It is amazing how understanding a person and a historical event gives a different way of looking at history. I enjoy reality fiction, especially in movies. For example, “The Man Who Invented Christmas” appears to be a fantasy movie. It is reality fiction. The story tells how Charles Dickens came about to creating “A Christmas Carol” in 1843.
Two years after the success of Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens (Dan Stevens) is suffering financial hardship from the failure of his last three books. Rejected by his publishers, he sets out to write a new book to restore his finances. Seeing inspiration around London, most notably a rich man's funeral that is largely unattended, he begins writing A Christmas Carol, due in six weeks in order to be published by Christmas. As Charles begins to develop his story, he interacts with the characters he is writing about, most notably Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer). Dickens is helped by one of his servants, Tara, an Irish immigrant who is literate and able to provide advice.
While writing his book, Charles is greeted by the arrival of his father, John Dickens (Jonathan Pryce), whom Charles views as immature and fiscally irresponsible. Charles' relationship with his family is increasingly strained as he struggles to finish the book in time, as he is unable to resolve Scrooge's story. Hearing that Charles intends to let Tiny Tim die, Tara suggests a resolution for Scrooge by having him save Tiny Tim instead. Charles rejects her help, and soon sends her away from his house in a fit of rage. Additionally, Charles has a falling out with his father and sends him away upon learning that he has been selling Charles' signature.
It is revealed that much of Charles' animosity towards his father is from his childhood embarrassment of working in a blacking factory after his family was taken to debtor's prison. Returning to the long-abandoned factory, Charles is forced to confront his own insecurities through Scrooge. Charles realizes that his story should be one of redemption, and races home to finish his manuscript. As he leaves to submit it to his illustrator, he encounters Tara, and invites her back. His wife suggests he do the same with his father, who is about to board a train to leave London. Reconnecting with his family, Charles submits the manuscript in time for publishing before Christmas. The film ends with the Dickens family celebrating the holidays, while a title text explains the overnight success of A Christmas Carol, and its lasting impact on the Christmas holiday.
As with any story, understanding the background is crucial. Charles Dickens was on the verge of giving up writing when he wrote The Christmas Carol. At this period of history, Christmas was a second-rate holiday in Great Britain. The rise of the Puritans in the mid-17th century squelched the holiday due to its background; previously it was a pagan festival and people would dress up in costumes, much like Mardi Gras.
Dickens typically enjoyed snowy Christmas days, providing a backdrop for his image of a white Christmas, a traditional image that lives on. During the time Dickens wrote the book, Queen Victoria brought a Christmas tree from Germany and slowly the festival became a time for family and celebration. Dicken’s father simply is characterized as the Scrooge. His father was known to be reckless with money; he was deeply in debt in order to live his extravagant lifestyle—living beyond his means. In a letter Dickens called his father a “jackass.” In 1840 Dickens sent his father and mother to Devonshire to keep him out of trouble; he went public saying he would no longer pay toward his father’s debts.
Ebenezer Scrooge appears to be a manifestation of Dicken’s father. Can you imagine what it would be like to watch this old favorite movie with Charles Dicken’s father?
“A Christmas Carol” was one of the inspirational factors that changed the way Christmas was viewed, in Great Britain and in America.
The name 'Christmas' comes from the Mass of Christ (or Jesus). It is a time of worship, often called Communion or Eucharist. The focus of the service is to remember that Jesus was God incarnate, died as an atonement for our sins, was resurrected, and promised we, too, will experience life abundantly and eternally. The 'Christ-Mass' service was the only one that could take place after sunset and prior to sunrise. Out of this Christians began to hold it at Midnight! This is where we get the name Christ-Mass, shortened to Christmas.
Often the light shines the brightest when the darkness appears bleak and we feel weak and hopeless. This was the setting for the birth of Jesus. Understanding context helps us better understand the story line.
In the real Christmas story, we have our scrooges. In a book, movie script, and in real life they are called antagonist. Antagonist are often the most complex and fascinating characters. People often love them because it is a way for them to experience the fantasy of letting their scrooge take life. This is seen in most of the seek-and-destroy games people are playing.
In the Christmas story we have the Star and stars, stars that are heroes and scrooges—the antagonist. A script’s antagonist, one who challenges the protagonist, heightens the message of the hero. John puts it this way,
John 1 (MSG)
3-5 Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!—
came into being without him.
