Advent Series #24
As I sit in prayer and meditation this morning, you are with me. I know for each one a deep Peace, abiding Faith, abundant Joy, and all the Love your hearts can hold. Radiant health and Wholeness fills you, body, mind, and soul on this, the 24th day of Advent.
In just two days, Christmas Eve will be upon us…the night in which the wise men in the book of Matthew were led to the birthplace of the baby Jesus. As was stated previously, the two accounts differ from one another in a number of ways. They had different authors, were written at different times (Matthew, then Luke), and for different audiences. Making comparisons between the two stories helps us to see how they have been conflated into one. It offers an opportunity to increase our understanding of the symbolism, helping to find a direct application for this ancient wisdom in our lives.
Today, looking more closely at the Gospel According to Matthew, we find that it was written in roughly 70 C.E. It is believed that its author was a native Greek speaker who lived in or around Syria. He appears to be addressing a Greek speaking Jewish-Christian audience, as he never bothers to explain Jewish customs. This book contains a large number of Jesus’ sayings and discourse, as well as a group of stories not found in any of the other Gospels. The book of Matthew contains an extensive accounting of Jesus’ teachings, and as such, is considered “the most authentic and fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion.” (Cliff Notes Online) Another interesting characteristic of the Gospel of Matthew is its high regard for the teachings of the Old Testament. More than a dozen times, he interprets an event in the life of Jesus as a fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy. It appears that the author of Matthew did not consider Christianity as something that required one to break away from the Jewish religion. Rather, he considered it to be a continuation and fulfillment of the Old Testament. (I would have to agree.)
In the opening chapters of Matthew, the author first gives a genealogy of Jesus that traces his ancestry as far back as Abraham. In case it wasn’t mentioned before, the genealogy in the book of Luke traces it all the way back to Adam! Following the genealogy, there is a narration of the wise men’s visit to Jesus’ birth site; then of Herod’s attempt to destroy the newborn child, and the flight into Egypt for the child’s protection. Some of the specific details that make Matthew’s Christmas story so different from Luke’s are these: it implies that Mary and Joseph lived in Bethlehem; speaks of wise men from the East, bearing gifts (maybe priests or astronomers?), who travel, following a bright star, to witness the newborn child, with no mention of shepherds. In Luke, there was no mention of a star. The account in Matthew is definitely written from Joseph’s perspective, while Luke is written from Mary’s; in Matthew, the angel of the Lord speaks to Joseph, and in Luke he speaks to Mary.
It has been my intention thus far to offer a brief summary of the Christmas story as it was presented in the book of Matthew, and to give some context. There is no disputing the depth with which this story is woven into our culture. It is embedded in our human psyche, and holds influence in our lives whether we know it or not. And so, we set out to interpret it in a way that can enrich our lives in 2021 as we move toward conscious participation in our own evolution, and the evolution of the species. We seek to hear its messages in ways that help to guide us in transcending challenging conditions, and that remind us of our true Divinity.
As we look once again for the symbolism contained in these ancient tales, we find that each of the characters might represent an aspect of our humanity. In order to continue our line of contemplation and reflection, moving into the remaining days of the Christmas Season, I pose some additional questions. What if we, like the wise men, kept our focused attention on the Light, and only the Light…our thoughts, words, and actions reflecting the Divinity that we are, in the image and likeness of the One, moving ever toward all that is Good?
Could it be that both stories were required to paint the complete picture? What if the shepherds and the wise men represent the complement of heart and mind, of feeling and intellect? By reading both accounts, we are reminded that the intellect and the heart, in perfect balance, work together in our journey to know God. One looks to find God in the world…the other looks to find God within. Both are required.
Is there something to be learned from the unplanned and unexpected nature of Mary’s pregnancy reflected in both books? Life does not always give us what we want, or what we think we are owed. It is not always predictable. Change is inevitable. I’ll bet that Mary had a different plan for her life with Joseph. She was called by mysterious forces to give birth to a child whose future would fulfill a great prophecy. Wow! And there is no doubt that Joseph was not expecting to marry a pregnant woman. What a scandal! That simply didn’t happen in ancient Jewish culture. Both Mary and Joseph were called to practice a deeper faith, in God and in one another, than they had ever known. Might this story be calling us to do the same?
And finally, have we considered the profundity of Mary’s “Yes”, when in Luke 1:38 she says, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let everything you’ve said happen to me.” Again, how deep was her faith! Perhaps this story calls us to deeper commitment…to a solid, resounding Yes to life, a Yes to overcoming the challenges that face us, a Yes to transcending the conditions that appear to hold us back. We are created in the image and likeness of God, and God always and only says Yes. Whatever we habitually think about, whatever our most consistent actions, how we speak to and act toward others…in other words, to whomever we are in the world, God says Yes.
I hope that these thoughts and contemplations serve to enrich your celebration of the Christ this year.
Know that today and always, I am here to support you.
Know that today and always, you are stronger and wiser than you know.
May we each live from our Radiant Light…be well…stay in touch…know our unity…and thrive!
And…may we know the Absolute Beauty and Wonder of this Grace-filled, once-in-a lifetime day, as Infinite Intelligence continues to pour Its blessings upon our world.
