Once there was a king who
would from time to time dress up like a regular person. Then he would go out and walk around his
city. When he was dressed like everyone else, no one recognized him as the
king. His ministers were worried that he
could get robbed, beaten up or worse even get killed out there. And the good king
answered: “How can I know my people if I don’t know who they are and how they truly live?”
And that is exactly what
Jesus, the son of God, did for all of us today.
He wanted to know what we are like and so he was born a baby just like
all of us. That my friends is Christmas-
that awesome baby being born to us.
But why a baby? You see a
baby can bring out the best in all of us.
You find yourself in a mall
all strangers to each other, and you see a baby and people flock around the
cute baby and they start talking to each other like they've known each other for a long time. You see a little baby could unite strangers.
Rough athletes who are very
rugged and tough- you know they are not allowed to show any signs of weakness, right? Now bring a
baby in their midst and they become gentle as lambs. A baby could tame the wildest "beast."
Business minded finanzial
wizards, stock brokers who would not even lift their gaze off the rise and fall
of stocks in Wall street monitors. But in the presence of a baby they will watch Sesame
street with the baby for hours instead. A baby could change the mindset of busy people.
Arrogant intellectual
polyglots who would speak to you in different languages. Yet only a baby could
make an intellectual humble and speak to the baby in cooing baby sounds. A baby could make those in high places come down to his/her level.
Perhaps that is why Jesus
came to us as a baby to bring out the best in us. We have seen this in Luke’s account of the Nativity
– the birth of Jesus brought together, Jospeph and Mary, shepherds and kings,
angels and even lowly animals. This Christmas story of a child a baby being
born in a manger every year continues to inspire us.
But let us not forget another
version of the Christmas story – that of
St John. This less sentimental version brings us into a mystery that
forces us to view not only the cute little baby Jesus in a crib, but the
reality that one day this baby will grow up and eventually be nailed in a not
so cute cross.
John’s version gives greater
meaning to that of Luke. St John’s story of the birth of Jesus does not begin in
Bethlehem, rather it begins with eternity. Before time. A mystery without
beginning or an end. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God.” This tells the story
of a God who chose to go outside of Himself, to relate beyond, Himself, to
transcend Himself.
And then follows: “And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us.” The literal translation is; The Word became
flesh and pitches his tent among us. He makes his home among us. He lives with
us. He stays with us. His name is Emmanuel – God
now lives, stays, and breathes among us ordinary people. That my friends is Christmas.
It’s that baby whose
cuteness we could not refuse- has started living with us and staying with us.
That for me is Christmas. And that’s the way Jesus would like it for all of us. That
today we share our presence not just presents with our loved ones and even with
those we encounter along the way who would be less fortunate. In that way, we
see in each and everyone the reason for the season – the baby that comes down
to us and brings us together.
Merry Christmas.
Reference:
Bushell, S. (2013). Christmas
Day homily 2013. St John the Baptist Parish. Sjb.org