Christmas can be disturbing ...
Soul Snack 211/10 ... A Radical Regent
Endless queues of joyous hearts line overcrowded shopping centres while fidgeting size four shoes ignore heartbeats accelerating. Only Coca-Cola can match the ubiquitous red and white largesse of Santas everywhere.
Healthy emotions, barely restrained eagerness and past experience suggests to these children that Christmas is greeted with joy.
2000 years ago there were adults seeking that first Christmas with at least equal delight.
When King Herod heard this he was disturbed and all Jerusalem with him. (Matt 2:3)
Confounded, the wise men who had glady travelled far to find Jesus, met a disturbed Herod and a people in distress. The wise men sought delight, Herod and all Jerusalem had only found distress.
God had entered this world, yet they found no joy. Herod only saw a competitor. He who is on his throne is rarely happy with removal. Herod had been advised of a new Jewish king (v2), murderous fear was his response.
At that first Christmas the throne-room of heaven invaded Earth. All the throne-rooms of earth were now under threat. Viciously, fearlessly and with full failure Herod would attack the new Throne of Grace. This Throne of Grace was so radical to an Ancient Near Eastern world of fear and hatred.
Herod could not receive this new and radical regent. Sadly, he preferred his own rule.
To correctly understand the joy of Christmas is to receive this radical regent as seated on my throne - not me.