WHO SAYS CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT JOY?

Reflections for Christmas Sunday

We have always presumed that Christmas is a season of joy, haven’t we? Understandably therefore, joy turns out to be a recurrent theme in our Christmas traditions: our greeting cards, homilies, cribs, decorations, carols, etc., The scripture begs to differ. Isaiah, in today’s first reading, acclaims that the coming of the messiah has brought people who dwelt in the land of gloom and darkness, GREAT light, GREAT joy, and GREAT rejoicing. The Hebrew words used here to refer to joy are גָּד֑וֹל (pronounced gā-ḏō-wl meaning ‘great’) and שָׂמְח֤וּ (pronounced śā-mə-ḥū meaning ‘great rejoicing’]. Yes, Christmas is a season of great joy! Are we making a hill out of a mole here? Joy or great joy, how does it matter? We could overlook this little detail if not for the fact that Bible seems to persistently add the adjective ‘great’ every time it refers to the joy of Christmas. Let us turn to the ‘joy’ experienced by those who witnessed and celebrated world’s first ever Christmas.

1. John the Baptist:

The first person to recognise Jesus was an unborn child. John the Baptist was filled with joy during the visitation of Mary bearing Jesus in her womb when she visited her cousin Elizabeth in the city of Judah. John was still in his mother’s womb and so was Jesus. What does the bible say? “As soon as the sound of Mary’s greeting reached Elizabeth’s ears, the baby in her womb leapt for GREAT JOY [σκιρτάω (Greek) pronounced skeer-tah'-o meaning ‘to leap’ and ἀγαλλίασις (Greek) pronounced ag-al-lee'-as-is meaning ‘great joy or extreme gladness’]” (Luke 1:44). Even as a foetus, John the precursor prophesized that the one in the womb of Mary is a cause of great joy and extreme gladness. And so, like David who danced before the Lord with all his might (2 Samuel 6:14), John the Baptist leaps for GREAT JOY in the womb of his mother Elizabeth.

2. The Shepherds

Secondly, there is an angel who declared the birth of the Messiah to the poor shepherds, living out in the fields near Bethlehem, keeping watch over their flocks at night. What did the angel tell them? “I bring you good news of GREAT JOY for all people [χαρά (Greek) pronounced khar-ah' meaning ‘joy’ and μέγας (Greek) pronounced meg'-as meaning ‘great’]” (Luke 2:10). The shepherds were the first ones to receive the message of the angel, which was meant for all the world. To these poor shepherds who were exposed to the coldness of the winter night, the pain of poverty, isolation, seclusion and loneliness, the angel brings not just a joyful news. They received the Good News of Christmas, the tidings of GREAT JOY, the definitive initiation of God’s salvific action for all the world.

3. The Wise Men:

Thirdly, there are the wise men who travelled from the east, following a star, to visit and adore the king in the manger. What does the scripture say about their joy? “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy [χαίρω, (Greek) pronounced khah'-ee-ro meaning ‘rejoice exceedingly’ and again μέγας (Greek) pronounced meg'-as meaning ‘great’]” (Matthew 2:10). Their long search is now over. They had crossed great distances, overcome many hurdles and briefly lost sight of the star that had guided them so far. But when they now saw their guiding star again, they are filled with GREAT JOY. They fall down and worshipped the Baby in the crib.

At the news of the incarnation, the contemporaries of Isaiah, who were engulfed in gloom and darkness experienced great joy. John the Baptist leapt for great joy. The angel declared the Good News of great joy. The wise men rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. Yes, Christmas is not just a season of joy! It is the Good News of GREAT JOY! Is Christmas still a source of great joy? When more than half of the world’s population is wrestling financial and health crises, what great joy could Christmas bring? When there is a raging war threatening peace and stability, what difference can the great joy of Christmas make? When violence in varied forms continues to threaten the lives of minorities, the marginalised, and the neglected, does it still make sense to speak of great joy over the birth of Mary’s child some 2000 years ago? How can this year’s commemoration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour make any difference to men and women of today? How is Christmas a news of great joy for you and me?

