The Other Side of Christmas
Last week, I let you know that I intended to view the Christmas tinsel in a different light – a not so perky, sparkling light, although the typical twinkles will still shine through. So, consider yourself informed. Naturally, we don’t want to remove all the glitter from the star at the top of the tree, but the holiday isn’t all colored lights, creches, and carols for most of the people on the planet. Even where Christmas is a big deal with multiple days off, lots of parties, and gift-giving, more than a few people find it downright depressing. I’m taking the approach just mentioned in the interest of remembering with compassion those whose Christmas is different than the stereotype. That may be the majority of us human beings.
Longfellow Sees Both Sides
The first poem, “Christmas Bells,” by H.W. Longfellow, is one of the best examples of a Christmas poem that addresses the joy and the sorrow of the famous holy day.
Longfellow penned “Christmas Bells” after his son Charles was wounded while fighting in the Civil War. Although the country remained at war as Longfellow wrote the poem, he expressed his hope that peace would return to the country.
He hears the bells during the War but feels hopeless because "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men".
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807 – 1882
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime,
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth," I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men.”
The next poem expresses what many of us have felt, whether the longed-for object is a diamond ring, a fancy video game, or something more puppy-cuddly, as in this poem. If a Christmas wish makes one feel that something may be lost or is already foregone, might not the “wish” be against the spirit of the season? However, maybe the other presents make up for the loss. Ya’ think?
Michelle Smith
When I'd give an arm and a leg! –
What's more, every Christmas I beg:
I want a dog! Please please pleeeaase!
But mom complains of poop and fleas.
I'd claim responsibility to give a wash
But my dream of a dog goes-- squash
I plead, I persuade, and I pray –
Promise to walk my dog every day!
No matter how much I blatantly bribed
Mom's allergies leave me dog-prived. :(
Our last poem may be the real heartbreaker but just as true as its jolly counterpart. The sleigh bells, the star-topped tree, and the caramel fudge slide into insignificance next to missing a beloved person. This is not an uncommon experience, but it is one those celebrating work hard to ignore, for the most part.
Bonus Background:
If you are curious about the “Three Wise Men,” this excerpted essay below by Scott James published on 30 November 21 will be to your taste. We’ve even put in pictures of Frankincense and Myrhh. Did you know what they looked like before this post? How about where they come from? After reading, you will know. Anyway, here you go. There’s no picture of “gold.” We figure that the elite readers of the WA have enough of their own, if they have time to read our posts. Ha!
Why Gold, Frankincense, and Myrrh Were Given to Jesus When He was Born
As we all know from our nativity sets, some very special guests attended the birth of the Jesus: wise men from the east, bearing gifts for the “newborn king” - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:11 states: "On coming to the house, [A manger in a house? I just have to ask.] they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. "
Compared to the Bible’s account of the royal visit, the story we tell is often padded with a bit of extra information. History and tradition have done their part to fill in the details regarding these visitors, including their number, names, and the timing of their arrival. One aspect of the visit that has largely escaped alteration is the list of gifts presented to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. If you’re wondering what use an infant would have for these gifts, you’re not alone.
The primary significance of the gifts lay in their great value—they were indeed gifts fit for a king. Beyond making it clear that these were great treasures given in an act of worship, Scripture does not directly attach any other symbolic meaning to the gifts. However, without venturing too far off into extra-biblical speculation, it’s reasonable to draw a few possible inferences from the gifts brought by the wise men. These valuable gifts were clearly intended to honor Jesus, but it’s possible they carried deeper theological significance as well.
The Gift of Gold
As was customary for royal visits, the wise men came bearing treasured gifts intended to honor the newborn king. And as it is today, gold was a valued commodity in the ancient world. Among the types of assets listed in the Bible (e.g., precious metals, livestock, servants, gemstones, etc.), accumulation of gold was one of the chief measures of wealth (cf. Genesis 13:2, Ecclesiastes 2:8). Because of its scarcity and immense value, gold was particularly associated with royalty and nobility, as is seen in 1 Kings 10 when the Queen of Sheba visits King Solomon bearing great quantities of gold as a gift. By bringing a gift of gold, the wise men showed that they did indeed consider Jesus a king.
