The birth of Jesus did not change the outward circumstances of the people in Luke’s narrative or of our lives. Nevertheless, the birth of the Messiah brought joy, presence and hope to everyone.
We gather this day to celebrate: singing, rejoicing, anticipating. Gifts likely wait for us back home. We put certain things on pause for Christmas, but do we dare ask about the day after Christmas? This year, not only will it be the day after Christmas, it will be a Monday. Some of us may not even get a three-day weekend. Life returns to “normal” shortly after Christmas. We may feel weary of all the hype by the time Christmas ends.
In any case, whatever uplift we receive from Christmas begins to fade, even though we have New Year’s Eve shortly after. Maybe the question creeps into our heads: Did Christmas make any difference? Did Christmas change anything? The characters in our drama in Luke might have asked the same question. How did the birth of Jesus change anything?
No changes
We can start with Emperor Augustus. To this Roman emperor, the day of Jesus’ birth probably made no ripple in his life. Caesar Augustus, or Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar, considered it just another day. Having come to power after civil wars following Julius Caesar’s death, he might have enjoyed any time of peace. Of course, to him, just another day would have seemed more momentous than the day of anyone else’s life. His realm stretched over parts of three continents: Africa, Europe, Asia. He would have taken no notice of the birth of a lower-class boy in a small backwater
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