A Different Take on the Christmas Story
One of the e-newsletters I subscribe to is from a dear brother named Scott Webster. Recently he had an interesting take on the “Chrsitmas Story” that I felt was worth mentioning.
“The events of Jesus birth and early years of life were couched within political intrigue, murderous plots, acts of genocidal rage, state intelligence activities, issues of immigration and covert border crossings, a visiting delegation of foreign dignitaries and the census and tax decrees of an empire. We must be aware of the actual introduction of the King into the earth and the drama which unfolded in a political and social context.”
“Herod’s first action was to gather the leaders of the church and ask them for the location of the birth of Christ, and Matthew records that they provided this without reservation. This is a church which has a complete lack of discernment; they are so blind, unaware and spiritually dull that they willingly participated in a political process that resulted in a bloody assault against the Kingdom of God! We must wonder: where was the insight of the Church regarding this fresh new Divine initiative being birthed into the earth? Weren’t they aware that a new move of God was at hand and required their participation? Did they have no discernment regarding the true nature of Herod’s request for information?”
Syncretism Matthew 2:8
He (Herod) sent them to Bethlehem and said… Syncretism is a word that means a mixture of things that are opposed, and we see this when Herod tried to use the wise men for his political purposes. His arrogance is manifest when he joined his purposes (seeking to find and neutralize the child) to the divine mission of the men from the East. Politicians from all sides of the aisle commonly engage in this unholy mixture, and the church has so diluted the message of the Kingdom of God that many have come to believe that “God and country” are one. However, the Magi went to Bethlehem not out of obedience to Herod but because they had spiritual sight and were sent by God.
“The Church must have a heightened and more insightful view of the Word of God. Seeing the Bible as simply a plan for individual salvation is to strip it of all of its richness, and this limited view has produced a people in the earth who are narrow and whose lives are segmented into quadrants that produce internal conflict and separation. For instance, Christians today would look to the Word of God for answers about sin and salvation, but they would not have been taught to understand economic principles and political leadership from a Kingdom perspective.”
Click here to visit Scott’s website. (Opens in new window)