The Nativity of the Lord Christmas
Today's Scripture
I think it strikes just the right note that so many Christmas carols emphasize the poverty of the baby Jesus. “Away in a manger, no crib for a bed.” “Once in Royal David’s city, in a lowly cattle stall.” And many of them make the connection between the singer’s own situation and that of Jesus: “Baby Jesus, I am a poor boy too.” “What can I give him, poor as I am?”
Today’s gospel lesson about the shepherds (Luke 2:15-20) running to see the baby Jesus lying in a manger is meant, in part, to emphasize that poverty again. Jesus comes to us, not as the richest person, not as the most powerful, not to the largest nation in the world – but he comes to us, small, humble, poor. And the shepherds who get to see Jesus first are also not the richest and most powerful, but in fact have some of the most looked-down-upon jobs for their day.
Yet let us not get too pious, flowery, or complacent about this poverty. I worry that when we focus too overly much on the poor baby, we run the danger of oversentimentalizing him and making him a nice Hallmark card picture. Nice to look at, nice to “ooh and ahh” over and celebrate with a large meal and a few gifts, nice reason to give to charity today – but those sentimental feelings don’t last. You know that tomorrow, there will be a letdown, alleviated to some extent next week by New Year’s Eve and the Feast of Mary, Mother of God. But then it will be January, and the gray doldrums will hit and the feelings of sentimentality will come crashing to a halt as we consider the pangs of a new year: new bills to pay, taxes, new school semester, new busyness.
But today isn’t just about today – it is also about tomorrow, even that “tomorrow” that will be gray and dreary. The Old Testament reading today (Isaiah 62:11-12) speaks of God’s holy people, who will have the new name “Frequented” because God will be frequent there. The epistle reading (Titus 3:4-7) reminds us that through no deeds of our own, God has chosen to lavish much on us. This is not merely a poor baby – this is God, really, truly, seeking a relationship with us where we are now. And so one of my favorite Christmas hymns that hits on both the poverty but also the wealth that comes from a relationship with God is this one:
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day;
I would my true love did so chance
To see the legend of my play,
To call my true love to my dance;
Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love,
This have I done for my true love.
In a manger laid, and wrapped I was
So very poor, this was my chance
Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass
To call my true love to my dance.
There is so much joy there, and desire for a true relationship with each one of us. This, hopefully, is an image that sustains us through tomorrow.
- Jana M. Bennett