In addition to underscoring the royalty of Jesus, some have noted that the wise men’s gift of gold may have foreshadowed another aspect of Jesus’ ministry. Under the Old Covenant, the Most Holy Place (also known as the Holy of Holies) was an inner sanctuary within the Temple where the priest would encounter the presence of God and offer a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. Likewise, the incarnation of Jesus heralded the presence of God—Immanuel—and the sacrifice of atonement he would make on behalf of his people when he went to the cross. The wise men may have had this connection in mind because, as described in 1 Kings 6:20-22, the walls of the Most Holy Place and the altar within it were completely overlaid with—you guessed it—gold.
The Gift of Frankincense
Frankincense is an aromatic gum resin that is still widely used in parts of the Middle East and Africa today. It is produced by scraping the bark of certain native species of trees and then harvesting the beads of resin after they have dried. When burned as incense, it creates a strong and beautiful aroma. In the ancient near east, the cost of frankincense precluded it from being used as a common household air freshener. Rather, the burning of frankincense was closely associated with ceremonial worship of a deity. In this way, the inclusion of frankincense as a gift for Jesus may have indicated that the wise men understood that the prophecy of the newborn king carried with it a claim of deity.
As with gold, frankincense may also have an implied connection with the Temple worship of the Old Covenant. Burning incense at the altar was a key part of the sacrificial system prescribed by God for use in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Temple itself. According to Exodus 30, however, not just any incense would do. A specific recipe of spices mixed with “pure frankincense” (v. 34) was to be consecrated as “pure and holy” (v.35) and was the only incense permitted at the altar. A speculative parallel can be drawn between this and Jesus’ life as a pure and holy offering to the Lord.
The Gift of Myrrh
Myrrh is a fragrant spice derived from the sap of a tree native to the Near East. Like frankincense, it can be used as incense, but in the ancient world it also had wider usage as a perfume, anointing oil, and was even imbibed as a medicinal tonic. Most notable with regard to Jesus’ life, myrrh was a key ingredient in the mixture of spices that were used to prepare bodies for burial (e.g., John 19:39-40). Perhaps the wise men intended this gift as an indication of Jesus’ humanity and the manner in which he would save his people—namely, that he would die for them (cf. Isaiah 53:5).
Just like the first two gifts, there is a Temple connection with myrrh as well. Exodus 30 tells us that liquid myrrh was a main ingredient in the anointing oil used to ceremonially prepare the priests, the instruments, the altar, and the Temple itself before sacrifices could be made. Again, parallels to Jesus’ consecrated life and sacrificial death are immediately noticeable.
All three gifts reveal thought-provoking implications that related to Jesus’ life and ministry.
What Did Mary and Joseph Do with the Gifts?
Isaiah 60:6 describes the wealth of the nations coming to God’s people through Christ. Mary and Joseph saw a glimpse of this when they received the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And in this case, that wealth was likely used to help the family escape to another nation. Matthew tells us that as soon as the wise men departed, an angel of the Lord came to warn Joseph of Herod’s rage (Matthew 2:13). Joseph was instructed to take refuge in Egypt, a journey of over 100 miles. For a family of humble means, a trip of this magnitude would be difficult to pull off. Though we don’t have a record of such, it is reasonable to think that the valuable gifts Mary and Joseph received from the wise men may have financed the family’s flight to Egypt.
ReplyDelete1. Gold: a no-brainer.
2. Frankincense = incense. Got it.
3. Myrrh: I’m doomed to having to look that one up every Christmas.
"You know, Mary you could've mentioned you were pregnant a few months back than put us through all this 'drama' havin' this kid, here, of all places. And fireworks? Geesus! I thought you were just sufferin' with heartburn again. And then to top it off, invite your uncles Frank and Murv, of all people, You've never talked about them, ever! ... Look at all the camel droppings! Good thing they tossed us a skin bag with a measly 20-shekels in it to cover the fine."
ReplyDeleteGood one
DeleteRaymond's 71 years in a chair puts my complaints to shame.
ReplyDeleteI know you won't but all your stories are worth compiling in a book.