Who Knew?
One
God’s greatest work, to become man and to enlighten and save the whole world, takes place in obscurity and silence, and under the most humble and human conditions. There are no trumpets blaring signaling His arrival, no red carpets, no adoring fans. Just a cave, some animals, His holy but humble parents, and some shepherds. They are the only ones who knew. Far from being scandalized at these circumstances, they receive them confidently as coming from God. From Luke’s Gospel we read, “And in that region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them, ‘Be not afraid: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will come to all people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” (Lk 2: 8-13.) The Holy Spirit is drawn to the humble, drawn to the lowly. The shepherds and not the pharisees, not Herod and not the Romans, are the first to hear and discover the good tidings of great joy. Humility is what draws God to become man in the first place. Therefore, the only way to receive Him and not be scandalized at His obscurity is to humbly accept His plan and not impose our worldly expectations. Herod lives in a world of politics and power. The savior of the world who has come to save him is a threat because He’s not open to the change that Christ brings. What world do we live in? Are we open to Christ’s change?
Two
Herod is a most powerful king. Yet, notice the insecurity of that power. Herod is so threatened by the birth of Christ he chooses to murder innocent children rather than receive Christ with faith. Let that sink in—a man known as “The Great” massacred children in front of their own mothers in order to maintain his own self-deception of kingship, power and importance. Pride—that warped and inflated sense of self—blinds Herod to the reality of Christ’s kingship, which is not of this world and has as its aim salvation. Herod’s response only validates the murderous nature of his pride. Now you may be thinking, “I’m proud but I don’t murder”. But there are many ways we harm others in the name of our pride. My gossip murders the reputation of others to put myself ahead. My lust murders the dignity of others and or my own marital vows to indulge my desires for sensuality. My lies and exaggerations murder the truth to cling to my own perception of reality. In each case, my sin and its affects reveals the insecurity of my position. When I honestly look in the mirror, I see a puffed-up fool who resists God and the change He wants for me. Like Herod, I am blinded by pride and unable to see that all I am and have is a gift. St. Jose Maria Escriva says it this way, “You…Proud…Why?” What gifts do I pride myself on? Do I thank God for them?
Three
The Wise men were rich, and the shepherds were poor. The world God came into is filled with inequality, and not much has changed. God has allowed this inequality and uses our shortages as opportunities to fill us with Himself. Now, we still are all called to share what we have in abundance with those who have in scarcity. Our present age, however, lack of and opportunity for material equality is the worst thing. But if money and a good education truly solved all problems, wouldn’t those who are rich be the most virtuous and happy? Yet this is not now, nor has it ever been the case. Herod had plenty of wealth and the best education the world had to offer, as did Caiaphas, Pontius Pilate and many more after. The 20th into the 21st Centuries have been the bloodiest in history, yet is filled with unprecedented wealth, opportunity, and education. All of the century’s great murderers were educated, opportunistic, and had money, just like Herod. The Christmas event reveals the complete and audacious falsehood of the way our world views money and happiness. God is close to those who are humble and brings happiness and peace to those who will listen. There is only one true treasure at the manger scene, and it is not the gifts the wise-men bring.
Four
St. John of the Cross teaches that Christ came to the cave because it was empty. Humility empties us of our self. Its not thinking less of ourselves, as the saying goes, but thinking of ourselves less. This is why humility is actually a great virtue, and why it enables Christ to dwell in our hearts as in the cave. It opens us to true greatness in God’s plan and allows us to receive His Spirit. Its why only the shepherds knew of the birth of Christ, along with Joseph and Mary. St. Augustine offers this insight: “It was pride that made demons out of angels. It is humility that makes men as angels…there is something in humility that strangely exalts the heart.”
Five
As we come to the end of 2020 and prepare to start a new year, let us follow St. Paul’s advice when he calls us to put off our “old nature which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Eph 4: 22-24.) Perhaps a good resolution for ourselves for this year is spend more time in silence being grateful for our many gifts; creating a humble cave in our hearts that God can come and fill. In that cave we can encounter God and be cured of our blinding pride. We will finally be able to see how God sees us and to grow from there. That is the true nature of humility, to see ourselves the way God sees us, and to see our brother or sister in the same way. Then maybe we, too, can encounter the Child who sleeps in the manger, and to know “with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.” (Eph 3:18-19.)