Fraternity-Testvériség, 2010 (88. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2010-10-01 / 4. szám
Fraternity I Testvériség Calvin Synod— Christmas Message of the United Church of Christ Dearly Beloved Sisters and Brothers, During the holidays, around Christmas, we greet each other: “Merry Christmas! ” This holiday is a mood, a quality, and a symbol. It is never merely a fact. As a fact, it is a date on the calendar; to the believer, it is the anniversary of the most important event in human history. We retell this story every year from the kitchen table to the most ornate ofpulpits. Like the rest of the Bible, this story never fails to speak to individuals, the church, and the nation, no matter our circumstances or condition. In the last few years and now near Christmas, we find ourselves in difficult economic times. Two thousand years ago, Joseph and Mary and all those who lived during that time were in the same bad situation: political difficulty, personal distress, prophetic discernment, promised deliverance, and private delight. We have to focus our attention mainly on the saints of God and how they handle difficult times, and now to us in our situation today. “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. ” Luke 2:7. The political situation, the Roman destruction and control of the people, new tax laws, changes in leadership, and changes in monetary policies threatened the well-being and the confidence of the people. This represented a huge change in the way of life for the people (Luke 2:1-3) Today, we find similar circumstances. We who claim to be God’s people and claim to trust in Him now find that our way of life is threatened by change. Have we really been trusting in God or were we really trusting in the only way of life we have ever really known? God can upset the ",status quo" and has done so on many occasions. World wars, natural disasters, catastrophes, bad leadership, depressions, and many other events have torn Christians from their beds of ease and thrust us into a new andfrightening set of circumstances. Joseph and Mary had a special secret: their unborn child was the long-awaited Messiah. They were certainly the “chosen” of God to be entrusted as parents of the Son of God. Both of them had obeyed the heavenly vision and followed God’s instructions. No one would blame them if they had expected (Luke 2:4-6) a little “special treatment” from the Father for this great task that lay before them. But no special treatment came. It is amazing to think of how today’s Christians expect to be sparedfrom the repercussions of recession and economic hardship. If God let Mary and Joseph suffer in such a time as Christ’s birth, what should be our expectations today? Joseph and Mary were poor. The Roman occupation had ground the Jewish people to poverty. Joseph and the pregnant Mary didn’t find available rooms and most likely had no money to pay for one. Mary and Joseph were without friends on this journey. When we consider the trials and tribulations that this godly couple endured, one is tempted to ask, “Why did God allow this to befall them?” Don't forget God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. As we negotiate our way through these times, we must remember that God never promised to save us from troubles hut to help us in our troubles. In the Christmas story, we can see the fulfillment ofprophecies. (Luke 2:25-39) The angel had prophesied of the coming Messiah. The wise men from the East also followed the prophetic star to Christ’s birthplace. And do not forget Anna and Simeon, the old people in the temple who trusted God that they would see the Messiah before they died. The times in which we live also give proof to fulfilled prophecy. Just like in the story of the first Christmas, people go about their daily routines oblivious to the fulfillment ofprophecy in their midst! God was working in the world, bringing the political and economic conditions to a point that would be conducive to the coming of the Messiah. (Luke 2:10-11) The promise was made that a Savior would come! While nothing outwardly changed in the world that day, a great event had happened. As we search the history books, the taxation of Caesar Augustus rates barely a mention. The birth of a backwoods Jewish child in the little town of Bethlehem gets no mention at all. But human life changed that day! And so it is today! The salvation that was made available in the first coming of Christ is still available today. You won’t see it mentioned in the “New York Times" or the “Washington Post. ” You won’t hear it spoken on Wall Street or Hollywood. The leaders of the world, for the most part, ignore the salvation of Christ just as they did in the first century. There is deliverance for humanity! There is a cure for sin! There is a key to a better and more fulfilling life! It is Christ just as it was in Bethlehem long ago! 3