What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.
The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn’t put it out.
In the Christmas Story, the Biblical version, we have two opposing antagonists. Yet, though their motives were distinctly different; however, one feeds off the other—in a sense gaining strength by working together to challenge the protagonist—Jesus. Here is a question we can ask the antagonist, Why? Why were you so opposed to the birth of Jesus?
Antagonist typically have a personal motive. Here are some we know about:
• Pride (Apollo Creed in Rocky),
• Sustenance/survival (Dracula),
• Glory (Shooter in Happy Gilmore),
• The ultimate thrill (Bodhi in Point Break),
• Recognition (Buddy Pine in The Incredibles),
• Love (Kimberly in My Best Friend’s Wedding),
• What they are owed (Commodus in Gladiator),
• Power (Miranda Priestly in Devil Wears Prada),
• Revenge (Jennifer Spencer in Sudden Impact),
rada),
I want us to look at the juxtaposition of the co-antagonist in the Christmas story. We have two archenemies who join forces, directly and indirectly. As the ancient proverb goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend which suggests that two opposing parties can or should work together against a common enemy doing what some call Make Your Enemies Your Allies.
This is the case in the biblical story of Jesus birth and life on earth. I want us to look at them, their background and motives.
The co-scrooges, conspirators against Jesus:
1. There were the Jews: they were a body of people with distinctives and diversities. At the beginning of the Christian era Judaism was divided into many different groups. These were:
a. The Pharisees: a group of influential Jews active in Palestine from 2nd century BCE through 1st century CE; they advocated and adhered to strict observance of the Sabbath rest, purity rituals, tithing, and food restrictions based on the Hebrew Scriptures and on later traditions.
b. The Sadducees: another prominent group of Jews in Palestine from 2nd century BCE through 1st century CE; they were probably smaller "elite" group, but even more influential than the Pharisees; they followed the laws of the Hebrew Bible (the Torah), but rejected newer traditions.
c. The Essenes: a smaller group or "sect" that lived a communal "monastic" lifestyle at Qumran (near the Dead Sea) from 2nd century BCE through 1st century CE; the "Dead Sea Scrolls" found in this location in 1947 are usually associated with them.
d. The Herodians: probably a faction that supported the policies and government of the Herodian family, especially during the time of Herod Antipas, ruler over Galilee and Perea during the lifetimes of John the Baptist and of Jesus.
e. The Zealots: one of several different "revolutionary" groups in the 1st century CE who opposed the Roman occupation of Israel.
f. The High Priest, Chief Priests, Priests, and Levites: members of the tribe of Levi who were responsible for the temple and its sacrifices, and thus were the religious and social leaders of the Jewish people.
g. The Scribes: men specially trained in writing, and thus influential as interpreters and teachers of the Law, and agents of the rulers.
Despite differences between these Jewish groups, they were united by certain basic beliefs based upon the Torah.
We know the Jewish people longed for the coming of the Messiah. Because of preconceived ideas about what kind of Messiah they expected, they were not overly concerned with the birth of another child. They envisioned a Messiah in the image of David, riding in with his army and liberating them from Roman dominance. A child born in a manger was not even a grown man; his parents didn’t have a victorious stallion, they rode into Bethlehem on a donkey.
Caiaphas, was a supreme political person with power and influence. He had served as High Priest and had built a strong alliance with the Roman power people. His concern was two-fold:
• Jesus threatened his authority,
• If Jesus was making trouble for Pilate, it was going to be trouble for him.
Escalation of problems Jesus presented to the Jews:
1. Birth
2. Public Ministry
The Jews turned against Jesus after he became an adult, beginning when he was handed a scroll at the start of his public ministry, culminating as he cleansed the Temple.
To Set the Burdened Free - Luke 4
14-15 Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit. News that he was back spread through the countryside. He taught in their meeting places to everyone’s acclaim and pleasure.
16-21 He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,
God’s Spirit is on me;
he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and
recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down. Every eye in the place was on him, intent. Then he started in, “You’ve just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place.”
22 All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son, the one we’ve known since he was a youngster?”
23-27 He answered, “I suppose you’re going to quote the proverb, ‘Doctor, go heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.’ Well, let me tell you something: No prophet is ever welcomed in his hometown. Isn’t it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land, but the only widow to whom Elijah was sent was in Sarepta in Sidon? And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one cleansed was Naaman the Syrian.”
