Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Dr Francis Fernandez

''In those days, a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all went to be enrolled, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. And while they were there, the time came for her to be delivered. And she gave birth to a son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn."

This is the account of the birth of Jesus, presented by Luke, a physician, a contemporary of Jesus, who had ascertained the details regarding this event that had been passed on to him.

Two thousand years ago, Joseph and Mary covered that journey of 150 km from Nazareth to Bethlehem. It would have taken them four days of 'a fairly gruelling journey', carrying their belongings on a donkey. It is interesting to note that the two towns of Nazareth and Bethlehem were quite insignificant politically and socially. Nazareth was in the northern region, close to the Sea of Galilee, and Bethlehem in the southern region of Judea. "What good can come out of Nazareth", was the common opinion about Nazareth. Bethlehem was considered as the least among the towns of Judah.

This event of the birth of a child in a stable in Bethlehem, however, did not go unnoticed. On the contrary, it was proclaimed first to some shepherds who were keeping watch over their sheep. The announcement was by the angels of God: "An angel of the Lord appeared to them and said, "Be not afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the 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". And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men of goodwill".

Glory, peace and joy

Glory, peace and joy are the three characteristics associated with the birth of Jesus, celebrated as Christmas. It's difficult to imagine the glory of God in the birth of a child in a stable. Glory, for us humans, is associated with riches, power and pomp. In opposition to this comes the message of the helplessness of a couple to find a better place where their child could be born. The glory of God is not in the externals, but in the fulfillment of His plan in the fullness of time, for the prophet Isaiah had prophesied nearly 700 years earlier the birth of the Saviour, indicating Bethlehem as the place where he would be born. "The glory of God is a man fully alive!", stated Irenaeus, a Christian philosopher and writer of the second century.

Peace is not merely the absence of war, but the feeling and assurance of total well-being; this well-being comes from God and will be experienced by all people of goodwill. The second group of people who came to know about the birth of Jesus consisted of three wise men from the East. They reached the palace of King Herod to enquire about the birth of the child who would be a king, thinking naturally that the prince would be born in a palace. This news upset King Herod who lost his peace of mind, so much so that he ordered the massacre of all babies in Bethlehem less than 2 years old.

Good news brings joy to everyone. Tagore spoke of this when he said, "the birth of every child is a statement that God is not discouraged with our world". Christmas brings joy to all because it is the remembrance and celebration that God assumed our lowly human nature so that we could share in his divine nature; that he would save mankind. Who does not long to receive joyful messages? What news is more welcome than that of the birth of a child – particularly of the first child to a couple? Christmas is the joyful news that the Saviour has been born!

People of goodwill

Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. "Before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; and her husband, Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. But as he considered this, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins,…" When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife.

Joseph exemplifies for us the significance and implications of the expression 'person of goodwill'. The first sign of his goodwill is his decision not to cause any moral or physical harm to Mary, his betrothed. According to the Jewish custom of the times, he could have denounced her for being unfaithful to him. This would result in notonly public shame and humiliation for her and her family, but also in her being stoned to death. In the patriarchal society to which Joseph belonged, no man would have second thoughts about denouncing an unfaithful betrothed or wife. Yet, Joseph decided not to claim his right, for he was a man of goodwill. Secondly, and more importantly still, he believes in the dream that he has had, the assurances given to him in the dream, and he takes Mary as his wife and her child becomes his child. Was Joseph naïve? The man of goodwill would prefer to appear naive rather than cause any harm to another person, even the person who has wronged him. It is thus that Joseph exemplifies best the implications of being a man of goodwill.

The Christmas message

If all men were like Joseph, there would be total peace and well-being in this world of ours. Joseph not only renounced his rights, but he believed in what could have been, humanly speaking, a very distant possibility – that Mary's child was a divine child, meaning that Mary had not been unfaithful to him. The man of goodwill gives Mary the benefit of the doubt. Who among us would not be happy to be dealing with such men of goodwill?

I would be proud if my father/mother/brother or sister were known as men/women of goodwill. Naïve or not, good will cannot be surpassed by any other human quality. This precisely is the message of Christmas: we shall be the glory of God if we are men and women of goodwill; we shall be the good news to all if our lives testify to this goodwill in us; we shall be the cause of joy to all if we let goodwill triumph even over the demand for justice. The baby born in the manger appeared most pitiable; his parents most unlucky – according to human standards. Only the angels knew that this baby was the Son of God, that his parents were the luckiest of mankind. Here begins the paradox of Christianity – a helpless baby born in a manger is the only Son of God… the miracle worker dying upon the cross is the Saviour of mankind.