Advent Thoughts, #10
We cannot overlook the fact that the Christmas story is essentially happening in the Old Testament time. The Old Testament permeates everything about the nativity, even though it is the beginning of the end of the Old Testament period. I thought about this this morning while studying Abraham for a Sunday Bible class lesson. The Jewishness of the story is all through it.
The old Christmas carol, "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" (the comma is important here; I used to think it was "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen;" obviously, the point is that when you are reveling in Christmas cheer, Rest and don't be dismayed that your reveling is the purpose of Christmas) says:
In Bethlehem, in Jewry, the blessed babe was born.
Nobody would call Palestine "Jewry" today; in fact, it sounds a little racist if not politically incorrect. But the line is essentially right--he was born in Jewish culture and religion, and we miss the full meaning if we try to divorce the story from that. Angels, prophecies, temple, circumcision, Bethlehem, house of David--every inch of Luke 1-2 and Mathew 1-2 are about these.
At the same time, I wonder if one of the things Mary pondered in her heart was whether all of that was coming to an end? Or at least, the spiritual supremacy of Judaism. Definitely when Simeon say Jesus and said he would be the light to the Gentiles.
Although my mother said that people called my great grandfather a little Jew, I figure I'm a Gentile. (Just like my eighth-Cherokee lineage, I am white.) We all walk the line between immersing ourselves in appreciation for what the Jewishness of Jesus means and that he didn't stop there.
The old Christmas carol, "God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen" (the comma is important here; I used to think it was "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen;" obviously, the point is that when you are reveling in Christmas cheer, Rest and don't be dismayed that your reveling is the purpose of Christmas) says:
In Bethlehem, in Jewry, the blessed babe was born.
Nobody would call Palestine "Jewry" today; in fact, it sounds a little racist if not politically incorrect. But the line is essentially right--he was born in Jewish culture and religion, and we miss the full meaning if we try to divorce the story from that. Angels, prophecies, temple, circumcision, Bethlehem, house of David--every inch of Luke 1-2 and Mathew 1-2 are about these.
At the same time, I wonder if one of the things Mary pondered in her heart was whether all of that was coming to an end? Or at least, the spiritual supremacy of Judaism. Definitely when Simeon say Jesus and said he would be the light to the Gentiles.
Although my mother said that people called my great grandfather a little Jew, I figure I'm a Gentile. (Just like my eighth-Cherokee lineage, I am white.) We all walk the line between immersing ourselves in appreciation for what the Jewishness of Jesus means and that he didn't stop there.
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