28-30 That set everyone in the meeting place seething with anger. They threw him out, banishing him from the village, then took him to a mountain cliff at the edge of the village to throw him to his doom, but he gave them the slip and was on his way.
31-32 He went down to Capernaum, a village in Galilee. He was teaching the people on the Sabbath. They were surprised and impressed—his teaching was so forthright, so confident, so authoritative, not the quibbling and quoting they were used to.
33-34 In the meeting place that day there was a man demonically disturbed. He screamed, “Ho! What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you’re up to. You’re the Holy One of God and you’ve come to destroy us!”
35 Jesus shut him up: “Quiet! Get out of him!” The demonic spirit threw the man down in front of them all and left. The demon didn’t hurt him.
36-37 That set everyone back on their heels, whispering and wondering, “What’s going on here? Someone whose words make things happen? Someone who orders demonic spirits to get out and they go?” Jesus was the talk of the town.
Th. Ed Kessler, writes about this in an article, “Jesus the Jew.”
3. Riding into Jerusalem on a Donkey: When Jesus, who they perceived to be a rebel, rode into town on a donkey he was mobbed by an adorning crowd. When he went into the Temple, challenging the money changers for defiling the holy place, they knew there was a problem. Several things stand out about this event:
a. Jesus sent 2 disciples to bring back 2 animals, a female donkey and a colt that had never been ridden—by divine appointment and by the tenderness of Jesus, the colt demonstrated no resistance when Jesus sat on it.
b. A moment of Silence: Luke 19:41 records Jesus looking across the Kidron Valley weeping. Why? The Man of Sorrows grieved because many had closed their eyes to his true identity and mission—to seek and save the lost.
c. The majority in the crowd began to praise Jesus, a great expression of worship.
d. The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to silence the crowd. It appears that they believed “the world is gone after him.” Luke 12:19
e. The Jewish leaders, as if not before, knew that he was not their conquering Messiah to take down the Roman Empire and restore them to their greatness.
4. Cleansing Temple
John 2:13-22 (MSG)
Tear Down This Temple . . .
13-14 When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength.
15-17 Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for your house consumes me.”
18-19 But the Jews were upset. They asked, “What credentials can you present to justify this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.”
20-22 They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said.
His statement was the trigger event that resulted in the Jewish leaders having a theopolitical and political issue with Jesus.
Theopolitical is a system of government in which God or a deity is held to be the civil ruler: The Priest didn’t want someone to mess up his power and money house. Jesus threatened the income of the Temple. It is worthy to note that one week after Jesus went to the Temple and expelled the money changers that he was crucified.
On a humorous note, I wonder if Jesus bathed in the Priest’s Mikveh? If not; I wonder if they billed God.
Luke and John help us understand the Jews’ problem with Jesus in regard to their nest egg.
As the tension between Jesus and the Jewish leaders intensifying, the more likely Rome would become concerned about the conflict. This is when Jewish leaders linked arms with the Romans—actually, their arms were already linked. The Jewish leaders consulted with each other and determined that Jesus had to go. That is when they plotted how to make it appear they were on the same page as the Romans. They leaned more on their theopolitical powers than understanding the Prophets regarding Jesus.
In first century Palestine there was no separation between church and state. The priests at the temple in Jerusalem officiated over the religious life of the Jews, in a legalistic manner. Yet, they were also rulers and judges as they straddled the ethical fence between being a Jew and crossing over to the Roman side.
Herod, who was himself a pawn of Rome, had his own pawns within the Jewish priesthood. By the first century the election of the High Priest was more political than religious. The Roman Empire expected the priesthood to support their occupation, and the Herods made sure their desire was carried out. If the Priesthood honored their part of the deal, they would leave them alone. At the top of the chain of Priests were those who wore their credentials proudly but were in Rome's back pocket.
I find it very interesting how the Priests presented themselves as “holier than thou” and, at the same time, they were compromising their faith. Is it any wonder Jesus called them hypocrites?
None are perfect, God knows that. Yet, God honored those with a pure heart, fully devoted to be a child of God. Many, like Joseph and Mary, were devoted to God. They sensed God’s divine will.
