David Bahn – Reflections

Mark 3:1-6

Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. ² And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. ³ And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” ⁴ And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?”But they were silent. ⁵ And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

“Tis the season to bash Christmas trees, public Nativity displays and the use of the word “Christmas” itself. In one school alone the program that is given for parents and family has been renamed over the years at least three times. First it was the Christmas Program. That gave way to the Holiday Program. Then someone realized that the term “holiday” comes from a contraction of “holy day.” That wouldn’t do, so it has been renamed “Winter Program.” No more Christmas trees. No more Christmas parties. A Christ-less winter seasonal observance. The atheists, humanists, and secularists seem to be winning.

We should rightly be concerned that our Christian values and free expression of faith is being banned from the public square. That is a sad state of affairs for us citizens of the United States of America. The First Amendment to the US Constitution prohibits the federal government from making a law “respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” So when some group, person, judge or community prohibits public display of Christian/Christmas symbols our rights are being attacked.

But let’s not lose perspective. This is nothing new. People have been trying to get rid of Jesus ever since he went public. On this occasion The Pharisees and Herodians (a very unlikely coalition!) began to strategize together against Jesus. They wanted to get rid of him. And this is the rub. For while there are those who want nothing to do with religion but everything to do with Jesus, this is a thinly veiled anti-Jesus bias if you take it to its core. Jesus condemned false religiosity to be sure. But he practiced formal, organized religion (cf. Luke 4:16), and commanded respect for the Jewish leaders and observation of their religious rules (Matthew 23:1-3).

A ban on religion is, in the end, a ban on Jesus. But neither will stand the test of time or eternity. The Pharisees, Herodians, and Roman leaders managed to get rid of Jesus for three days. But that temporary victory melted into futility when Jesus rose from the dead. And now, 2000 years later, people are celebrating his birth (a very unusual thing to celebrate), death (it is much more common to commemorate a public figure’s death), and resurrection (there’s only One whose resurrection we may actually celebrate!). And while Nativity Scenes may be banned from the public square, church steeples still cast their shadow over the country, cities, and communities squares and streets. Jesus and his religion is here to stay.

Some say that there is a difference between religion and Christianity. Religion, they say, is an attempt to manipulate God in order to get him to do what you want him to do for you. While Christianity is the belief that God is for us and has come to earth to save us. The dichotomy may be helpful to some extent; though true religion is a source of great blessing and favor in God’s eyes.

James 1:27 says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Isn’t it interesting to note that the Christmas season is the time of year when widows and orphans are remembered more intentionally and generously than any other time of year. Let that be our greatest decoration this Christmas, for the lingering aroma of true religion in Jesus’ name will please God and bless people.