اهلاً و سهلاً, يسوع

Wilkommen!

I hope you all had a very enjoyable Christmastime. =) This Thursday I went to a concert of Bach music; the choir and the orchestra were really tremendous. One of the lines that stuck in my mind the most was from the chorus of a bass solo which started with a resounding "Wilkommen!", welcoming baby Jesus into this world. Another of the sections spoke of little Jesus making his bed in our hearts:

Ach, mein herzliebes Jesulein,
Mach dir ein rein, sanft Bettelein,
Zu ruhen in meines Herzens Schrein,
Das ich nimmer vergeße dein!

When the bass sang, "Wilkommen!", I immediately thought, "Ahlan wa sahlan!" (the same phrase in Arabic). "Ahlan wa sahlan" is a phrase very loaded with cultural meaning--it evokes the tremendous importance of hospitality in traditional Middle Eastern culture, the importance of making a place for visitors and guests, of honoring and valuing them. I imagine that such cultural values were also held by the people here of Jesus' time.

So it really struck me when I realized that Jesus was in fact not welcomed nor honored, neither in birth, life nor death. He was born in a manger--"because there was no room for them in the inn." Not only did the innkeepers not find a way to make room for the King of Kings, but Joseph and Mary must have had relatives in Bethlehem--even if they or their families hadn't lived there for a few generations, traditional cultures place a far greater emphasis on extended families than modern Western culture. So even a second- or third-cousin would normally take in a pregnant, poor couple of relatives. But such was the disgrace of Mary's seemingly illegitimate pregnancy that even her relatives would not take her in, let alone an innkeeper. Jesus was "despised and rejected" (Is 53:3), as a baby and most thoroughly on the cross. But though we did not welcome Him in, still He says to us, "Come, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matt. 11:28).

It also made me think of Palm Sunday, when Jesus came into Jerusalem amidst shouts of "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" Yet only a week later, the same city stood by--even actively took part--as He was nailed to a cross.

This week Bethlehem had a lot of celebrations welcoming the birth of Jesus. Some of these "ahlan wa sahlan"-s were heartfelt and sincere, while others seemed to be more political or cultural in nature than anything else. In fact, the biggest event at the Nativity Church for most people seemed not to be welcoming in the birth of the Anointed King of Kings, but the appearance of the not-yet-coronated King of Palestine, Abu Mazen. Many people had "sightings" of this famous figure; I did not see him, though he probably could see me through the tinted windows, as I stood only a few feet away from his motorcade. But I wasn't disappointed--that night there was a much greater King to welcome into the world, and into my heart once more.

My prayer for all of us is that we may welcome in this baby, despised and rejected all His life but beckoning with open arms nonetheless. May our welcomes not be so short-lived as those of Palm Sunday, but may they last even through our own crosses. And when we face Him in judgment, may this humble King say to us, "Ahlan wa sahlan, my good and faithful servants!"