Leave it to Linus

“My trouble is Christmas, I just don’t understand it.” – Charlie Brown

Charlie Brown was a symbol of ineptitude and futility. He was a subpar pitcher; a horrible field goal kicker; a horrible salesman; and a mediocre trick-or-treater! His incompetence gave rise to perhaps his most famous saying: “UGGGHHHH!” Christmas, the hap-hap-happiest time of year, could even be screwed up by Charlie Brown.

In A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown laments about his problem with the Christmas season: “My trouble is Christmas, I just don’t understand it.” Just as with Thanksgiving and the football debacle shows, the self-ascribed psychologist Dr. Lucy proves to be no help. Her idea of Christmas is attaining and trading real-estate. Charlie’s best non-human friend (and frankly more successful canine pal) has his own image of Christmas. Snoopy is out to win this year’s decoration and lighting contest with cash prizes. Sally, his loveable little sister, lays out in pen that she is out to get old Santa Clause to give her the presents she rightfully deserves!

Linus is always the voice of reason. In perhaps the most famous Christmas words since “God bless us, everyone!” Linus gives his Christmas speech, quoting Luke 2.8-14, reminding the Peanuts gang of the point of Christmas.

When I think of Christmas, I think John put it best in John 1.14: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” When all is said and done on that night in Bethlehem, God was dwelling among us! That is the point of Christmas.

As I read through the Gospels the point takes on more clarity. Taken just from the book of Mark, Jesus is: tempted (1.13); angry (3.5); deeply distressed (3.5); rejected by his family (3.21); being laughed at (5.40); spitting (7.33); disrespected and ignored (7.36); hungry (11.12); Mocked and insulted (15.20); forsaken (15.34)! The humanity of Jesus jumps off the page at you, and this list wasn’t even complete. I counted many more. That night in Bethlehem; God took on flesh and remained!

Christmas wasn’t just one night in Bethlehem; but 33 years in Israel, where God walked and experienced among us! It was God undergoing the frustrations and sufferings of humanity!

That is what Christmas is all about Charlie Brown! But every year it is good to be reminded by Linus of how we should not only live at this time of year; but every day! “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.” (Hebrews 4.15)

The Grinch Redux

“How could anyone not want Christmas to come!” The Grinch sure hated it? Was it the shoes that were too small? The head screwed on wrong?

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!


Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.


It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right.


It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.


But I think that the most likely reason of all


May have been that his heart was two sizes too small. (Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, 1957)

Whatever the reason, he hated the season! (unfortunate rhyme)

It was before the commercialism and the unfortunate accident with the reindeer that befell Grandma! It was prior to the rise of fruitcakes and that dreadful “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas song”! I have written previously about Herod’s feeble attempt to stop Christmas from coming; but the greater question is “WHY”?

During Jesus Ministry there were numerous times when people didn’t want him around. Think of the people of the region of the Gadarenes. Jesus shows up and heals the demon-possessed men and they pleaded (parakaleo) him to leave, just as the demons pleaded (parakaleo) with Jesus to send them into the pigs (Matthew 8.28-34). I guess seeing power in practice can frighten some people! (unfortunate alliteration)

The Pharisees tried to get rid of him after he healed a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath (Matthew 12.9-14). I guess seeing love trump law would alienate some people! (unfortunate alliteration)

When Jesus returned home and tried to teach in the synagogue, the people took offense (skandalizo) at him (Matthew 13.53-58). Skandalizo is the word from which we get our English word scandalize. It usually implies a removal of the offender (Matthew 5.29-30; 18.9; 24.10). The people in his own hometown wanted him to go away. Just three verses prior they were amazed at his teaching; now they are offended. I guess seeing a native prophet (hb. nevi if you want to continue with the theme) can offend some people! (unfortunate alliteration)

But what was Herod’s deal? During Jesus’ ministry, he was not shy about telling people to make a decision about him. He knew who his family was (Matthew 12.46-50)! But this baby; what was really polarizing about him? It was usually when Jesus taught that some people would get angry; but now well before he told his first parable, or gave his first sermon, Herod was angry!

