In reading about the times, I discovered it was the same as modern history: full of war and treachery and violence.
Turn to 218. No wonder these words were penned:
And ye beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low, who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow, look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing. O rest beside the weary road and hear the angels sing.Out of this gloomy view of how ordinary people experienced life, and realistic indignation about how people of wealth and influence squandered their lives towards selfish, greedy, and power-hungry projects, Christmas was born.
From the very beginning Jesus was defined as a political alternative: namely, a good King -- whose ways are "just and true."
Look number 219. The question is simple, What child is this? And the answer is straightforward: This is Christ the King, meaning, a Messiah and a Savior with political and economic goals.
219: WHAT CHILD IS THIS? -- This, this is Christ the King, whom shepherds guard and angels sing; haste, haste to bring him laud, the babe, the son of Mary.It would have been enough, more than enough, simply to call Jesus the Christ, which means the Messiah, the Saviour. To call him "king," too -- to say, in answer to the question, "This is the King" -- has profound political and economic ramifications, since it was the king's responsibility to tend to the well-being of the people. The writers of the Christmas carols were simply echoing what the Bible says, namely, Jesus the babe was born to be a true king -- the best king ever, straight from heaven!
239: Silent night, holy night, wondrous star, lend thy light; with the angels let us sing, Alleluia to our King; Christ the Savior is born (2X).This belief that Jesus was a political challenge got the early Christians into trouble. In Acts 17 (1-10) we read:
"Paul and Silas went in to a synagogue, and on the the sabbath argued, "This is the Messiah, Jesus whom I am proclaiming to you." Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews became jealous, and they attacked Jason's house, and they dragged Jason and some believers before the city authorities, declaring, "These people are acting contrary to the decrees of the emperor, saying that there is another king named Jesus." The city officials were disturbed when they heard this. That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas off to Beroea.218: "Solemn" means grave and serious; sober, not frivolous. The angels were bringing a message that would provoke deep and prayerful thought.220: Come and worship, come and worship, worship Christ the newborn -- King.
It came upon the midnight clear, that glorious song of old, from angels bending near the earth, to touch their harps of gold: "Peace on the earth, goodwill to all, from heaven's all-gracious King." The world is solemn stillness lay, to hear the angels sing.
It's hard for us to imagine the impact that calling Jesus "king" had on the first Christians. We don't have a king. We have a President, and a Governor, and a Mayor. Has anyone here been brought up having a king? You see, it's a strange word. If the word of the carol were different, we might get the point:
WHAT CHILD IS THIS? -- This is the President. At last we're going to have a good President -- for a change!
If we sang it that way every Christmas, we would be much more conscious of the challenge -- and the provocation! -- which these songs represent. These sentiments are subversive in the most profound sense. They represent a radical alternative to the prevailing order and values and ways of doing politics and economics. If all Christians for 2000 years had been brought up with this consciousness of being loyal to Jesus and not to the prevailing political and economic powers, we'd be living in a much better world today.
King Herod understood that and that's why he ordered the massacre of the innocents.
The story of Jesus is the story of a king from beginning to end. At the beginning the 3 Magi come asking, "Where is he who is born king of the Jews?" (Mt x:xx)
On Palm Sunday, the people cried out, "Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, mounted on a donkey." (Mt 21:5)
When he was executed, the inscription on the cross read, "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews." (Mark 15:26)
And at the end of the bible, in the book of Revelations, he is hailed "King of Kings and Lord of Lords!"
What kind of king is this? "Just and true are his ways." (Rev 15:3)
Let us keep alive the tradition that Jesus Christ is our President, our boss, our CEO, our Congressperson, our Mayor, our cop, our military, our Defense Department, our chief of Staff, and -- our Leader.
Amen.
Christmas Eve Candlelight service:
"O Come to Us, Abide in Us"