The 4 Chapters
The Art of Table Setting (Part 2): Nobody Wants Crocodile Tears For Christmas

By Contributing Author, Robert Shashy

But Jesus wept for you.

John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible. It’s two words: “Jesus wept”. Why would I bring up a passage detailing the end of Jesus’ ministry in the introduction of an Advent and Christmas article? Well, for such a short verse, it keys in on the humanity of Jesus, and the weight of His Incarnation. It reminds us the depth of Christ’s emotions, and it gives us permission to admit we’re tired, too.

I’ve been in seminary for the entirety of the 2020’s so far. In part, explaining why this is as simple as being a part time student, that is a story for another time. But the point I am trying to get to is that the last couple years of preparing for ministry now require me to minster to myself. Recently, I finished a particularly rigorous course with what I saw as having little justification for being necessary to prepare me for ministry, and I decided to take a break from classes for a few months–I hadn’t had a real break since early 2022. Over the three months of my mini-sabbatical, anecdotal evidence has strongly suggested to me that my family, my friends, my fellow church-goers, myself, and perhaps the world (the Covid pandemic was described as “global” after all) are tired. I had really grand plans for this final article of the year, but technical difficulties have kept me from pursuing my original grandiose ambitions.

What I do want to present to you is a (somewhat) brief encouragement that the rhythms and traditions of Advent–literally a season of waiting–can help cure the weariness that comes with 21st century living, prepping for Christmas “magic” that dissipates before the morning coffee gets cold, and even the anxiety that the prospects of a new year can offer. May this article bring you hope, peace joy, and love, so that you can stand firm on the foundation of Christ (Matt. 7:24-25), and take His yoke upon you in the new year (Matt. 11:28-30).

Hope

The liturgical season of Advent occurs over the four weeks preceding December 25th. Each week is represented by a candle in a wreath. The first, second and fourth candles are purple. Like with the season of Lent in the spring, purple reminds Christians that the season is meant as a time of contemplation and repentance, a time to reflect on who Jesus is, and what He has done for His people. The change to a pink candle for the third week reminds us though that Advent is not a somber time, but a season of joy. Naturally, this season of reflection starts with the Old Testament saints–namely those to whom the Father made promises through the covenants.

“15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. 16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; 17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:15-17 NASB1995

In Genesis 1-2 God makes a covenant with Adam that is often known as the covenant of works, because it was based on Adam’s obedience. And if you’ve been a Christian for even a few hours, you know that Adam does a pretty miserable job of upholding his promises. It is the consequence of Adam’s sin that humanity needed saving to begin with. Thus, it is in God’s words to the serpent in Genesis 3:14 that the first proclamation of the coming Messiah was made. From the beginning God promised He would fix what humanity had broken.

Later in Genesis 12 and 17, God made a covenant with the first patriarch–Abraham. God changed Abraham and Sarah’s names, He instructed the covenant to be marked through circumcision, but He promised that Abraham and Sarah would have children, even though they were well beyond child bearing years. These children would be as numerous as the stars. But what was most inconceivable to Abraham is that through him the Messiah would be born, and make Abraham the forerunner of all who would believe (Romans 4:1-13)

In Exodus 19 and 24 God establishes the Mosaic covenant with Moses and the Hebrew people, the very heritage promised to Abraham. With Moses, God promised to make the Jews into a nation. Later, in 2 Samuel 7:8-16, after God had established the Hebrews as a nation, He made another covenant with king David. God promised David that He would establish the rule of David’s son forever, and that his son would build the house for God that David’s reign was too war-torn to accomplish. What David couldn’t foresee is that through his lineage the Messiah would be born, and He would establish His reign forever.

Each of these men put their hope in God, and His promise of the coming Savior. And what more could I say of Jeremiah who wanted to see Jerusalem rebuilt, or Isaiah who foresaw the coming Savior who would bring peace to God’s people in light of their sinfulness, or Malachi who foretold that God would heal the relationships between fathers and sons, or John the Baptist who in Mark 1:1-9, proclaims that the Messiah would save God’s people was here, and He was Jesus?

Each of these men hoped in God to fulfill His promises, and each time God was faithful through Jesus Christ. The first week of Advent calls us to reflect on such faithfulness, and put on hope in Jesus as well.

Peace and Joy?

“6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”

Isaiah 9, 6-7, NASB1995

The second week of Advent calls us to find the rest so many of us are looking for at the end of the year, and to find it in Jesus. With an emphasis on passages such as Isaiah 9:6-7, John 14:27, Rom. 15:13, and Luke 2:14, we are called to rest as we see Jesus as the promised object of our hope, and to glorify God for His faithfulness and glory. But, if we’re being honest, life unravels by the third week. Distractions of endless Hallmark Christmas movies, midterm exams, fragrance ads, shopping days bogged down by traffic, the ever-growing to do list, and sick days from running ourselves ragged that we get sick of waiting . . . waiting for warmer weather, or Christmas presents, or just for Jesus to come and put an end to “these crazy times we’re living in.” It can be really hard to find peace or joy in December.

I know it’s really too late to exhort you to practice the habits of Advent this year; but I do believe the traditions of Advent matter; and I believe they can help us in this wearying season. Humans are designed to live in familiar patterns. Every day our bodies function best if we eat, sleep, work and socialize in regularly repeated intervals. We grow more familiar with each other, and more comfortable in life, as we gather for family reunions, patriotic displays, sporting events, and even to pay taxes. The same is true about our faith. The more purposeful our patterns of worship become, the closer we grow to God, and the more familiar we become with how to pray and worship Him. Zephaniah 3:12-20 and Philippians 4:4-8 remind us that joy produces peace, and acts of praise come from practicing the praise of God. Closeness to God can cut through all the distractions of Charlie Brown’s commercialized Christmas, and celebrating Advent will bring you closer to God if you take the time to reflect on His faithfulness. Next December may seem really far off, but you don’t have to wait until then to begin living with more purpose for Christ.

