Hark, the herald angels sing,

Isaiah 9: 2--7 [1--6, TNK]

If we take off our (rose-colored) Christian glasses before opening the Hebrew Scriptures, we run the risk of reading the text the way YHWH intended it to be understood. To that end, then, hear the Prophet with Jewish ears:

1 The people that walked in darkness
Have seen a brilliant light;
On those who dwelt in a land of gloom
Light has dawned.

2 You have magnified that nation,
Have given it great joy;
They have rejoiced before You
As they rejoice at reaping time,
As they exult
When dividing spoil.

3 For the yoke that they bore
And the stick on their back--
The rod of their taskmaster--
You have broken as on the day of Midian.

4 Truly, all the boots put on to stamp with
And all the garments donned in infamy
Have been fed to the flames,
Devoured by fire.

5 For a child has been born to us,
A son has been given us.
And authority has settled on his shoulders.
He has been named
"The Mighty God is planning grace;
The Eternal Father, a peaceable ruler"--

6 In token of abundant authority
And of peace without limit
Upon David's throne and kingdom,
That it may be firmly established
In justice and in equity
Now and evermore.
The zeal of the LORD of Hosts
Shall bring this to pass.

We Christians like to think of ourselves as The people that walked in darkness; the Gentiles, the reviled, the poor and outcast, the down-trodden. But you may want to review chapters 5--8 to see whom the Prophet was talking about. And then you may not be so eager to have your name associated with them:

And it goes downhill from there.

Psalm 96

Good advice, right? But what victory did God win on Christmas day?

The Psalmist affirms that the peoples have their gods, which means that Christians do, too. What, who, are the Church's idols? What, who, are the gods of your congregation? What, who, are yours?

Interestingly, the Psalmist's response to that fact of life echoes YHWH's reply to Job. Both cases seem like non-sequiturs to us. Or does that fact point out a deficiency in us?

Many Christians-- especially we in "the west", have difficulty with verses such as these. We balk at being told to Bow down; our God of Love would not abuse anyone like that, so we may dismiss this as an ancient, out-dated concept. And the terms LORD and king rankle our sense of a sex-less God, so we Declare among the nations, "God is leader!" Glory, majesty and sovereignty hardly exist in our vocabulary, so these, too, are merely meaningless ancient thoughts. Or do they point out some deficiency in us? Why must God descend to earth and be born, one like us, in a stable?

Titus 2: 11--14 [-15] [suggested]

For the grace of God has dawned upon the world with healing for all mankind (11). Be attentive to the verb: God's grace has dawned over the world like the morning sun, spreading light and warmth on everyone indiscriminately. [T]he grace of God is everywhere, radiating healing for all mankind unconditionally. But you, of course, still have your free will. You can, if you wish, stay inside with the doors shut and shades drawn. It is possible for you to deny yourself the blessing of light and warmth and healing.

Strangely, a lot of people choose to do so. We shake our heads and wonder why. May I suggest that, for many, the reason is that the Church has preached the next verse?

...[W]e are disciplined to renounce godless ways and worldly desires, and to live a life of temperance, honesty, and godliness in the present age (12). How many persons stay away from church because the message they have heard is that Christianity is like a lifetime of Lent: you have to give up everything that is pleasant and enjoyable. And, in the not too remote past, at least, this was a prominent proclamation from the pulpit.

Now the problem is not that the Apostle is too demanding. The problem is that this verse, and others like it, have been preached as if they were the central focus of the Christian faith. But that is not so. Rather, we hear the Gospel in v.11: For the grace of God has dawned upon the world with healing for all mankind. The discipline is not an end in itself, but by [God's grace] we are disciplined to look forward to the happy fulfilment of our hope when the splendour of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus will appear. (13) These are your themes; urge them and argue them with an authority which no one can disregard. (15)

Remember, my friend, today is Christmas, the day that the grace of God has dawned upon the world with healing for all mankind; the day Jesus is born. Now the vital question for you is this: was Jesus born in a stable in Bethlehem, or in your heart?

Luke 2: 1--14

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone round them. They were terrified (9). "Silly geese," we think. "God is love. They shouldn't have felt afraid." But it is we who are mistaken. Should you suddenly encounter the glory of the Lord, you would do well to be terrified, for God is coming to rule the earth and to judge the world.

Remember Job, and the Psalmist. And James' Good News.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Charles Wesley.

2. 2 Haiku poem by Phil Gilman. Please feel free to utilize anything by me; just give God the

Glory, Praise and Thanks and me whatever credit may be due.

(Comments to Phil at ENAPXH@aol.com )