I love thinking about so many of the Christmas characters, and the wonderful moments when their lives intersected with that most special of children, the little Lord Jesus. Elisabeth and Zacharias, Mary and Joseph, Anna and Simeon, rugged shepherds, dedicated wise men – their lives had been progressing toward incarnation’s awe before they could ever dream of what would be. Yet, even this most beautiful of stories – when the Word was made flesh – has antagonists lurking here and there. What of the Christmas villains? With everything going on in the world today, I thought about them a little more this year….
Christmas Villains
“The light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness can never extinguish it.” – John 1:5 (NLT)
I have hated Christmas from the first time I heard of it.
To be specific, I hate Him - that baby, that rival to
where I sit.
I am king, and I will be king no matter who stands in my
way.
I’ll kill anyone to ensure that I live to rule another
day.
Jealous fear holds sway, ever cruel,
Over my enemies, imagined or real.
I am Herod, the Christmas villain of competition.
To be quite honest, we are apathetic regarding Christmas.
Prophecies in dusty scrolls mean nothing to us.
Holy curiosity? Humph, merely for youth.
Prestigious position has dimmed the light of truth.
When answers are demanded, we’ll rattle them off;
But at peasant dreams, our hearts will scoff.
We are the chief priests and scribes, Christmas villains
of complacency.
Too busy to notice, too busy to care –
Our days were chaotic, so we didn’t share.
Some of us made money, others tried to survive
The influx of stress the decree brought to our lives.
But one thing is certain, no matter our reason,
Giving less than our best was, in effect, treason.
We are Bethlehem’s villagers, Christmas villains of circumstance.
I am Jesus; I am undefeated -
The Victor of Christmas Whose plan was completed.
Those villains may echo in your world today,
Just as fierce now as when I was cradled in hay,
But of this be sure: I am Light shining in darkness,
That nothing, no nothing, can ever extinguish.
I am Jesus; “I have overcome the world.”*
Then come now, O Christians – faithful, joyful,
triumphant!
Adore Him again, the God-Man Incarnate!
Tyrants can’t crush Him, the elite can’t dismiss Him,
The busy can’t ignore Him; let us always love Him!
With steel in our souls, and a spring in our stride,
We joy in this fact: Immanuel’s by our side.
The Victor is Jesus!
Merry Christmas!
MaryBeth Hall
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