It’s Christmastime! It’s the time of the year that we are supposed to be happy and we consider it “the most wonderful time of the year,” as the song goes. We can imagine this manger scene where Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus gather together with all the animals and the shepherds. It’s just a wonderful picture.
But you know, I did something this year. I actually kind of read some of the lectionary texts for Advent and you know what? At least in the Bible, it is NOT the most wonderful time of the year. The first Sunday talks about the second coming of Christ and it wasn’t something to look forward to. Then we have a few Sunday focused on John the Baptist who calls the people who come to be baptized, snakes and tells people to get ready for Jesus, which again doesn’t sound nice.
If we go to Christmas and beyond, we again don’t have the bucolic scenes that so many of us are used to. The Three Wise Men come and visit, giving gifts that fortells the grim future that Jesus would face on the cross. King Herod, who hears about a rival king orders his soldiers to kill all young boys age 2 and under. During the 12 days of Christmas we are faced with this tragedy called the Holy Innocents which is commemorated on December 28.
Sermon: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year? « The Clockwork Pastor:
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