Bethlehem

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us” (Luke 2:15).

            When I was in High School, a teacher once told me learning something important usually required changing your attitude. “Convince yourself quadratic equations are too complicated and you will never understand them”, he said. “However, the moment you think they can be figured out everything snaps into place”. While modifying our attitude is a complex process, a personal experience can help make it happen.

            In this text from Luke, some shepherds go to Bethlehem to discover more about what the angels revealed to them in the field. By doing so, they make it the place from which news about Christ’s birth starts to be shared with all people.

            Within the Hebrew Scriptures/Old Testament, Bethlehem was associated with the lives of many important people in Israel’s history. Rachel, the wife of Jacob, died near the town and was buried there. Elimelech, the father-in-law of Ruth, was a citizen of Bethlehem. David was born in the town and was anointed by Samuel at a sacrifice offered there. After Solomon’s death and the division of the Kingdom, Rehoboam made Bethlehem a fortified city within Judah. Prior to the birth of Jesus, the town’s importance derived from its connection with King David. Isaiah’s prophecy about the coming of a future Messiah indicated this individual would be a descendent of David. Micah specified Bethlehem would be the birthplace of this person. Yet, the shepherds likely knew little about the town’s religious importance. Bethlehem was a place they passed by as they moved their flocks between pastures.

            Luke’s story of the shepherds’ encounter with the angels changed their attitude towards the town. They were told a saviour, who is the Messiah, was born there. Their decision to learn more about this event by going there was sparked by their personal experience of what the angels revealed. Upon finding the child in the conditions described by the angels, the shepherds shared with Mary and Joseph the message they had received. The long-awaited Messiah had arrived in Bethlehem as Micah had predicted. This profound news had to be told to others. The shepherds probably shared their story with anyone who would listen. Its impact on them was indicated by their amazement. While only part of God’s plan about Jesus was revealed to them, the shepherds became the first heralds of the Christmas message: the significant lesson they learned that night through personal experience.

            Although the shepherds and those with whom they interacted knew of the birth of Jesus, most of the people in Bethlehem were likely unaware or indifferent to the news. Some of those who learned about the event likely forgot about it after a few days. They were busy doing other things in their lives. In a way, this Christmas Season, our secular society is a lot like Bethlehem. There is so much to do: decorations to put up; presents to buy; and dinners to plan. Yet, all these activities focus on the social dimension of the holiday. This leaves little time to recall the reason why Christmas is celebrated at all. Once it is over, everyone starts focusing on Valentine’s Day.

            Christians can be distracted by all this activity. It is often difficult to keep one’s attention on the holiday’s spiritual dimension. The shepherd’s message has been passed down to us in the Scriptures. Through his birth at Bethlehem, our Saviour became one of us. This event will lead to our redemption from sin and allow us to enter Eternal Life. Personal encounters with Christ have enabled the faithful to understand the significance of this message. Such experiences direct their attention away from the distractions found in our society and towards recalling the true meaning of Christmas.

            Like the shepherds, Christians need to share with others the spiritual meaning of Christ’s birth. Many are reluctant to do so for fear of offending non-Christians or those with no faith. For others, it is so personal they have difficulty sharing it with another individual. Yet, the future of all humanity was changed by it, whether people choose to accept this truth or not. Although we respect the right of people to ignore the spiritual meaning of Christmas, this does not imply we should not promote it by our actions and words. Like the shepherds in Luke’s account, we have personally experienced Christ’s presence in our lives and so understand the meaning of his birth. We are called to share it with all those who will listen.

            During this Christmas Season, we not only remember what happened in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago, we live it. Many people may not understand or believe in the importance of the birth of Jesus; but we do. For this reason, we need to keep the spiritual dimension of this holiday alive and well in our world.

December 25, 2021