Today, the Christian world is in a festivity mood, “for unto us a Son is given, a prince of Peace, wide is his rule in a peace that never ends” (Isaiah (9:6-7). Ordinarily, the birth of any child is a cause for joy, happiness and a sign of hope, and we usually hurry to visit the parents to congratulate them and offer our gifts of good will to the new born child. Today we celebrate Christmas, the anniversary birthday of the world’s most important Person. That important person is Jesus our savior. Christmas is a day when we turn our thoughts and attention towards that unprecedented event in the city of – the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ who gave meaning and brought hope to our earthly existence. It is a day in which God fulfilled the promise he made centuries earlier through his prophets: “behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuel” (Isaiah 7.14). God is with us.
Although Christmas is traditionally associated with rejoicing, dancing, eating and merriment, And we look upon it as a season of goodwill, it is unfortunate that more than 2000 years after the birth of the savior our lives in this world continues to be lived in tensions, fears, anxieties and worries. It is quite true that when Jesus first appeared it was acclaimed that he scattered the darkness of this world as we read from the Bible “the people that walked in darkness saw a great light” Isaiah (9:1) and good is said to have triumphed over evil. The angel tells us: “I bring you news of great joy, a son is born for you, and he is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10), the prince of peace, but when we look at the world around us we seem to be in more troubles than in peace, particularly in our state Plateau state. We only have to read newspapers, or switch on our TV sets and we will see hatred, tension and conflicts in our society, our country, homes and our neighborhood. Every thing seems to be violence and peace seems to be a distant reality. This has made some of us to ask where the peace that Jesus brought to us at his birth? Does it mean that Jesus who is God has failed? Not at all!
In reality, Jesus is the final hope for us and indeed for the whole world no matter how anxious we have been about our condition, the condition of our world and what have you. His birth is the beacon of hope, a sign that new life is possible for you and me. With the celebration of the usual annual tradition of carols, exchanging cards, lights on Christmas trees, presents and the baby Jesus sleeping in his little crib come to live again. But the problem with us is that we stop at the surface level with these traditions, which have come to be associated with the Feast. While the event should grab our minds and imaginations to carry off in flights of joy and glory, we must try and see Jesus beyond the manger and hear his voice echoing through the ages. Just as Jesus fulfilled the hopes for peace of all the prophets, so he fulfils our hopes for peace and even more. In fact, He does not only fulfill our hopes He also gives us the power to bring peace on earth. If only each person, each father and mother, if only each husband and wife, son and daughter, if you and I realize that the power to bring peace now lies in our hands then Bethlehem, the world, our country and our families will truly experience peace. As we hear the Christmas story today, let us try and see ourselves as part of the casters in the drama, part of the people taking active part in the unfolding of the drama. We should see ourselves walking either with the shepherds or with Herod, or the religious leaders, the wise men or even with Joseph and Mary… We are all in the story somewhere. We should try to ask ourselves the question how do we react to the proclamation “I bring you news of great joy. Today a savior has been born to you?”
When Herod heard that the Messiah had been born he was disturbed. The presence of this infant king of the Jews was a threat to him and his throne so he shook with fear and anger. Even the chief priests and the scribes of the people who should have been the first to head for Bethlehem and find things for themselves at the slightest hint of the birth of this extraordinary child, had no interest in what God was doing in their land. They were too busy with the religious affairs of the time that when this great event for which they waited for a long time and, prayed for in their own way happened, it passed them by unnoticed. Would Jesus pass you today unnoticed as well?
Speaking about Jesus passing us unnoticed could we listen to this story of an old woman who lived all alone. Each year as Christmas drew near she would sigh and lament her loneliness, wishing that some people would visit her. Since nobody would visit her, she decided to pray to the baby Jesus and his mother requesting that they pay her a visit. Finally the baby Jesus appeared to her in a dream and told her that her prayer had been heard and that the Holy Family would visit her on Christmas day. Oh! How excited she was! She began cleaning and polishing everything in her house sparkling clean in preparation for the divine visitor. She cooked her best dish and baked her best cake in readiness for the visit of Jesus and his mother. Who knows, maybe if she pleased them well enough, they might decide to stay on and live with her.
When Christmas day finally arrived her house was sparkling clean. Everything was in place to give her divine guests a befitting welcome. She sat by the door and read a book, just to make sure the visitors would not have to ring the door bell twice before she would open the door and let them in. It was a cold and rainy day. At about noon she spotted a gypsy couple in the rain making their way to her house. The man was a dirty and unshaved man and behind him was a thinly clad woman who was nursing a baby that was crying in the rain. “Why can’t these gypsies just get a decent job,” she said to herself. Then she screamed at them, “Turn back, turn back immediately. Come another day if you like. Today, I am expecting very important visitors.” The gypsy family turned back and left. The woman continued to wait.She waited all day and no divine visitors showed up. At sunset she fell asleep on the chair and there in her dream was Jesus. “Jesus,” she screamed, “how could you disappoint me? You said you were coming to visit me for Christmas and I waited all day and you never showed up.” “But I did show up,” replied Jesus. I came with my father and mother in the rain and you turned us away.” The end of the story. Who will you invite to share the Christmas meal with you today?
The feast of Christmas tells us that the child of Bethlehem, born in the obscurity of the Judean hills did not come to rule or to control. He did not come with a love of power, but with the power of love. He came in poverty and manifested Himself to the poor so that we might be enriched by his life and by his teaching. He taught us that there is greatness in humility, glory in service, and power in self-surrender. He revealed the goodness and kindness of God to a world where selfishness, hatred and divisions were, and still are all too familiar. By his example he showed that we, his disciples should also follow the way of peace and love, the way of kindness and service, the way of consideration and generosity. The harshness of the circumstances into which Jesus was born should make us ever be aware of the painful and tragic experiences of our own world. The thought that Jesus came to save and relieve suffering, is a challenge to all of us to continue his work, by making our little contribution to the task of healing human broken-ness, by fostering peace and harmony in human relationships, and by bringing a little light into the darkness and confusion of the world we know. Let us make the birth of Christ continue to bring joy to our world. I believe that you and I can do this, when we allow our exchange gifts, our cheerful greetings and joyful hymns, the treasured texts that tell of having a party and inviting those who will never be able to reciprocate. We could begin to take that seriously, perhaps beginning in a little way, this Christmas by being kind and good to others simply in order to give thanks for the goodness and kindness God has shown to you and me. May the occasion be to us another opportunity to model the kind of behavior that is appropriate to the followers of Jesus all the year round in generosity and cheerfulness, in self-forgetfulness and humility, in love and kindness, in tolerance and patience with one another. And may the peace of Christ reign in our hearts, in our homes, in our state, in our country and in the world at large! Amen.
Happy Christmas to you all!
+Ab Matthew Audu – Jos
