There is a gnostic streak that runs through a lot of evangelicalism. Whilst there are some who have a gnostic emphasis on special knowledge and words from the Lord, far more common is the broader dualistic material-bad, spiritual-good calculation. It essentially comes out in a kind of legalism whereby there are acceptable and unacceptable things to enjoy which, though they may appear arbitrary, are essentially held together by this dualistic approach to the world. If there is a “spiritual” dimension, then it’s alright but if it is deemed “material” without apparent spiritual element (as the beholder judges it) then it may be “worldly” or just plain bad.
Some of this, I think, is at play in the push to make every aspect of Christmas point to Christ and to squeeze every possible bit of apparent spiritual value out of Christmas. When it is coupled to a lament about the materialistic and consumeristic emphases that attend this time of year, it starts to look remarkably like gnostic Christmas. The bits where we focus on Jesus are good, the bits where we enjoy lots of food and presents are bad. Spiritual = good, material = bad. It is gnostic (or dualism) in all but name. Certainly, whatever it is, it is sub-Christian.
I mentioned yesterday that Christmas is not a Christian festival per se. We are free to celebrate (or not) as we see fit. We are free to keep it (or not) in any particular way we want. There is nothing about it in the Bible, there is no command to do it, it is a later invention when Christianity became the imperial religion of the West and it is therefore a cultural event that can be enjoyed or not as we all see fit. Which is a bit of a killer for gnostic Christmas because – on that basis – there isn’t really any great spiritual element to it at all. The stuff about celebrating Jesus’ birth has all been retrofitted because the Christians in the ascendency in the 4th Century fancied a knees up. If material, unspiritual things are bad then gnostic Christmas will consign the whole festive period to the bin!
Of course, gnostic Christmas isn’t what we should be aiming for. Jesus is sovereign lord over all things. Jesus is lord over the spiritual and the material. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof (Ps 24:1)and God has put all things under Jesus’ feet and made him head over everything (Eph 1:22-23). The Old Testament doesn’t report Solomon’s wealth as some dirty little secret he should have been embarrassed about, but as God’s blessing given to him (and Israel) to be enjoyed (cf. 1 Kings 10. See here for more on this). Paul tells us variously that God will grant us all things (Rom 8:32) and insists he ‘richly provides us with all things to enjoy’ (1 Tim 6:17). Paul insists that we are specifically not called to asceticism and keeping away from the good things God has given us to enjoy (cf. Col 2:20-23). Indeed, Colossians insists that nobody should judge in relation to festivals and food and drink (Col 2:16-18). In the context, going on to speak immediately about asceticism, it seems – whilst judgement in any direction is inappropriate – nobody should be judging those who would celebrate by enjoying food and drink and festivals rather than insisting on pseudo-spiritual fasts and denials.
If this is true, then (as I said yesterday) none of us should be judging one another over our celebrations of Christmas. Those who celebrate, celebrate to the Lord. Those who do not, do so to the Lord as well. But it specifically means that those who judge others for enjoying the trappings of food, drink, presents and whatnot are specifically standing against the words of scripture when they do so. We are biblically entitled to actually enjoy ourselves at Christmas. We are biblically permitted to enjoy turkey, wine, crackers, Christmas jumpers, presents and every other material trapping at Christmas. Perhaps more specifically, we are biblically prohibited – that is, we are sinning – if we ruin the fun of those who would enjoy these things!
Gnostic Christmas is to deny the good gifts that God wants us to enjoy. It very often leads to either a superior attitude among some, as those who have advanced beyond such trifling material things, or to a judgementalism towards those who still do enjoy these things. But we do not worship a gnostic saviour, but one who came physically in a real body. We worship a saviour who has given us a world to enjoy and who is leading us to a material New Creation full of things to enjoy there too. We worship a saviour who instructs his disciples not to judge one another over these things, but to enjoy his good gifts to his glory. Let’s reject gnostic Christmas and enjoy the trappings – such as we want to celebrate – to the glory of the Lord Jesus who gives us such things to enjoy.