Jesus, during Passover, spoke to Jewish pilgrims from all over Israel, those who came to celebrate the Feast. Jesus basically told them about the Scribes and Pharisees; he exposed their problems.
This passage brings attention to several issues. Mark 12:38-40
• While the Jewish leaders were seated in the seat of Moses, they had simply usurped the power invested in the seat. It had become a means to their selfish desires, instead of humbly serving God’s people.
• Jesus encouraged the Jewish citizens to be faithful to things rightly taught by the Priest; however, not to live by the standards they used to guide their lives.
• Jesus pointed out the way the Pharisees and Scribes laid heavy burdens on the people, while not helping them lighten the burden.
Jesus, as he taught the people, demonstrated how his message was radically different than the Jewish leaders. The following accounts takes place earlier in Jesus’ ministry; however, it highlights the emphasis of his teaching.
John the Baptizer (MSG)
Matthew 11 When Jesus finished placing this charge before his twelve disciples, he went on to teach and preach in their villages.
2-3 John, meanwhile, had been locked up in prison. When he got wind of what Jesus was doing, he sent his own disciples to ask, “Are you the One we’ve been expecting, or are we still waiting?”
4-6 Jesus told them, “Go back and tell John what’s going on:
The blind see,
The lame walk,
Lepers are cleansed,
The deaf hear,
The dead are raised,
The wretched of the earth learn that God is on their side.
7 Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly. “The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I’m not keeping it to myself; I’m ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.
28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”
“Is this what you were expecting? Then count yourselves most blessed!”
• Jesus told the people that the true Messiah was their Master and their God. Ouch! The Pharisees and Scribes were cut deep! Jesus had circumvented their power by which the people had to go through to relate to God. (Problem with Catholicism….)
• Jesus looked the Jewish leaders in the eye and said, if you point to your credentials, you will be abased. If you humble yourself before God and pick up the towel of servanthood, you will be exalted. Double ouch for them.
Jesus pronounced seven woes upon the Scribes and Pharisees (23:13-36)
Jack’s Paraphrase of the “woe” passage:
1) As hypocrites, you slam the doors to heaven in the face of the people. You do not allow them to enter, while not realizing you have locked yourself out.
2) You strong arm people to make them a proselyte and then you make them a child of hell, much more than you
3) You have majored on the trivial and, in your blindness, have stumbled and tripped over the glorious nature of the worship of God.
4) You make clanging sounds as you drop your tithe; however, you don’t uphold the heavy weight aspects of the law, justice, mercy, grace, and faithfulness.
5) Your self-shot that you admire when looking into the pool of blood from the sacrifice you require of the people; however, when you take your cloak off you should see greed, self-indulgence, guilt, and shame
6) With a little irony, I believe, Jesus tells them they are liked tombs that are honed out fine granite that everyone admires; however, on the inside of tomb the stench from the sacrificed animals and their bones are repulsive.
7) Jesus points out their holier-than-thou attitude toward those who rejected prophets of old—you say, I would never do that. You lift up the prophets your forefathers rejected and killed; however, at this very hour you are plotting to kill the Messiah himself.
Because their piety was false. Much like televangelists and other far-right "Christians" today, the Jewish leaders of Christ's time sought political power—though their brand was religiosity, wealth, and dominance, not an intimate knowledge of God. They abused faith to attain this. Jesus said, "You must not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." True. Piety is based on a private relationship with God. True Christians are meant to inspire others by their humble deeds, not their grand words.
Now the 4th
1) Jesus’ birth
2) Jesus reading from Isaiah
3) Jesus cleansing the Temple—with a whip and not a bath in the Mikveh?
The second of the co-scrooges, conspirators steps onto the stage. The scene now is the the Roman Empire. The Jewish leaders were facing a political crisis. Prior to the annunciation of Jesus’ public ministry, the Jewish leaders had not anticipated the challenges they would face. They could no longer avoid taking action regarding Jesus. I assume they consulted with Herod’s pawns in the Jewish council.
One cannot understand the New Testament, especially Jesus’ ministry, without understanding the place of the Roman Empire.
Rome had a tumultuous history…Emperor Caesar Augustus, the first Roman figure noted in the Bible was on the throne when Jesus was born. He came to power and was considered a hero following a civil war in the empire…more specifically he was celebrated as a great “savior.” Words like freedom, justice, peace, and salvation were championed by the people.
