The Birth of Christ and Christmas in America

On this Christmas Eve I take a moment to refelect of the condition of the Jewish nation at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ and the similarities of that time to the celebration of Christmas in our modern age.  Both are marked by common failures and blindness.  Consider Israel of that time.  The events in the book of Luke tell that on the night of Jesus' birth his coming was not only announced to the shepherds by the angels, but also was announced to many others by the shepherds.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.  (Luke 2:15-20)

So you see, not only did the shepherds hear, they also told everyone that they could about the fact that the angels had announced the birth of the Savior.  Despite the fact that it was "made known abroad," there is nothing in the narrative to indicate that any but the shepherds went to Bethlehem's manger even though "they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds."  Fast forward eight days when Jesus is presented in the Temple at Jerusalem for circumcision and we find that the Savior's birth is announced again by Simeon and Anna.
 
And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law, Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said, Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.  (Luke 2:25-32)
 
And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.  (Luke 2:36-38)

One would think that the life of this child would have been of supreme importance to Israel if they wanted to validate whether he was indeed their Messiah, especially for those who "looked for redemption in Jerusalem."  Instead, his birth and life were met with general apathy, even from the most devout of the general population of Israel.  To further illustrate this apathy, the book of Matthew fast forwards us to the coming of the wise men which, despite traditions, probably occured months after Jesus' birth.
 
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born. And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.  (Matthew 2:1-6)

Again we see "all Jerusalem" troubled about this announcement and Herod demanding of the religious leaders "where Christ should be born."  The chief priests and scribes had no difficulty in telling Herod what he wanted to know.  They pulled out Micah Chapter 5 and verse 2 with no difficulty but their quoting of that verse showed both their apathy and carelessness with God's Word.  They negelected to quote the complete verse leaving out the most important part.
 
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.  (Micah 5:2)  

It seems not to have mattered to them that this Christ was of divine origin.  Is it any wonder that Herod thought he could fight against God and win when God's own people could have cared less about verifying whether or not this child was the fulfillment of the prophecies they claimed to wait for?  Herod called the wise men and sent them to find the child yet not one of the supposedly most devout people in all of Israel even bothered to seek for the child.
 
And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.   (Matthew 2:8-12)

Of course we know that Herod wanted to murder the Lord Jesus and when the wise men failed to return to him he..."was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men."  (Matthew 2:16)
 
My point in all of this is simple.  Despite the fact that Israel knew where Christ would be born (Micah 5:2) and when He would be born (Daniel 9:25), they never bothered to seek him.  They were careless with the scriptures and they weren't concerned with anything other than their day-to-day lives despite their position as "the people of God."  This carelessness and apathy reached the highest levels of even the most "religious" among them.  Is America any different in this day and age?  There are those who would have any mention of Christ removed from public notice and there are those who claim that they are celbrating His birth.  That there are those who are opposed to Christ is no new thing.  They were present at His birth as Herod demonstrated.  Sadly though, the apathy and carelessness of those claiming to be God's people is equally evident in this age.  For all our claims to celebrate the birth of Christ, He is sadly lacking in all our pagentry, gift giving and revelry.  Our traditions show our carelessness with the Bible when they don't match the scriptures.  We sing the hymns and carols without love and gratitude in our hearts for who He is and what he has done.  Our morals this time of year are often less than they should be.  Worst of all, we hear the story again and again and never take the time to repeat it to those who have never heard or we join with the world in only telling part of the story.  As one who was physically blind but could truly see, Fanny Crosby penned the following words.
 

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word.

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Tell how the angels in chorus,

Sang as they welcomed His birth.

“Glory to God in the highest!

Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Fasting alone in the desert,

Tell of the days that are past.

How for our sins He was tempted,

Yet was triumphant at last.

Tell of the years of His labor,

Tell of the sorrow He bore.

He was despised and afflicted,

Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him,

Writhing in anguish and pain.

Tell of the grave where they laid Him,

Tell how He liveth again.

Love in that story so tender,

Clearer than ever I see.

Stay, let me weep while you whisper,

Love paid the ransom for me.

Refrain:

Tell me the story of Jesus,

Write on my heart every word.

Tell me the story most precious,

Sweetest that ever was heard.

Unlike Fanny Crosby, our discussion of Jesus at this time of year often ends with the first verse.  What greater thing could we do to honor the birth of our Savior than tell the whole story of who He is?  What greater thing could we do than give others the opportunity to receive the gift that he came to provide?

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  (Romans 6:23)

One final thought.  Knowing about a gift doesn't mean that you possess a gift.  It must be received to become yours.  Jesus told the woman at the well...
 
Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.   (John 4:10)
 
It's possible to know about all about Jesus and never receive the gift He came to provide.
 
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  (Matthew 1:21)  

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  (John 1:10-12)
 
Have you received Christ as your Savior?
 
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.  (Romans 10:13)

Bad Government

As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people. The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.  (Proverbs 28:15-16)

If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants are wicked.  (Proverbs 29:12)

Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.  (Proverbs 14:34)

The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.  (Proverbs 29:4)

Please give to the poor.

Today provides Americans with a unique opportunity for charity. We have the opportunity to come to the aid of one of the most impoverished in the modern world. The U. S. Government. With over $12 trillion of debt, our government is one of the poorest entities on earth. Please give today... or they'll come and take it with penalties and interest.

