Lester Start’s Works

1The Christmas Story

Lester Start.

December 23, 1979

First Baptist, Kalamazoo

I remember a December afternoon many years ago. I was in my room at the Divinity school preparing a Christmas sermon for a church in the Adirondacks. On my desk was a beautiful Christmas card with the manger scene vividly illuminated by the late winter sun coming through the leaded glass window. I had been looking at it, thinking about that traditional happy scene, and then I turned to my writing for several minutes. When I glanced up again, to look at the manger scene once more - it was serving as a nice background to my meditations - the sun had shifted, and now was shining across the mullions or leaded divisions of the glass window, so that now, in paler illumination I could see the manger scene - but across it cast from the leaded mullions was now to be seen the black shadow of a cross. The mark of the cross covered the manger scene. It bothered me. And I thought of the comment of the choir director at Old Forge, how much she loved Christmas, and loved to prepare Christmas music. It’s also happy and positive, not like Easter, you know.

And I have been bothered since by the way we separate Christmas and Easter and tend to value Christmas more because really it is Easter that lies at the center of our faith and Christmas has been a kind of afterthought. Much of its traditions are of pagan origin. The Pilgrims refused to celebrate it. The earliest Christians were filled with the good news of the risen Lord. It is only later that they began to look to his earthly origins. The earliest Gospel, Mark, has no mention of the Christmas story. John speaks of the pre-existent Logos, Word, as made flesh in Christ. But this is a mystical notion unrelated to the birth stories. Matthew and Luke alone tell of the birth in the manger. Luke has most all of the familiar details. Matthew tells the story of the wise men. (Current Newsweek magazine has an interesting article) But the important thing to remember, however, when they did look back upon the birth of Jesus, it was from the vantage point of the Easter faith, and the baby Jesus is seen against the context of the whole drama of his life and death and resurrection. We can not separate this early happy scene from later events. The shadow of the cross falls across the manger, because the cross symbolizes the kind of Messiah, the kind of Savior Jesus was to become, against all the expectations of the Jews and the Romans of the time. It is this contrast that the birth stories of Jesus are intended to point out and emphasize in dramatic and powerful symbols.

If we really appreciate looking at this event through the eyes of the early Christians at their pointed history, we will have to look at the events of the story in a new way. Instead of a sentimental scene of the “holy infant so tender and mild” we have a proclamation of the Savior, in the new Christian faith with important revolutionary social and political as well as theological implications. Roman and Jewish ideas of a Savior.

First of all, let us note the reference to Caesar Augustus at the very beginning of Luke’s account. “There went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.”. Caesar Augustus was emperor of all the civilized world. Caesar Augustus was Caesar’s nephew Octavius who, following his uncle’s murder and some fifteen years of grievous civil war, emerged as sole ruler after his victory over Antony. After this victory in the year 29 B.C. his first official act was to close the temple of Janus, the double faced god of war. He called himself “Augustus Divi Filius” - Augustus son of the divine - this was translated as son of God in the East. Earlier, the poet Virgil in his Fourth Ecologue - in 42 B.C. - announced the birth of a world savior. Was this a reference to Octavius who was to become the Emperor Augustus? At any rate, Augustus did all he could to appear as Savior, to realize a reign of peace. He began the famous Pax Romana, Roman peace - built the great Ara Pasis Augustae, the great Augustan altar of peace in nine B.C.. And according to a famous inscription found in the Greek city of Priene in Asia Minor, the good news of the birthday of the Savior and God who now appeared - Caesar Augustus - was proclaimed to the whole world. He was the Savior who brought to the broken world peace, prosperity, happiness, a new era.

And the Roman efforts were impressive. Aside from minor troubles with a minor Jewish sect, and growing troubles on the borders, the Roman peace was a fact for centuries. Some of you may have seen the current film, the “Life of Brian” a Monty Python comedy set in the days of Jesus. Some of it is offensive, but there is one funny scene, where a group of Jews are talking together, asking “What have the Romans ever done for us”. Well, there are the roads, - the streets are safe - aqueducts - sanitation - education. Yes, but aside from all that? The true point that underlies the comedy is that the Romans did do much for their conquered peoples; their road system was unequaled til railroads, but they could not bring true salvation. Caesar was not the Savior God - Caesar was not the Messiah - and there was good reason for the early Christians to refuse to acknowledge the emperor as Savior and good reason for them to face persecution for conscience’ sake. Augustus was not God. Much less where all of those successors including Caligula and Nero - those figures that the TV series “I Claudius” portrayed so chillingly, gods or saviors. Nor was Diacletian, the tyrant, who was probably ruling when Luke was written, a Savior, a god. He was busy persecuting Christians.

Now with all this in mind as a background, the Christmas story takes on vast dimensions and added meaning embracing the whole Christian message. Let us look at the familiar story again.

