How Chanukah Made the World Safe for Christmas

After Alexander the Great died, his kingdom was divided between four dynasties, one eventually leading to Antiochus IV. Wanting to continue Alexander’s dream of one-world culture, and feeling particularly cranky because he had been ordered by Rome to stop fighting Egypt, Antiochus decided to wipe out Judaism.

Antiochus enforced these laws in Israel:

·            Don’t circumcise your sons.

·            Don’t celebrate Sabbath and other Jewish holy days.

·            Don’t read or even own a Torah scroll.

·            Build altars to Zeus and sacrifice pigs.

·            Worship other Greek gods.

On the 25th day of the Hebrew month Kislev, 168 B.C., Antiochus IV invaded the Temple in Jerusalem, set up an image of Zeus on the bronze altar, and sacrificed a pig to Zeus.

How did the Jews react?

Some caved. They obeyed the new laws and embraced Greek culture. They took Greek names, studied Greek literature and philosophy, and participated in nude sporting events at the new Greek gymnasium in Jerusalem. Some Jewish athletes even had surgeries to hide their circumcisions.

Other Jews resisted and were tortured and murdered. Thousands died.

Mattathias, a resister, and his five sons escaped to the hills around Modin, a village northwest of Jerusalem. He gathered other rebels and for a year they attacked Syrian outposts, and destroyed pagan altars and idols.

Before his death a year later, Mattathias put his son, Judah Maccabeus, in charge of the rebel army. By the end of two more years, the Maccabees had defeated the immensely larger Syrian army and occupied Jerusalem.

The rebel soldiers cleaned up the desecrated Temple and built new furnishings:  the lampstand, showbread table, and incense altar. They also built new doors and replaced the altar of burnt offering.

Exactly three years after Antiochus IV’s desecration, the Temple was re-dedicated to the God who had promised Abraham, "...all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."  (Genesis 12:3) Thanks to the Maccabees, the practice of Judaism and worship of the one true God were restored in Israel.

So a young carpenter, Joseph, could be described as “faithful to the Law.” (Matthew 1:18)

So his betrothed, Mary, could say to an angel, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Luke 1:38) 

So the promised Messiah could be born. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Luke 1:21)

Thanks, Maccabees!

Some information was adapted from Hanukkah, The Festival of Lights, written by Bruce Scott and published by the Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry.

The Bible, Sanitized

Sunday in Children’s Church we each colored and cut out seven fat cows and seven skinny cows after reading about Joseph’s stint in prison and his release to interpret Pharaoh’s famine dreams. The previous Sunday we each gave Joseph a psychedelic tie-dyed coat, because I found a square of felt colored like that at Wal-Mart. The Beginner’s Bible, marketed for children six years old and younger, has three chapters about Joseph. I wonder what I’ll find to do next week when Joseph saves his family from famine.

Our church bought multiple copies of the book several months ago, and we’ve been pleased with how well the kids like it. Some of our kids are at the book’s exact reading level and they take turns reading out loud. They are much more attentive than they were when I was telling them a story. I’ve noticed over the months that it’s not just the reading level that’s age appropriate, but also the content, which is just what you’d want with preschool and K kids. 

But I do notice what’s missing from Genesis. I used to tell my Old Testament Tour teenage students, “If Genesis were a movie, your parents wouldn’t let you see it.” (I hoped that would inspire them to do their reading homework.)

There’s a lot of Genesis missing from the Beginner’s Bible, happily rated G.

Abraham and Sarah’s story skips right to Isaac’s birth without the Hagar and Ishmael incident. When twin brother rivals Jacob and Esau reconcile, five of Jacob’s sons are pictured (and a cute little lamb) but the four polygamist moms involved must be camera shy. Joseph goes right to prison when brought to Egypt without serving Potiphar. Because who wants to explain to a four-year-old about MRS. Potiphar? 

Genesis 38—Judah and Tamar?—forget about it!

So on Sunday mornings I protect little children from too much biblical knowledge, while on weekday mornings I attempt to protect much older kids from biblical ignorance. 

I hope I never get mixed up.

Child of Bethlehem

Precious child of Bethlehem,

Heaven’s little Paschal lamb,

Son of Father Abraham,

And heir to David’s throne,

Nursing at sweet Mary’s breast,

In poor swaddling clothes well-dressed,

All God’s glory manifest

In this wee child alone.

Holy angels softly sing
To the barefoot Hebrew king;
Wide-eyed shepherds wonder bring
And kneel at manger throne.

Christmas Cactus

           There’s a tall maple outside my bedroom window, not as tall as it was a few years ago when the “professional” tree cutters hacked it. (We DIDN’T go to Angie’s List.) Thankfully, it recovered, as it’s one of the few mature trees still standing on my block. Several years ago, a summer storm knocked down a few trees, including one through my mother-in-law’s living room window. But that’s a story for another day.

            I love my tree, especially in summer when its green leaves provide a privacy curtain and make me feel as if I’m living in a tree house. And I love it in autumn with its golden and browning leaves. That’s how it looked Tuesday morning, November 5, when I left for school. That’s the day I broke my ankles. By the time I returned home Friday, November 15, after two surgeries and staying in two different hospital rooms and one rehab room, the tree was bare.

            My mourning for the tree was comforted by my Christmas cactus, which sits on the bedroom windowsill. While the maple undressed for winter, the cactus adorned itself with fuchsia blooms.

            Whenever my Christmas cactus blooms, I think of Sandy and her middle school science students. It was during my first year at Watsontown Christian Academy when one afternoon eighth-grader Amber brought me a Styrofoam cup of dirt with a small green stalk. The class had planted cuttings and now gave the extras to all the teachers.

            I kept the cup on my desk, occasionally remembering to water it, never noticing any growth. More than once, I considered dumping it in the trash, but I finally took it home and planted it in a real pot with more dirt. I was surprised and delighted when a new leaf formed.

            Fourteen years and several new, larger pots later, the plant crowds my bedroom windowsill. I become excited whenever the blossoms appear, never more so than this year. Remembering how small and ordinary it looked when I received it, I marvel at its mature majesty.

            In several parables, Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a growing plant which begins puny and becomes powerful. (Mark 4:26 – 32) In fact, the theme of small beginnings runs throughout Scripture: A childless older couple, Abraham and Sarah, became a great nation. A shepherd, the overlooked youngest of eight sons, founded a royal and eternal dynasty. A baby born to a poor young Galilean woman became the redeemer of humankind.

            “Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?” Zechariah 4:10, The Message