Though one of the most celebrated holidays the world over, Christmas is also one of the most controversial. From the disputes concerning its origins to the contentions over the exact dates of Jesus’ birth, much has been discussed about this Christian holiday. But, these discussions aside, there is no disputing that Christmas is certainly the most-celebrated holiday in the world. There is something about Christmas that almost naturally lightens the hearts and stirs the moods, even among those who would have nothing to do with the focus of Christmas – Jesus’ birth.
All over the world, the season is marked with celebrative decorations and joyous parties. This, perhaps, is because of the very positive message that Christmas brings – joy, peace, and goodwill to all. These were very significant pronouncements by the angels at the first Christmas.
The period preceding the birth of Jesus was a period of a long silence from God. From the days of Adam, God was in an almost constant communication with His people. But, as at the close of the Old Testament, God went into silent mode for almost 400 years. In this period, Israel was overrun and ruled by various colonial masters, and some of them even attempted to eradicate the worship of their God. The cry for a deliverer was real; but it tarried for centuries, eroding the faith of many. In this time of silence, three key religious groups arose – the Sadducees, the Pharisees and the Essenes – with very divergent views on the coming of the Messiah. These perspectives influenced their lifestyles both before and after the birth of Christ.
The Sadducees were made up of the rich and educated folk. Because of their status in society, they had settled to maintain the status quo under the Greek and Roman rule. Because they had no faith in prophecy, they did not believe in a coming Messiah. They did not even believe in the resurrection. Thus, for the Sadducees, life was for here and now, to be enjoyed while it lasted. They took a hedonistic approach to life. Their philosophy to life may have been – Let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we die.
The Pharisees were a highly religious group who lived by the letter of the law. They believed that if all of them kept the law perfectly for just one day, the Messiah would come! They therefore dealt ruthlessly with any person breaking the law. They appeared to derive some kind of pleasure in seeing people deprived of enjoyment. Theirs seems to have been a sadistic philosophy to life – Life is a struggle, it must not be enjoyed.
The Essenes were basically a separatist group. Like the Pharisees, they sought to live by the letter of the law though they rejected its rituals and ceremonies. They were an extremely pious group that felt they should not contaminate themselves with anything on earth. They lived in isolation from everybody else as they waited for the Messiah! Their philosophy may have been – come out from them and be ye separate. Apart from these three sects, there were yet several other religious people who pursued neither the dogmatism of the Pharisees, nor the scepticism of the Sadducees. They simply lived in the hope that the coming of the Messiah would usher in a new dispensation for the nation of Israel. Among these was Simeon, a man with a truly steadfast faith and vibrant hope. He lived for one reason and one reason only – to see the promised Messiah. When he saw Jesus, his hopes and desires were fulfilled. His response was: Let now your servant depart in peace.
Looking at Kenya, with Christmas only a few hours away, the situation is not too different for us this Christmas season. Following a very turbulent and prolonged electoral season, the spirit of despondency had descended on us, with prospects of a very gloomy Christmas. But, God in His divine design has had mercy on us, diffusing the tension and anxiety that threatened to mar the festive season. Instead, He has restored the true spirit of Christmas of joy, peace, and goodwill to all. That is why, though we see around us the sadistic Pharisees, the hedonistic Sadducees, and separatist Essenes, yet like Simeon we must not allow them to blur our vision and rob us of the true message and meaning of Christmas. Instead, let us reach out and embrace one another in the true spirit of Christmas by spreading joy, peace and goodwill to all. It is the best way to thank God for His mercy and grace upon us. It could have been worse.
-The writer is the Presiding Bishop at CITAM. [email protected]
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