Christmas Eve
A Dialog
Paul writes in his letter to the Galatians “But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son” When the time had fully come. The fullness of time. The right time Scholars tell us that when Jesus was born in Bethlehem there were lots of things that made this the right time. First is the fact that the world was at peace. There have been in the some 5,000 year history of the world only about 100 years when there were no wars between nations. When it can be truly said that the world was at peace. The peace at the time of Jesus’ birth has been dubbed the “Pax Romana." the Roman peace. This unusual century of peace finds its beginning when in 325 B.C. Alexander the Great completes conquering literally all the known world, establishing an empire that ultimately stretched from the British Isles in the west to the Indus River in India encompassing Europe, the Middle East, North Africa including Egypt and reaching into Asia as far as India. The Roman Empire that was built on Alexander’s conquests ultimately had no enemies. No hostile force outside the empire existed to threaten attack. So there was through the great might of Rome. Peace among the nations because there were literally no other nations that were not under Roman rule. There was no questioning the power of Rome and the peace that the Roman armies brought.
It is never easy to be away from home on Christmas. It is especially difficult if you are not just away from home but away from the States. To be in a foreign culture and a distant land. Maybe even a land that does not recognize the symbols and forms of the Christmas season.. A land that you are required to be in because that is where your military unit has been stationed. Some of the locals treat you pretty well. They seem to appreciate the fact that you don’t want to be there any more then they want you to be there. You try to make the best of it. Find some local vegetation to decorate. Wait for the mail to bring a few presents and reminders of home. You tell everyone that you are there to keep the peace. To allow for the peaceful development of a new nation. But you never go anywhere among the locals without your flack jacket and helmet. Never walk the streets without your weapon. The most powerful nation in the world. The best equipped military. You want to believe you are the greatest hope for peace the world has ever known. But it’s Christmas and you are far from home keeping the world at peace.
When the time had fully come. When the time was right for something to happen It’s not just that there was an enforced peace in the first century world. Scholars also tell us that it was the roads that made this the “right” time. “All roads lead to Rome” is the way we remember it today. The truth is that the Roman roads were some of the best ever built. Amazing feats of engineering that lasted for centuries, even millennia. And they literally all connected sooner or later to or through Rome. It was the roads that played a major part in preserving the peace because they provided the means by which messages could be sent faster then ever before. They also allowed for troops and supplies to be moved to critical locations as needed to preserve the peace, keep order and protect the Roman interests. The roads. Ultimately these roads would guarantee the safe travel of the apostles. the missionaries who carried the word that Jesus had come into the world traveled safe roads.
He didn’t remember leaving the road. Obviously he must have been driving too fast for the conditions but it all happened so quickly he wasn’t sure exactly what had happened. One moment he was on the road driving smooth and clear. The next moment his world was rolling over and over. The one rescue worker said he had never yet pulled someone dead from a car if they were wearing their seatbelt, but he wasn’t so sure that surviving the crash was all that great. If only he could have stayed on the road. His head trauma was very serious. The medical staff placed him in a drug induced coma to give his brain and body time, gradually he had come back to awareness. It was like being born all over again. He wasn’t sure if it was his sense of hearing or sense of smell that returned first. Was it the soft singing of a nurse singing a Christmas song he thought or the aroma of what he thought might be perfume like his grandmother used to wear. Odor das grossmutter he thought and he had chuckled in his sleep. A joke. Humor. In the face of death he had laughed and was born to consciousness. He would drive again. Ride the roads again. Live again. He chuckled again to himself.
In the fullness of time. It was a world at peace connected by a network of roads and united, scholars tell us, by one language. As the conquering power, the empire established one language for all matters of business, governance, trade and learning. Alexander the Great had been from Macedonia. educated by the great Greek philosopher Socrates and so the empire was united by the language of Greek. Every where you traveled on the Roman roads it was possible to find someone who spoke or understood at least a little of the one language common to the realm. Ultimately it would be this language that would be preserved through the centuries, preserved because it was the language in which the Gospels were written. It is the language in which Paul wrote his epistles to the early church. It is Greek that presents the story of the first Christmas in Luke and Matthew. Greek that reveals the mystery of the fullness of time. En arche kai o Logos, kai o logos en proston theo. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.
She did not understand a word that the young child was saying but clearly what was being spoken was a question. There was that look of uncertainty in the young face. What language was this?. She was guessing something eastern European. maybe Russian, but she really had no idea. It was so foreign. but the question sounded so intense and was repeated over and over. She found herself smiling and nodding like you do when you don’t want to offend anyone but you have no idea what they’re talking about. She nodded and smiled as the young boy gestured and talked. Finally, as she sensed his anxiety level rising she reached out and touched him. He stopped and looked at her deeply. Yearning to communicate yet knowing that the words failed him. He seemed to savor the touch. then calmed. spoke only one or two more words. took a deep breath and waited for her to speak. She only smiled. took out a piece of paper and began to draw. after a couple minutes he took the pad from her and began to draw also. Words failed but the language of image and picture, touch and smile did not.
While scholars analyze the fullness and rightness of the date while attempting to enter the mind of God concerning the timing of the birth of Jesus. It is probably good this night that we remember that political scenarios are almost always best understood from the vantage point of history. It is only years, decades. sometimes centuries later that we can interpret in some meaningful way the actions and events of a certain historic moment. We can never know precisely what was going on in the minds of those who were there. Joseph and Mary probably were not concerned about the power of Rome to protect the empire, nor were they particularly aware of the Roman highway construction projects. Their trip to Bethlehem used only local rutted paths and cart trails. The language of the streets around Bethlehem was Aramaic with a little Hebrew sprinkled in now and then to remind themselves that they were Jews, not Romans. The birth would not be conveniently timed. But then most births are not planned. Babies have a way of setting their own agenda.
Prophets had foretold a time when the Messiah would come. Seers and rabbis had dedicated their lives to reading the signs and preparing. Astrologers studied the night skies and a few of them may have actually nailed the event. Only later would scholars decide that the social and political times were “right”. For the couple in the stable it was not a matter of choosing the time. The baby had decided to be born. For the shepherds in the fields it was not a matter of carefully assessing news reports. It was simply the ultimate news flash with choral accompaniment and a chance to warm up a little by taking shelter for a brief time in a stable while admiring a new born baby. There are some who have observed that there is no right time to be born or live. or maybe the correct way to say it is there is no wrong time. At least not if you are alive. The gift of life is ultimately what Christmas is all about. The gift of a life. one life given to a mother and a father, but also given to each of us. A life that began in the right time and the right place. A life that was ultimately given for each of us. When the time had fully come, God sent his Son. sent his Son to each of us. Tonight we once again are encountered by the fullness of God’s grace. The fullness of God’s time. This night may be the right night for Christ to come again to you. and if that is true. then you are truly living in the right time and place.
Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
This night may be the right night for Christ to come again to you. And if that is true. then you are truly living in the right time and place.
Amen.