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. (Proverbs 10:4)

A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. (Proverbs 13:22)

An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. (Proverbs 20:21)

Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. (Lamentations 5:2)

Starbucks, Guns and the Braying Bunch.

The inappropriately named "Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence" has taken the Starbucks coffee company to task for a dreadful transgression. They are outraged that Starbucks is following state and local laws regarding the lawful carry of firearms in their stores. The Brady Campaign, more aptly referred to herein as "the Braying Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership", has been staging demonstrations against Starbucks locations in California and is encouraging more such demonstrations at other locations. Starbucks has responded by asking both sides of the issue to simply leave them out of the political debate but to the dismay of the Braying Bunch have not changed their policy. This prompted the Braying Campaign's chief Equus asinus, Paul Helmke, to bray louder in a article he wrote for the Huffington post as he rejected Starbucks request. What follows is most of his article (in italics) and my response.

The Starbucks Coffee Company has become the subject of national media attention because some gun activists have decided to wear their guns openly, with loaded ammunition magazines close by, in Starbucks stores in California.

Uh, no. They have become the subject of national media attention because of your crusade to intimidate them into bowing to your demands. The gun “activists” go there to legally to buy coffee because they aren’t discriminated against.

By choosing to appease these gun rights demonstrators - demonstrators whose antics make many gun owners in our country blush - they have put the concerns of the rest of their customers aside. By allowing guns in its stores, the company is jeopardizing the safety of its customers and employees.

First, they aren’t “appeasing gun rights demonstrators.” They simply refuse to discriminate against law abiding, PAYING customers. The only ones demanding appeasement is are you folks at the Braying Campaign to Prevent Gun Ownership. Second, allowing guns in their stores doesn’t jeopardize anyone’s safety. If that were the case people would die in gun stores and at shooting ranges regularly.

That's why we have asked concerned citizens to sign a petition urging Starbucks to change its policy. That's why we've posted on our website a sample letter people can sign and give to the manager of their own local Starbucks, asking them to tell the company to change the policy. And we're just getting started spreading the word about this issue. Sorry, Starbucks.

Oh I see. In other words you want Starbucks to appease you.

Starbucks says it is simply complying with the law. But it would also be complying with the law if it barred guns from its stores. The law allows Starbucks to set the basic rules for its property. The issue is not the law. The issue is Starbucks' choice to allow guns in its stores.

No, the issue is that you want to dictate to Starbucks how it chooses to comply with the law. You really don’t care about the law otherwise you would respect their choice just as you expect them to respect your choice.

Starbucks says it does not want to have to bar customers who are abiding by the law. But when Starbucks bars someone who is not wearing a shirt or shoes from its stores, or ejects someone who is loud and offensive, it is barring a customer who is abiding by the law. It is not against the law to dress differently or to exercise free speech rights, but it may be against company policy.

Now we get to the heart of the matter. You want to dictate company policy by political and media pressure. The law really means nothing to you.

Retail businesses have the right to set policies that go beyond the minimum requirements of the law in running their businesses. Starbucks has a policy that endangers its customers and employees, particularly since there are virtually no restrictions on who can openly carry guns - no permits, no training, no proficiency requirements and no knowledge of the laws is required. And since law-abiding gun owners can drop, lose or unintentionally misuse guns, allowing openly carried guns in Starbucks is bad policy. (Indeed, just this past September a gun activist at an "open carry" picnic was charged with reckless use of a firearm after his gun went off in a parking lot.) As long as it maintains that policy, we will be critical of that policy.

So much to say here, but I’ll be brief. Don't they also have the right to NOT go beyond those so called "minimum requirements"? You care nothing of Starbucks rights as a business. If you did you would simply take your business elsewhere and recommend to your members that they do the same. But, but, what if someone violates the law with negligent handling of firearm? If Starbucks is willing to accept that liability how is that any of the Braying Campaign's business?

The gun extremist want an America where there are guns everywhere: not just in coffeehouses, but also in bars, churches, parks, banks and classrooms.

Guns in the hands of decent, law abiding citizens anywhere are always preferable to guns in the hands of criminals. We have seen firsthand the effect of guns in the hands of criminals in all these places. Pictures that were made more grievous by the fact that the law abiding victims were prohibited by law from possessing an effective means of self defense. Over 64 million gun owners shot nobody on those fateful days. But no, we don’t want guns everywhere. We want decent law abiding people to be able to defend themselves everywhere. Unlike you we are concerned about people and their civil rights and aren’t paranoid about inanimate objects.

By capitulating to the gun extremists because they want this issue to "go away," Starbucks has made a hazardous mistake. Having seen what the gun pushers demand when they are given an inch, I again urge the company to reconsider its policy.

One cannot “capitulate” to someone they are not engaged in a battle with Mr. Helmke. The only one fighting against Starbucks is your organization. The only only demands being issued are by your organization. You’re just miffed because they haven’t capitulated to you. The gun owners aren’t “pushing” they are buying. Specifically they are buying coffee at Starbucks because they aren’t discriminated against there.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

The snowstorms that shut down Washington D.C. last week were a blessing. Anything that keeps Congress inactive these days is a plus. I'd rather pay them to do nothing than pay them to spend us into greaer debt and certain ruin.

The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. -- Proverbs 22:7