546 Throwing the Christmas Baby with the Bathwater
I recently asked mom to refresh my memory regarding some of the more financially challenged Christmas’ we had as a family living in a third world country (Northern Idaho in the 50’s and 60’s).
“Well of course, there were five of you children but for several years we could only afford to buy one nice present a year. We decided to start with the oldest, Kathleen, and move on down the line because Alec (#5) was so young he probably wouldn’t remember anyway. (I’m #4.) Then, if we could, we’d buy the rest of you a pair of socks or a small toy.
“A few years into the rotation, the Miller’s with their passel of kids were worse off than us; in fact, their power got cut off just before Christmas. That same year your father (a gypo logger) managed to sell an extra load of pulp wood so we actually had some Christmas money; however, we all decided to use the money to turn the Miller’s power back on instead of buying presents for ourselves. You know what? That was one of the best Christmas’ we ever had.”
Funny, I don’t ever recall feeling like I was deprived. Christmas was a fun season regardless what presents we did or didn’t get. Nothing says “Merry Christmas” like low expectations. I’m sure the Millers, who weren’t expecting anything, would heartily agree. On the flip side, it seems the greatest disappointments at Christmas result from having too high of expectations.
In Jesus’ day the expectations of the religious crowd were extremely high. They were expecting a messiah who would be their own savior; who would conquer the occupying Roman army and put Israel on top of the pecking order of all world civilizations. My oh my, were they disappointed with what they got for Christmas.
Jesus showed up as a powerless child born in a cave to a soon to be homeless teenage couple. As an adult he refused to accept the messiah role the religious leaders wanted of him. Instead, he frequently challenged their self-promoting theology, self-serving morality and small-thinking salvation.
Conversely, the crowds of common folk were overjoyed with Jesus. Their low expectations were wildly eclipsed as Jesus talked to them, not at them and included them in his salvation plans.
Somehow we’ve come full circle. Many contemporary Christians have resurrected the high expectations of yesteryear. They believe Jesus is their own messiah and that he will soon return and gather only them to hang out with God and leave the majority of humanity on the outside looking in.
Meanwhile, the crowds of common folk today have little or no expectation of Jesus. Happy Holidays is as good as Merry Christmas because who really cares for ancient myths about baby Jesus. God may or may not exist and Jesus was just a good man who lived a very long time ago.
In my humble third-world upbringing opinion both sides might want to examine their expectations. I suggest religious Christians re-evaluate their confidence of knowing God’s ways. As Jesus showed before, he has a way of crumbling such high expectations.
Likewise, skeptics and agnostics may want to take another look at Jesus. As I learned growing up, nothing says “Merry Christmas” like low expectations and I think they will be pleasantly surprised if they don’t throw the Christmas Baby out with the bathwater.
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