Primate's Meditation

Good Stewards of God's Grace

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East, and have come to worship him." ...And lo, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy; and going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:1-11, RSV)

As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace...in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 4:10-11 RSV)

One of the most comforting aspects of the Christmas season is its familiarity. Year after year, we expect to hear the same music, view the same pictures and entertainments, unpack the same decorations, taste the same delicacies. Of all the recurring sensations of Christmas, the Nativity story itself is probably the most familiar, the most comforting--and the most welcome to revisit, year after year.

But familiarity can also be deceptive. It tempts us to take a thing for granted, to overlook its profound lessons, and even to forget how great an influence it exerts over our lives. It is easy to forget that the birth of Christ was originally heralded as "good news of great joy"--that is, as an unexpected development, which would forever change the way human beings thought about the world.

One way to recover that sense of "great joy" at "good news" is to delve into the record of Christ's birth in the Bible. Doing so reminds us that the seemingly familiar Christmas story is really a composite, weaving together two complementary but distinct accounts.

From the Gospel of Luke, we learn how the angel Gabriel announced Christ's impending birth to a gracefully humble Mary. Luke, too, tells about the great census, and the inn at Bethlehem with no room for a traveling carpenter and his pregnant wife. The homely images we associate with the Nativity story--shepherds tending their flocks by night, heavenly hosts singing "Peace on earth," the baby Jesus lying in a manger--all come from Luke's account, which concludes with Jesus' circumcision and the blessings of Simeon and Anna at the Jerusalem Temple.

Matthew's Gospel, on the other hand, provides the details of wise men from the East following a star to Bethlehem; of King Herod's paranoid plot to destroy the newborn Messiah; and of the holy family's flight into Egypt, to escape the slaughter of innocents. Several things we expect to find in Matthew's story--the exact number of wise men, for example, or their names and ethnic origins, or even the idea that they arrived on the night of Christ's birth--actually have no basis in Scripture, although they are wonderful, pious traditions.

Reading the gospels with fresh eyes, things that once seemed familiar suddenly appear pregnant with meaning. I sometimes wonder, for example, Whatever happened to the wise men's gifts? There's no indication that Jesus or His family were enriched, even for a short time, by the possession of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Having made such a memorable entrance, the gifts are simply forgotten in the rest of the Gospel story (foreshadowing the fate of so many other Christmas gifts over the centuries).

But of course, the point of the gifts is not their economic value, nor their potential to advance Jesus' power or status. The point is that they are freely given, as expressions of gratitude, love, and even worship. From this perspective, the wise men's "gift" to Jesus is more than just gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It is also the time and effort they gave to travel from "the East" all the way to Bethlehem; the faith they placed in the Star which led them onward; the way they risked their lives and freedom in their run-in with King Herod.

These are gifts of self as well as substance. But why give them at all? Because they are a response to a prior gift--a gift "unto all people," God's free and loving gift to mankind: Jesus Christ. Surely, He is the greatest gift to be found in the Nativity story. By honoring Jesus in His infancy, the wise men are saying "thank you" to God. They give out of what they have--what God has given them in the first place--to glorify their Maker through His only begotten son.

Our own gifts, which we bestow and receive each Christmas, should have the same character. They are responses, poor and inadequate though they may be, to that breathtaking, wondrous gift from God. In our case, we do not lay our gifts literally at the feet of the infant Jesus. Rather, we bestow them with love and gratitude on those around us, in humble acknowledgment of the spark of Christ lighting every human soul.

Employing our gifts for others, using them to glorify God through His son, these are ways of being "good stewards of God's varied grace," as our Lord's disciple, St. Peter, once put it. This occupation of "stewardship" is one of the callings of the Christian life, and it will be our theme next year throughout the Eastern Diocese. During our "Year of Stewardship," we will explore the rich and varied meanings of this calling. Like the idea of gifts at Christmas, "stewardship" is about more than just giving and receiving. Ultimately, it is about honoring the many graces with which God has blessed us--chief among them, the gift of Jesus Christ, born for our sake more than 2,000 years ago. May His birth continue to inspire us throughout the coming year, and always.

Krisdos dzunav yev haydnetzav!

Orhnyal eh haydnootiunun Krisdosee!

Christ is born and revealed!

Blessed is the revelation of Christ!

Archbishop Khajag Barsamian