122519 – XMAS DAY! (The Political Threat in a Manger)
You know I cannot tell a JOKE to save my soul…EVERYONE says so, and yet, I persist and keep trying…
What kind of PHOTO’s do ELVES take?
ELF-IES!
Why DOESN’T Santa ALLOW his elves to WORK or to PLAY on his personal computer?
CUZ they DELETE “all of his” COOKIES.
What does Santa EXPERIENCE when he gets STUCK in a chimney?
CLAUS-tro-phobia!
OK, last one, promise…WHERE does a SNOWMAN keep all of his MONEY?
In a SNOW BANK!!!! (Of course!) Duh! (Except in Southeastern Wisconsin!)
Just a little LEVITY before we begin…
Did you know this whole story is radical from beginning to end?
This narrative STARTS OFF by NOTING how the “BIG WHEELS of the “WORLD” – “HOW” they like to JERK “little people around.” It is not right. It is not fair. It is “ROMAN POWER” that makes Joseph dance to ITS tune, sending HIM across the country to get COUNTED so that Rome could get MORE EFFICIENT at taking HIS money for tax purposes.
It’s ALL about the MONEY! Fleecing and lining, fleecing and lining…
Whenever CAESAR, or even local governors like QUIRINIUS, ran CENSUSES, there would be UPRISINGS and REVOLTS. The tax BURDEN was already EXCESSIVE and people lived in GRINDING poverty.
Speaking of which, you know that a CENSUS happens every ten years, right? – SO expect one in 2020.
It is an “ODD STORY” – all the way around and politically motivated!
THE BIRTH IS announced to the shepherds in the field and NOT to the POWERFUL in RICH PALACES. Something of “real note” is taking place…here…SO-we BETTER pay ATTENTION!
THE SCANDAL (and this was a scandalous event) JESUS was “a poor kid” from a JERKWATER town…and HE was born of a virgin.
Poor Kids are NOT Messiahs. People without MEANS are not SAVIORS. POOR KIDS are inconsequential!
AGAIN, what is GOING ON, here!
LUKE even stole the word Euangelion. It was a WORD that was COMMONLY applied ONLY to CAESAR. It meant “Good News!”
CAESAR was victorious in GAUL. Caesar was victorious HERE. Caesar was victorious THERE. He WON this battle, he won THAT battle. Of course, the CAESAR was victorious everywhere. It was ALL very political!
But having stole this word – JESUS is NOW the GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY!
And he is JOY for ALL THE PEOPLE…and NOT Caesar, OUCH!!!
THIS is actually a ROYAL PROCLAMATION, (of sorts!)
JESUS comes for “ALL” – unlike Caesar. Not just the rich, not just the powerful, not just the famous, not just those in palaces…BUT for ALL THE PEOPLE! JESUS is something different, something special…
It is FUNNY because some people thought GOOD NEWS was ONLY meant for THEM. You know, like the rich…and those politically involved.
EVEN the word SAVIOR is a politically CHARGED term. IT WAS A DANGEROUS WORD. ONLY Caesar Augustus was known as being the “SAVIOR OF THE WORLD.” (Another term that he gave to himself!) This word ONLY appears in the SCRIPTURES three times. Because it is THAT radical. THAT…politically charged!
Luke’s announcement of Jesus as “SAVIOR” is a way of saying “JESUS IS LORD and CAESAR IS NOT.” JESUS ROCKS-CAESAR not so much…And this SAVIOR comes from the HOUSE of DAVID…and HE is not ONLY LORD but SAVIOR. Take THAT-CAESAR AUGUSTUS!
Christmas was meant to be a “radical statement.” It is a direct challenge to the powers that be!
When Caesar Hears a story like this…there is NO other LORD possible, there can be NO challengers to HIS authority…the only possible outcome is to CRUSH IT and CRUCIFY IT…and he and his minions will make it happen.
AND YET, we BOLDLY call it all “GOOD NEWS!” Happy Birthday, baby Jesus! Who knew you were such a threat?
Knock, knock!
Who’s there?
Irish.
Irish who?
Irish you a Merry Christmas!
OK, NOW I’m done!
Amen!