A Thought for Thursday - Advent 23

Take Your Pick or Maybe both.

 (Photo krb - 2022)

Of the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, only two, Luke and Matthew, contain an account of the birth of Jesus and they are quite different. That is because they were passed down through stories from one generation to the next over four decades. The oral tradition that is the basis of Luke is somewhat different than that upon which the writer of Matthew based his gospel. They were both written for different communities and have slightly different slants on what these events meant for them and their communities.

Luke, the earlier of these two Gospels, is quite lyrical in his presentation of the story. It stretches over almost all of the first 3 chapters of the Gospel. He describes the context of the birth in intricate detail and how it 'came to pass' that for example, the birth took place in Bethlehem and why it was that Mary and Joseph travelled from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He also tells that the birth took place in a stable and why and Jesus was cradled in a manger (which I have discovered recently may have been significant) surrounded by animals and witnessed by shepherds coming specially from the fields. It tells of them fulfilling the requirements of the law and their orderly return to Nazareth.

In Matthew's Gospel the details of the birth of Jesus are concise. There is no mention of a journey to Bethlehem or of a stable or a manger or shepherds. There is a whiff of scandal in the air and in the middle of it all, wise men arrive; we assume three but that is probably only because of the number of gifts they bring, so we don't know how many, but the kings are symbolic because they are representative of all people who welcome Jesus into the world. Mary, Joseph and the baby, through a process of exile and return, move to Nazareth. Much of both stories are couched in terms of fulfilling prophecies from the Old Testament. 

These are not nor they can be, eyewitness reports. They are stories that have been passed down by word of mouth over many years. They are included in the Gospels in order to convince the reader that this is a very special birth, this is none other than the long-awaited messiah - the Son of God. They are beautiful stories which confront us of the presence of God intervening in the world on the side of the poor and the marginalized. For this is God who takes on human form not among the powerful and the wealthy but among the ordinary, the poor and those on the margins of society. 

We witness the wonder of Christmas in the lives of children everywhere. But the message of Christmas is for us all. It is the promise of a radical new hope for the world that we may become agents for the coming into being of the Kingdom of God in our world - a Kingdom which brings peace and justice for all as we live in unconditional love for all. We need the message of Christmas now more than ever before.

Advent peace and blessings to all.