning than we can see or touch or feel in this world; and a hope that we can feel God’s peace and happiness. And a hope that the things we think are impossible can become reality. Will I ever stop grieving the loss of a loved one? Yes, with Go’s help. Will I ever be able to forgive the one who hurt me? Yes, with God’s help. Can my life get better? Yes, with God’s help. Christmas tells us that dreams are possible, that the impossible can become reality. As they say in the NJ Lottery, “Give your dreams a chance!”  Put yourself in God’s hands and see what miracles happen.

My all time favorite Christmas movie is “Scrooged” with Bill Murray, who plays a modern day Scrooge who believes Christmas is a fake and all for kids. He is visited by 3 ghosts (past, present, future, as in the original movie), and has a change of heart. He now believes in Christmas, or as he says, “Now, I get it!”

What he gets is that Christmas is not about getting, but about giving. It’s about helping those in need in any way they need help. Jesus was born to give to us; he loves us even when we turn away and he gives whether we want it or not. We carry on that great tradition when we love God and others.

In the most poignant part of the movie, Bill Murray says something like, “Christmas is the time of year when you become the type of person you always wanted to be.” Or I would say the type of person God always wanted us to be.

“Getting it’ is a wonderful feeling which can’t be duplicated in any other way. And, like Bill Murray said, the more you feel it the more you want it. And it is something that can be carried all year round if we just believe in Jesus.

I believe in Christmas because I believe in hope, and I believe in dreams, and I believe in love. Believe in the Lord and let the spirit of Christmas change and bless your lives.

Fr. Phil