An interesting word was used when the Caesar’s works were proclaimed, the Greek term euangelion, which is translated, “good news” or, “gospel”. In this context Jesus was born—a threat the Roman “savior” and the Jews angst and fear of the Roman domination increased drastically.
Who was Caesar Augustus? He was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. Actually, his name was Octavianus and he took the name Caesar—I think he had a right to it. Now the name Augustus was not a name at all but a title. When the senate submitted to him certain titles like king, emperor, and dictator, he was not satisfied. Instead he chose the title Augustus. It had a religious significance, and it was an attempt to deify himself. Caesar Augustus attempted to make himself a god. He wanted to be worshiped.
There are two layers for understanding what I have called the second co-conspirator.
1. There is the Emperor of Rome: The Senate of Rome gave Octavius/Octavian (27 BC) the title which means “the respected one”. He ruled until 14 AD and was succeeded by
Octavian brought peace to the Roman Empire and became a popular leader. In 27 B.C., the Senate voted to give him the title Augustus, which means "the respected one." He ruled the empire until 14 A.D. In the Bible Luke refers to him as "Caesar Augustus."
With the settlement of 27 B.C. he laid the foundations of the `principate', a system of government that was to give the empire internal peace with only brief interruptions for around 250 years.
Now the 5th actor in the Christmas Story
1) Jesus’ birth
2) Jesus reading from Isaiah
3) Jesus cleansing the Temple—with a whip and not a bath in a mikvah
4) The Roman Emperor
2. The second layer of the Roman co-conspirator is Herod the Great: He was king of the Jews when Jesus was born. Historians call him a tyrant. He was described as distrustful, jealous, and brutal, ruthlessly crushing any potential opposition. The Jews never accepted him as their legitimate king, and this infuriated him. He appeared as paranoid, always suspecting conspiracy. Fearful of upsetting the Emperor. He presented as a Jew; however, he murdered his sons. He is the one who murdered the children in Bethlehem. The upper-class Jews favored him because of the prosperity he brought about. The Pharisees and the common people never liked him.
Based upon personal agendas, disappointment, fear, those like Augusta and the Jews become spiritually blind…When we focus on lived experience and the belief in personal power and goals, we filter everything through human thinking, motives and actions and lose sight of things spiritual---this what kept the Jews and Augusta from seeing. Pilate – Luke 23:
He asked Jesus, point blank, "Are you the Son of God, the Son of the Blessed? Are you The Messiah?"
What was the role of the protagonist? Unstoppable love, necklace In Our Weakness We become strong—Couldn’t stop Jesus
Mark 8:36, Matthew 16:26
Billy Graham: “You could gain a great relationship with your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, and your employer but is it worth gaining the whole world while losing your own soul?”
Read more: https://www.christianquotes.info/images/billy-graham-quote-how-we-can-gain-the-word-and-lose-our-soul/#ixzz5Za9zTSof
Hold up two crowns, which do you want?
3 years, 3 months, and 19 days of captivity following the Bataan Death March my father and other prisoners were freed. They struggled with severe malnutrition and diseases; many were unable to walk from the prison camp to the boats waiting for them. It took my Dad 65 years to talk about his experience. While listening to an interview he did with a history professor, he said that on the way from the prison camp the Filipinos, who had threw food into the camp, were sitting in trees. Some held up heads of Japanese soldiers in one hand and fruit in the other hand. They would ask, “Which do you want?”
There came a time when the antagonists/ co-conspirators, had to design how they would respond to the protagonist, the Star.
HEROD, CAESAR, WHICH DO YOU WANT? Do you want a political crown? Do you want a theopolitical position, a pawn to whoever is in power? Choose this day! It is the most important decision you will make. Which do you want….death or life?
Joshua 24:14-15
Facebook has a feature, “Add to your story.”
What is your script as you step onto the stage? What specific role will you play? It is our turn to stand with the co-Scrooges or the Star of the Christmas story. It takes real-life inspiration and divine creative to believe the baby in the manager was the Messiah. God incarnate. The deliver of his people. He extends eternal life to all who believe. Not earthly ascent to a conquering empire. Not to Hollywood stardom, like the Jewish leaders prided themselves in. Not to self-deception that one can ascend to be a god. What about it? Do you believe as you peer into the face of the little baby in the manger?
Aw! The ability to believe reflects divine inspiration.
