Not That Complicated (Advent 7, 2023)

There’s a difference between not complicating the very simple message of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and what’s going on in the city of His birth this Christmas. 

Church leaders have made the decision considering the war in a totally separate area of the West Bank (Gaza) to eliminate all “unnecessarily festive activities.” 

Bethlehem is listed as located within the “State of Palestine” having gone from “Palestinian Controlled Occupied West Bank” to the “State of Palestine” in a flash of the Internet.  139 UN countries have recognized it even since the October 7 Hamas attack upon Israel.

The Church leaders in the area wrote,
 “Therefore, We, the Patriarchs and Heads of the Churches in Jerusalem, call upon our congregations to stand strong with those facing such afflictions by this year foregoing any unnecessarily festive activities,” the patriarchs wrote. “We likewise encourage our priests and the faithful to focus more on the spiritual meaning of Christmas in their pastoral activities and liturgical celebrations during this period, with all the focus directed at holding in our thoughts our brothers and sisters affected by this war and its consequences, and with fervent prayers for a just and lasting peace for our beloved Holy Land.”

Uh, all the focus?! The spiritual meaning has absolutely nothing to do with just and lasting peace in the Holy Land and the afflictions faced by residents therein. 

The spiritual meaning is that the Messiah, Savior of the world was born.  From the Jews, for the world.  Shouldn’t we celebrate it all the more in a world of trouble…because it’s a spiritual hope?

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But far from the spiritual meaning, the Church leaders write, “Instead, by edict of the Patriarch and Church Heads of Jerusalem, this December will be very much like that first Christmas 2,000 years ago. No gifts, no celebrations, no fireworks or festivities– Just a babe born on a deep winter night under a bright star.”

Questions for further thought:

Just a babe? Just….a…babe?  “Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” (Luke 2:11-12)

He wasn’t just a regular babe.  He is the Son of God.  How does that make His birth different?

No celebrations of His birth 2000 years ago?  What did the angelic choir do?  “Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:13-14). Pipe down, you angels, there’s a war going on.

How does this action by so-called church leaders subsume the eternally significant birth of the Messiah under the politics of the moment and fail to witness to the world true hope and peace found in the preeminent importance of His birth being “From the Jews, for the world?” It makes you wonder, are these “church leaders and patriarchs” even Christian at all?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, forgive us for the cowardice, blindness, and irresponsibility of those in leadership in our churches.  Forgive us for elevating them and diminishing You.  As You said to the Samaritan woman at the well, “”If you knew the gift of God and Who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:10) Lord, we ask that You will turn this for Your glory.  That You would send unquenchable fire in our hearts, and eternally living water for our souls, that there would be celebrations on earth and in the heavens to display unmistakably for a watching world… that the festivities are far from “unnecessarily” festive, but rather true unrestrained rejoicing of a cosmos in the birth of our Messiah, and that You are Lord.  We celebrate You.  We look forward to Your return and celebrate Your saying You will come again soon.  Amen, Come, Lord Jesus.

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Acknowledging inquiries about an entire season’s devotionals for your study group’s planning purposes, Seminary Gal’s prior seasons’ Advent devotionals can be accessed via the archives to the right and are as follows:  

• “Awaken Remnant” was the devotional topic for 2022. It began November 27, 2022, and highlighted the remnant found throughout Scripture as evident in Jesus’ lineage.
• The multi-faceted Interlude between the promise of a Deliverer and the birth of our Messiah and King was the theme of 2021’s devotional series. It is archived beginning November 28, 2021.
• 2020’s Devotional Series Divine Intervention began on November 29, 2020 and explored God’s activity on behalf of a hurting world and nations in tumult– Intervention for you and for me when our status as sinners required nothing short of a miracle.
• God’s Christmas list explored what might be on God’s Christmas list, learning what He wants from us. It began December 1, 2019.
• Storyteller began December 2, 2018 and entered into the Christmas story through its telling.
• The 2017 series Still Christmas, began December 3, 2017 and was the Advent complement to the Lenten series, Be Still and Know that I AM God.
• The 2016 season devotionals were called “Timeless: The Message of Christmas for All Ages” and explored how the message of Christmas is timeless truth, for all ages of people, and for all ages at all times.  Timeless hope, encouragement, grace, peace, and love as we looked into the Word, saw the face of our Lord Jesus, and experienced restoration in His presence.  His goodness and His Gospel are truly Timeless. The 2016 devotionals began November 27, 2016.
• The 2015 season devotionals were titled Incarnation and involved digging deep–and yes, I mean deep– in this important mystery of Christian theology.  They began November 29, 2015.
• Carol Me, Christmas! remains one of my most popular offerings and tells the Christmas story through our most beloved Christmas hymns and carols.  You can access all of the numbered devotionals from 2014 via the archives.  They began November 30, 2014.
• The 2013 series was Emmanuel: When LOVE Showed Up in Person and examined the Prologue to the Gospel of John.  It began December 1, 2013.
• The 2012 series focused on Expecting the Unexpected…the unexpected, unlikely, and uniquely divine qualities of God’s perfect plan outlined in Luke’s account of the Christmas story.  It began December 1, 2012.