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)