I have very few Christmas songs that I enjoy. The North Point’s iBand is a nice change of pace for me (check them out here); but I really only like a couple Christmas songs. My personal favorites are “Hallelujah He is Born” (Sawyer Brown does a great rendition here) and “Little Town of Bethlehem”. There is one line that stands out to me in “Little Town of Bethlehem.”

“Yet in thy dark streets shineth the everlasting Light;


The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.” (Phillips Brooks, 1867)

Herod saw the possibility of his throne being usurped. He wasn’t the only one who would be scared. On that night the world met the Savior and was force to decide what to do with him: To Worship or to Worry! (the alliteration is just flowing now)

John said it best:

“He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (John 1.10-11)

“This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3.19)

He came, though men would try to stop Him from coming (Herod i.e. The Grinch) and men would argue and rebel (the Pharisees); and now we must decide how to receive him. Will receive him as the Magi and Shepherds did offering praise; or as Herod a threatened politician whose only thought was: "I must stop Christmas from coming somehow!"

The Misfit

As I was watching Rudolph the other night, the plight of an anthropomorphized reindeer wasn’t at the forefront of my mind. Instead it was the words that one of my professors spoke in college about Mark 15. Mark Scott, in summing up the crucifixion, said: “there he hung; between two criminals. Just like his ministry, he spent time with losers.” I would take it one further: just like his ministry and his crucifixion, so to was his birth.

Jesus ultimately came as a misfit; to save misfits! As I read through the story in the book of Luke (with a little help from Matthew); the misfit motif permeates the story. It really started in the 8th century B.C. with the words of the prophet Micah. Micah 5.2: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me on who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times.” The smallest clan! O little town of Bethlehem would be touchdown for the greatest Extra-Terrestrial visit of all time. Even Micah seems to down play Bethlehem. Fast foreword to Matthew and we see a family of Misfits. Matthew 1 lists the genealogy of Jesus. All the men and women in there have problems. You don’t even get out of the first verse of Matthew without seeing 3 of the 10 commandments broken! Every one of them has issues!

Looking at Luke 2 we see more issues. We have Bethlehem reappearing. Nothing more than a village in the foothills; sitting under the watchful eye of Jerusalem and under the watchful eye of the self appointed king Herod, 6 miles away. In verse 7, we find them in a barn. They couldn’t even spare a room in the inn. Misfit! Finally, look at who came to see him. The shepherds came. Like Charlie Brown, these were the guys whose invitation to the party was usually lost. Shepherds the unclean profession. Shepherds were on the Rabbinical lists of unclean professions! They were looked down upon by the upper class and were thought to be thieves. Fits in pretty well with the theology of Luke! He seems to have a special place in the text for those the world looks upon with contempt.

How does Rudolph fit in? Rudolph and his elf/dentist friend Hermey are outcasts of society; ostracized by the jolly man himself: Santa! The world viewed their place in society with disdain. Jesus felt the same derision! When Jesus bursts on the scene in John 1.46 what is it that Nathaniel claims: “Nazareth, can anything good come from there?” Sure enough the origins of Jesus brought problems! He would be arrested and condemned to die in place of Barabbas, another “misfit.” The “misfit” whose cross he took; possibly between two of Barabbas’ men.

And so ends Jesus life. Hung on a cross; between two criminals (Luke 23.32). Luke even puts words in the mouths of the criminals that hung there! Just like the advent; just like his ministry; so to his death! He spent time with Misfits! He became a misfit; to live amongst misfits; to save misfits! Aren’t you glad we have a great high priest who was tempted and lived as we do (Hebrews 4.15) who suffered daily as we do (Phil. 2.5-8).

The greatness that took place that night in Bethlehem is that our salvation; our worth; our purpose; and our chance to no longer be misfits came that one night in a little Judean town. Jesus put on flesh (John 1.14) and visited our own little island where misfits abound. Therefore we are no longer “misfits” but citizens (Ephesians 2.19); no longer “misfits” but children of God and heirs with Christ (Romans 8.17)!