The Sunday Before the Nativity of Christ
Scripture: Hebrews 11:9-10, 32-40
Nutshell
(1) Challenge
Did you know that for a conflict to qualify as a major war, there must be at least 10,000 combat-related deaths? Using that criterion, there are currently seven major wars happening around the world.
(2) Sin
It seems the world will never be at peace, and good people, including Christians, will continue to suffer. In this situation, it’s easy to give up hope—even in this season of hope.
(3) What happens?
When we lose all hope, we become destructive—to ourselves and to others. If we don’t think things will get better, why should we care? Why should we try?
(4) Christ forges a new path
In our desperation, we often look to the strongman to set things right, but the Nativity of Christ shows us that peace comes when God relinquishes all strength.
(5) Longing satisfied
Christ’s birth is the most important moment in history—divinity entered our world to heal our infirmities. But it doesn’t end there; Christ’s birth is the beginning of a New Creation, one in which God is at work, setting all things right.
(6) Visible evidence
The evidence that God set the New Creation in motion is found in all the suffering saints, both of the Old Testament and today. Their sufferings show that they are out of tune with the current world because they are living as if New Creation is already present.
(7) What shall I do?
Just as God has given strength to the saints to live boldly, He also gives us the strength to live as if the Kingdom is already fully present. He grants us strength by allowing us to see Christ as an infant, completely vulnerable, and yet the hope of all of us.
Full Text
(1) Challenge
Did you know that for a conflict to qualify as a major war, there must be at least 10,000 combat-related deaths? Using that criterion, there are currently seven major wars happening around the world:
- The Conflict in Myanmar
- The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
- The Insurgency in the Maghreb
- The Mexican Drug War
- The Russo-Ukrainian War
- The Ethiopian Civil Conflict
- The War in Sudan
The cumulative fatalities in 2023 alone amount to almost 200,000 combat-related deaths. If we include conflicts beyond “major wars,” we must add another 14 conflicts with an additional 40,000 deaths.
It seems the world will never find peace.
(2) Sin
Our world, whether we acknowledge it or not, is remarkably violent.
When we ponder war, we tend to simplify it as a clash between good and evil—a narrative of heroes in white hats against villains in black hats. This narrative allows us to somehow rationalize our violent world. We believe that eradicating evil is essential, and thankfully, we have heroes to undertake that task.
However, reality isn’t that straightforward. Conflicts are intricate, and the existence of a clear “good side” versus a “bad side” isn’t always evident. Discussions with friends and family about ongoing conflicts often reveal our deep-seated divisions.
What’s even more distressing is not just ideological divisions caused by wars but the tangible suffering endured—not solely by soldiers but also by civilians of all ages, from the elderly to the very, very young.
Moreover, even Christians suffer; at times, they become targets precisely because of their faith.
Contemplating all this, it’s easy to lose hope, especially during this season of hope.
(3) What Happens?
When we lose all hope, we become destructive—to ourselves and to others.
Recall a time when you felt trapped with no way out. What was your reaction? Did you reach a point where you thought, “Enough of this,” and simply gave up?
Perhaps you decided that if victory wasn’t possible for you, it shouldn’t be possible for anyone, leading you to sabotage everyone’s efforts. Sometimes, nations behave similarly when they believe they have nothing left to lose, and this often results in loss of life.
Other times, we sink into depression and surrender.
If we don’t anticipate improvement, why should we care? Why should we even try?
(4) Christ Forges a New Path
Often, in our pursuit of improvement, we seek a strong leader. This aligns with the common functioning of the world.
To triumph, we seek more potent, destructive weapons. We yearn for influential leaders willing to back their words with a bite.
We believe that a military solution is necessary to bring peace to the world.
However, the Nativity of Christ presents the complete opposite perspective.
The birth of Christ signifies that true peace emerges when God relinquishes all strength, willingly being born as a helpless infant lying in a manger.
(5) Longing Satisfied
Christ’s birth marks the most pivotal moment in history—divinity entering our world to heal our ailments.
Consider the implications of this concept. If God indeed became human, that revelation is the most significant news imaginable.
Now, contemplate the implications of this truth. God, the embodiment of life itself, enters a world transient and fleeting. This is Emmanuel, God with us, as the Gospel proclaimed this morning.
Christmas, according to St. Paul, symbolizes the birth pangs of what will evolve into the New Creation. It signifies the commencement of setting things right, a moment when God joins us in our suffering so that we may retain hope, knowing that our suffering isn’t in vain.
(6) Visible Evidence
This brings us to today’s epistle reading from Paul’s letter to the Hebrews, where the sufferings of numerous saints are recounted:
“Some were tortured … Others suffered mocking and scourging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were killed with the sword; they went … destitute, afflicted, ill-treated … wandering over deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.”
However, St. Paul emphasizes one crucial aspect about them—that “… the world didn’t deserve them!”
N.T. Wright elaborates:
“The fact that they suffered such things, and that they demonstrated that the world wasn’t worthy of them, was a sign both that they believed that God was making a new world in which everything would be better, and that this belief was in fact true. They were out of tune with their times because they were living by faith in God’s future world … God was giving them strength to live like that, thus proving the truth of their claim. They were, in their own lives and sufferings, living beacons of hope, pointers to the fact that the God who had made the world was intending to remake it, and that they were the advance guard of that great moment.”
The biblical saints and the saints of our Church are evidence that God has set New Creation in motion. They demonstrate how we can live in hope.
(7) What Shall I Do?
Just as God bestowed strength upon the saints to live courageously, He also provides us with the strength to live in a similar manner.
Observing the helpless image of Christ in the Nativity icon, we understand that our sufferings are part of the birth pangs of the New Creation.
Upon witnessing Christ as a vulnerable infant, we no longer succumb to despair but are inspired to live akin to the saints we heard about—out of sync with the violent world yet aligned with the Kingdom that God is bringing forth.
Our present circumstances may not be ideal, but we acknowledge that something far superior has been set in motion. In faith, we progress, assured that Christ is truly among us.
Amen.