What The World Needs Now

The fourth and final week of Advent, focuses on love. The whole story of the Bible is about God’s love for His people. There is no greater embodiment of that love than Emmanuel, God with us. John 3:16 reminds us that God’s love for all people groups is so great that He sent Jesus to save us. 1 Corinthians 13 exhorts us to see that love is the greatest gift that God has given His people, love that flows from Christ and through us, His people.

The Incarnation of Jesus illustrates the faithfulness of God in more ways than one. Yes, Jesus’ birth is a fulfillment of God’s promises in the garden, to Abraham, to Moses, to David and to the prophets. But it’s more. In order for God to take away our sins, Jesus had to add to HIs already infinite person–He had to become human. In the manger we see the frailty and humanity of Jesus the man (Luke 2:1-20). In the Transfiguration we see the power and glory of Jesus as the second Person of the Trinity of God (Luke 9:28-45). God promised Moses that the Israelites would be a great nation, and He established that in Jesus. But Moses also wanted to see the glory of God, and God would not allow Moses to look upon His face (Exodus 33:17-23). But in the manger, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and the wise men (albeit 2 years later) all see the face of God in a helpless babe. In the Transfiguration, Peter, James and John, saw the almighty face of God in Christ. Even the Roman soldiers were able to behold the face of the Christ on the cross as He suffered for His people’s sake. We may not be able to physically see Jesus on this side of heaven, but we are able to behold His Person and work in the Gospels. The love of God is a gift; and one we should seek to share with others.

In my last article, I mentioned the book The Great Dechurching by Jim Davis and Michael Graham. Again, this book has significantly impacted my understanding of my call to ministry this year. I don’t want to take credit for the work that they’ve already done, but I do encourage you to read the book for yourself. As I wrap up my thoughts on love, Advent, and making space for others in the Church, I want to share some thoughts from chapters 8 and 9 of their book. Many people with orthodox Christian faith who have dechurched, or find themselves on the margins of the Church, struggle with a sense of belonging.

There are a lot of factors for this (again it’s all detailed in the book), but it boils down to behavior. How we behave on Sunday does not often translate to how we live Monday-Saturday; and in many of the cases where it does, its not for the right reasons. Many Christians are not living daily with the hope, peace, joy and love of Christ during Advent, Christmas or any season of the year. When we prioritize ourselves, our racial or national groups, or even our biological families over our brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not loving as Christ has loved us. There is a need for awareness in the Church today. We need to be aware of ourselves, and what our actions say to others, and how our actions shape how others see us. We need to be aware of others, and their needs–physically, emotionally and spiritually. We need to be aware of our culture (both in our local church, the global Church, and more broadly in the world around us), and how it is shaping our behaviors. Most of all, we need to be aware of God, and receive the gift of beholding His hope, peace, joy and love in Jesus. When we do this, we do our part to make room for others at the table of the wedding feast of the Lamb (Luke 14:7-15; Revelation 19:7-9)

Led By the Light of Faith

The traditions, contemplations, and practices of Advent help us to be more aware–of ourselves, of others, and of God. It gives us space in an otherwise hectic season to reflect on the nature of Christ, and of the hope, peace, joy and love He gifts us throughout the year. Nobody wants crocodile tears for Christmas. If, like me, you didn’t know crocs could cry, they do, just not from emotion. The phrase “crocodile tears,” come from ancient Egyptian folklore stating crocodiles cried while they ate their prey. Shakespeare and other 16th century writers picked up the phrase, and it’s been an idiom about expressing false or insincere emotions ever since. This Christmas, don’t put your effort into creating false moments of hope, peace, joy or love in the “magic” of Christmas. Remember to behold the child in the manger, God in the flesh.

The last candle of the Advent wreath is the Christmas candle, and it’s white. It symbolizes the singular focus on Christ, particularly His purity and holiness. That is what we need to ease our tiredness and lack of belonging. See, the thing is, life is tiresome, so tiresome that even Jesus was worn down enough to cry. He cried for his dead friend. He cried because he knew He too would soon face death. He cried because His friends and disciples didn’t fully understand who He was yet. He cried because the Jewish leaders would refuse to ever believe. He cried for you, and He cried for me, because waiting is hard. Jesus’ tears are genuine, and they’re for you. As the year ends, and you continue to wait, cry out to God, proclaim His holiness, and cherish the hope, the peace, the joy, and the love of Christ, which are yours through faith in Him. (Revelations 4:5-11; 5:11-14; 19:11-19)

“10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

Luke 2:10-11, NASB1995

Keep waiting, your Savior is coming for you. Merry Christmas. (Luke 2:10-11)

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About the Author

Robert Shashy was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. He attended Catholic school from kindergarten through the 12th grade, and was devoted to weekly church attendance. While at the University of Florida, he began attending Reformed University Fellowship (RUF) meetings, and deepened his relationship with Christ. He remains compassionate towards practicing Roman Catholics, and believes Reformed Catholicity is key to both the American and global Church. He currently is attending Reformed Theological Seminary (RTSO) as a hybrid student, and is an aspiring church leader. Robert feels called by Christ to contextualize American culture to help the Church in sharing the Gospel in the 21st Century, and to inform modern Christians of who the Bible says they are, what society says about them, and how to follow Christ’s lead in those crosswinds. In his free time, Robert is a hobby board game enthusiast, and he looks forward to the day when the Church again embraces her roles of being a safehouse and a hospital.