Amid Commercialization, A Humble Birth
The Freeman’s Journal/HOMETOWN ONEONTA
Edition of Thursday-Friday, Dec. 25-26, 2014
With the consumerization of Christmas, it’s appropriate to remember the humble origins of the holiday.
First and foremost is the babe in the manger. In what was essentially a lean-to shed filled with animals, the infant Messiah rested in a feeding trough.
Jesus’ parents were simple, rural people from Nazareth, a town unfit for a king; “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
The parent’s dedication sacrifice of two turtledoves implied that the Christ was born into a poor family.
It was the cultural norm for the birth of a Jewish child to be accompanied by music and dancing in the streets from friends and family. The Roman census caused Mary and Joseph to miss out on such a grand reception.
Although the newborn king did get a heavenly reception from the angels, who rounded up nearby shepherds to participate. Shepherds are simple, blue-collar folk, unfit for a ceremony in a king’s court.
In fact, the only characters of the Christmas story with wealth and esteem were the Magi, and they didn’t appear until years later, when Jesus was a toddler.
It’s simply astounding that the birth of a promised king, the culmination of a nation, was surrounded by such simplicity.
Pastor KALER CARPENTER
The Redemption Movement, Oneonta