There is the star of hope and promise, the Star of Bethlehem. Everybody knew a star appeared when the great King was to be born. This was an old idea. What is new is that this star points to the baby in the manger, and a different kind of king and Savior - not like Caesar. The baby is born of woman. Then there are yet the shepherds the example of the faithful, nameless ones who follow the star of hope, to where the child who is to be Savior lies. This is in contrast to the powerful names of Caesar Augustus emperor, Cyrenius governor of Syria, and Herod procurator of Judea.

There is the symbol of rejection by his own people. There was no room for them at the inn. There is the evidence of Roman political persecution. Herod seeks out the innocents to slay them that he might kill the one born to be king. But the humble nameless ones come to worship. And the wise men of the East symbolize the spreading of the faith - which Paul already had begun -to all of the Gentile world - not just to the Jews. And the imagery of animals at the manger scene is, of course, a reminder of the prophecy of Isaiah - when the lion shall lie down with the lamb and - a little child shall lead them. All of this, together with the star, suggests that this King, this Savior, has cosmic significance. His world transcends the political world of Rome, embraces all of God’s creation and connects with the divine source that John identifies as the Word. This of course, is all promise. Immediately, there is the pain and privation of the manger crib, the symbol of suffering and need as opposed to Roman opulence and ease. But the promise is there.

What then is the good news, beyond this contrast of the true savior with false Roman gods? It is that Jesus as Savior fulfills the old covenant, appears as the new Moses. This is suggested by the flight into Egypt. The infant Jesus connects with the infant Moses. The annunciation stories to Mary, Zechariah, and Simeon all have the language of the prophecies of the Old Testament pointing to a Messiah, a leader, a king.

And the meaning of the new way of salvation shines through these documents. The humble shall be exalted, the hungry fed, the imprisoned freed, the lame and blind healed.

In the magnificat Mary exclaims -

He hath scattered the proud,

He hath put down the Mighty from their seats

and exalted them of low degree.

He hath filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He hath helped His servant Israel,

in remembrance of His mercy.

There will be a new order of life founded on the love of God and the brotherhood of man. “Glory to God in the highest and on earth, peace, good will toward men”. (That is the proper translation) Instead of an illusory Pax Romana, based on increased taxes, escalating armaments, false prosperity for a few, suffering for many - there is now the promise of the true peace of God based on devotion to God and His righteousness - not an earthly king, but a little child, whose way of life is to show us to God.

The Christian message shines all the clearer when we see it in contrast to the peace of Rome. And the message today is the same. We must trust in the power of love to triumph ultimately. This can and does involve suffering. But the way of hate is certain destruction. And there is evidence that in the tense world of today’s situations, the spirit of moderation, recognition of others and their right to be, a growing sense of the need for world cooperation based on human needs and possibilities is in the ascendancy. Terror is being seen as self-destructive and cannot long prevail. There is growing hope for moderation in Iran. There are those who remember that if the US supported the Shah, it was the removal of that support that removed him.

In the dark streets shineth the everlasting light. In the dark skies still shines the Star of Hope. Above all, it is love that will ultimately triumph - it is love that must rule on in our hearts. The shadow of the cross falls over the manger scene in that Christmas is fulfilled in Easter. But the cross then becomes illumined to show the power and triumph of God’s creative love. This is the promise of the Christmas story. Love came down at Christmas in a little child.

Eternal God, who has brought us once again to this happy season when we commemorate the birth of Thy son, Jesus - grant that His spirit may be born anew in us the day, that we may welcome Him into our hearts and lives. O holy child of Bethlehem descend to us, we pray. Cast out our sin and enter in. Be born in us today. We pray in the name of Jesus, our Lord.

Christmas prayer.

Eternal God, thou who art the creator and sustainer of life, we give Thee thanks for this holy season. We thank Thee for the star of hope and peace that shines brightly in a world filled with the darkness of hopelessness, violence and suffering. We thank Thee for the promise of something new, a baby born in the manger, destined to be Lord of all and Savior of us all. Give us the faith to know that it is with the gentler virtues of love and mercy that lies the ultimate triumph over suffering and sin.

We hear the message of Christmas with gladness - we pray that the promise of the angels - on earth peace, good will toward men become a reality. We pray that the Christian message will guide the leaders of our country, that the Christian promise of liberation through love be fulfilled in us all, but especially we pray for the deliverance of our fellow citizens held hostage. May the spirit of love and mercy we associate with this season break down barriers of hate and suspicion and unite men everywhere in a common respect for human dignity and decency.

May everyone everywhere feel the message of Christmas. Let every heart prepare room for the birth of Thy Son. May gladness shine in every home. May Thy light shine into every room, every hospital, every place of confinement. May it find every lonesome or lost person and banish discouragement or vain regrets. May we join the choirs of angels, sing in exultation - glory to God - Joy to the world - and may we feel in the quietness of our hearts as Christmas fades away to continual wonders of God’s love. We pray in the spirit of Christ.