I’ve often wondered if Jesus anonymously walked the streets of our cities, if he entered our places of worship, would he be welcomed? By some, certainly, but by most, forgive me if I have my doubts. I wish I could honestly say I was more optimistic, but my daily interactions and observations of us dissuade me otherwise. To borrow a quote, “Jesus preached a moral ethic so radically extreme, not even the most conservative people today could handle it. Jesus preached a social ethic so radically extreme, not even the most liberal people today would embrace it. Stop pretending Jesus fits on our puny spectrum.” I tend to agree with N.T. Wright who said, “The left wants the kingdom without the King and the right wants the King without the kingdom.”
Don’t take my word for it, Russell Moore, Editor in Chief of Christianity Today, remarked well over a year ago that evangelicals were beginning to refer to teachings of Jesus as “weak” and “liberal”. While this might be shocking and disturbing, it should not be perceived as anything new. One of the reasons Jesus was ultimately rejected by the masses had to do with their misconceptions about what the Messiah would actually do.
When we think of “Messiah” we simply think of Jesus, the Son of God, but for first century people the term was loaded with many more political implications. “Messiah” was a term applied to “God’s anointed” (chosen), whom God would raise up to deliver Israel from it’s oppressors, both internal (the Herodian Dynasty) and external (the Roman Empire). Think back to the days of the Judges when Israel was oppressed by various nation-states (Philistines, Hittites, Amorites, Moabites, etc), and God would raise up a leader who would drive out the enemies and restore strength and stability to the nation of Israel. When you hear the world “Judge” don’t think black robe and a gavel, think more military general or warrior. The topic of the Messiah conjured up images of Sampson slaughtering Philistines or David defeating Goliath.
In the centuries prior to the birth of Jesus, Israel had been occupied by a group of people known as the Seleucids (Syrians), who were made up of remnants of Alexander the Great’s Greek Empire. A priestly family in Israel known as the Maccabees, led a revolt against the Syrians and regained control of Israel for a time. When the Romans seized control of Israel the people began longing for the days when God would once again raise up a Messiah to drive out the Romans like the Maccabees drove out the Seleucids.
It was into this environment that Jesus was born, the Son of David, the Messiah, who would save his people. The expectation was that he would gain a large following, winning the hearts of the people, inciting nationalistic patriotism and passion, raising an army and driving out the foreign occupiers and reclaim Israel. Imagine the confusion when he did all of these things but instead of assembling an army for battle, he preached, “Love your enemies, do good to those that hate you, pray for those who persecute you…blessed are the meek…turn the other cheek, if you are compelled (by a Roman soldier) to go one mile, go two…put up your sword.”
The song for today calls to mind all of these complexities and seeming contradictions.
Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl
Just a child
Is this who we've waited for?
'Cause how many kings step down from their thrones
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross He will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?
How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart?
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?
Only one did that for me
Is this who we’ve waiting for? Our culture idolizes the bold and the powerful; those who won’t take no for an answer and aren’t afraid to do a little damage in order to get things under control. Many or our modern values align more with the Roman Empire than with the life and teaching of Jesus. Romans believed the best way to maintain law and order was through a strong show of force, with unapologetic violence if necessary. Judging by the box office receipts we long for a William Wallace, a George Washington, or Rambo to do whatever it takes to get things under control. Remember, it was “law and order” that killed the innocent Lamb of God.
“The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. As the Scriptures say,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise
and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”
So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense.
But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength….God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18-29).
If Jesus came today I wonder if our reaction would be like the refrain from the song, “Is this who we’ve waiting for?” “We want the war horse. Jesus rides a donkey. We want the eagle. The Holy Spirit descends as a dove. We want to take up swords. Jesus takes up a cross. We want the roaring lion. God comes as a slaughtered lamb. We keep trying to arm God. God keeps trying to disarm us.” (Ben Cremer)
In the history of mankind, “how many kings step down from their thrones, how many lords have abandoned their homes, how many greats have become the least for me? How many gods have poured our their hearts to romance a world that is torn all apart? How many fathers gave up their sons for me? Only one did that for me.”
I love singing this song during this time of year because it is a much needed reminder that the way of the world can never save the world. “Violent revolution fails because it is not revolutionary enough. It changes the rulers but not the rules, the ends but not the means.” (Walter Wink).
This Christmas I invite you to contemplate the simple, beautiful, powerful, perplexing message of the manger.
Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl
Just a child
Is this who we've waited for?
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