Our culture has been so influenced by Christianity that we sometimes miss some elements in the Christmas story. The story is so familiar to us that we perhaps don’t realize just how revolutionary the birth of Christ was!
For instance, at the birth of Jesus there was a lot of talk about this “child”. We might miss the impact of this word, but in Jesus’ day, children were often the objects of scorn by Roman culture. They were seen as weak, fearful, and helpless.
There was a stark contrast between Jesus “the child” and “Herod the Great”. Herod was not the cardboard villain of our children’s Christmas plays (if he even gets a part in the play). Herod was the guardian of the Pax Romana. He was considered nearer to the gods than the rest of the peasants. He was feared. He was the “king of the Jews” and a “friend of the Romans”. He was famous for his ambitious building projects. He was, in his day, truly “Herod THE GREAT”.
No one ever called this “child” born in a stable, “Jesus the Great”. And yet, how Jesus turned history on its proverbial head! How Jesus turned our perspectives on life, human worth, God’s grace and even children on their proverbial heads too!
Never forget that Christmas was a truly revolutionary event: indeed, THE revolutionary event in all of history!
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