In the lovable story of Charlie Brown’s attempt to stage a great Christmas play in “A Charlie Brown’s Christmas”, Charlie Brown asks the question in frustration: “Is there anybody here who can tell me the true meaning of Christmas?”
Linus with his always present security blanket steps into the spotlight on a stage and recites the King James version of Luke 2:8-14 from memory. “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke 2:8-14 (KJV).
What many people have never noticed is when Linus quotes the angel as saying, “Fear not”, he drops his security blanket.
It is a symbolic moment, the dropping of the blanket, that symbolic separation from our fear, of not needing any longer our false security that we hold on to when we cling to the one true Savior. It all points back to that one phrase, “And they were sore afraid.”
“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.” Luke 2:8-9 (KJV)
“Sore afraid” was common language in 1611, but to modern ears those words sound a lot like religious terminology or some kind of mysterious vocabulary. The archaic word “sore” just means terribly, extremely, or severely–like when we say today: “They will be sorely missed.”
Why Were the Shepherds So Afraid?
The shepherds were terrified for the same reason other people in the Bible became terrified: They had seen the glory of the Lord in the form of an anger–an amazing and fear producing sight. They saw the awesomeness of a cosmic drama unfolding before them. I think we would have been just as afraid as they were, if we had been there.
What Should We Remember?
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4:6-7 (NIV). These words have a definite tone of command. But there is also compassion seen in these verses. The writer knows that we need peace in our shock and awe and fearful moments, in those worst expectation times, and points us to the reality that peace lives on the other side of prayer and drawing close to our Lord.
Lean into Him in prayer, in worship, in thanks, in community with others–and camp out there until your fear is transformed by the presence of God as He walks with us through the challenges ahead.
A Final Thought
When we come back to Linus on that empty stage at Christmas time, when we hear Charlie Brown’s frustrated question: “Isn’t there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?”, Linus answers in a voice totally different from the world’s. When we are sore afraid, when we are terrified, the answer to our fear and loneliness is Jesus, who is with us–at Christmas and all times.