The real significance of the great joy of Christmas becomes clear when we consider the context of the audience to whom the Good News of great joy is revealed. Isaiah is addressing a people ravaged by war and treason. Ahaz, the king of Judah had entered into a political alliance with the Assyrians to defend his nation against the Syro-Ephraimite alliance. However, the same Assyrians turned against Judah and drove its people into darkness and gloom. John was still a foetus when Mary paid a visit to his family bearing Jesus in her womb. The shepherds were exposed not only to the coldness of the winter night but also to the pain of poverty, isolation, seclusion and loneliness. The wise men have been on a long search. They had crossed great distances, overcome many hurdles and briefly lost sight of the star that had guided them so far.

The GREAT JOY of the birth of Jesus shone as a ray of hope over an insignificant village of Bethlehem at a very difficult point of Israel’s history, when the biblical promise of a messiah could have never seemed more distant and impossible. Christmas is a reason for great joy to those who greatly need it. To those who confront the pain of darkness, cold, gloom, poverty, discrimination, longing for love, search for meaning, etc., Christmas brings the Good News of great joy. How often we forget that the GREAT JOY of the birth of Jesus shone as a ray of hope over an insignificant village of Bethlehem at a very difficult point of Israel’s history, when the biblical promise of a messiah could have never seemed more distant and impossible. Christmas unsettles us with the fact that great joy of Christmas is not about the gifts, lights, sweets, or decorated trees! The real reason for great joy is the baby-messiah wrapped in swaddled clothes, laid in a manger in seeming poverty, helplessness and littleness.

We have read, preached and heard reflections on Christmas as the basis and foundation of Christian joy. However, it is equally important to reflect on another important dimension! Christmas is a challenge to the experience of the hope that it represents. The baby-messiah wrapped in swaddled clothes, laid in a manger in seeming poverty, helplessness and littleness, asks us to hope in HIM! Christmas presents a task, unique to each of us in relation to the particularity of our current situation in relation to the global pandemic. The baby messiah challenges us all to hope. Every singly character of the first Christmas story took up and won this challenge of hope.

Mary conquered her challenge to hope through her consecration when she dedicated herself to being the world’s first tabernacle of the messiah. However, we cannot forget that she was faced with the uncertainty of her future risking her engagement to Joseph and her dreams for her life. Joseph overcame his challenge to hope by faith. Even as a carpenter desperate to save his Holy Family in exile fleeing from a tyrant king, he never gave up his faith in God’s providence, power and presence. Prophet Simeon prevailed over his challenge to hope by discernment when he lifted a humble baby in his hand and realized that his eyes had indeed seen God’s salvation.” (Luke 2:29-32) Prophetess Anna won over her challenge to hope by patience when the hope of her fasting and prayers for her redeemer found its material reality in the infant at the Temple. The shepherds turned victorious in their challenge of hope by their humility, overcoming their loneliness and obscurity to discover that promised messiah is now in their midst. The wise men succeeded in their challenge of hope by relentlessness shown in seeking the messiah against all odds and finding him in the most unexpected of places.

So here are the ways to win our Christmas challenge of hope and to truly experience the GREAT JOY of Christmas: Mary’s consecration, Joseph’s faith, Simeon’s discernment, Anna’s patience, the shepherds’ humility and the wise men’s perseverance. All those associated with the biblical narratives of nativity remind us of the possibility of conquering our own challenge to hope in the current situation. Christmas is a challenge, unique and specific to each of our individual vocations but it is also a CHALLENGE TO HOPE! It is only through hope that we attain the GREAT JOY of Christmas. The great joy of incarnation permeates the gloom and darkness of our existential realities, strengthens us in our loneliness, violence, indifference and poverty, and brings our search for love and meaning to its fruition.

Remember the wonderful hymn of Rabindranath Tagore in Gitanjali (hymn No.45). Tagore speaks about the silent steps of God, who comes to us in the darkness of our lives.

“Have you not heard his silent steps?

He comes, comes, ever comes.

In the rainy gloom of July nights

on the thundering chariot of clouds

he comes, comes, ever comes.

In sorrow after sorrow

it is his steps that press upon my heart,

and it is the golden touch of his feet

that makes my JOY to shine.”

Despite the challenges of our existential realities, let us dare to hope, let us open our hearts to the GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY. For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given (Isaiah 9:6).