Scripture: 2 Chronicles 24:13
So those who were engaged in the work labored, and the repairing went forward at their hands, and they restored the house of God to its proper condition and strengthened it.
 
Thought for the Day: Around 200 BCE, Judea became a province of the Seleucid (Syrian) Empire. King Antiochus III treated the Jewish kingdom with respect and allowed the people living there to practice their traditions. As long as Judea paid taxes, everything was fine.
 
One of the problems with empires though is they tend to have hereditary lines of succession. While historical accounts from the era portray Antiochus III as a wise and fairly even-handed ruler, the same cannot be said for his son, Antiochus IV. Shortly after inheriting the empire, Antiochus invaded Jerusalem, slaughtered thousands, and looted the Temple. He outlawed Judaism and banned circumcision. In 167 BCE he erected an altar to Zeus and began sacrificing pigs in the Temple. This caused a large-scale revolt led by Mattathias the Hasmonean. His son, Judah Maccabee (Judah the Hammer), would eventually drive the Seleucids out of Judah.
 
The Maccabees undertook a massive effort to clean and purify the Temple. After the Temple had been rededicated to God, the priests discovered there was only enough “unadulterated and undefiled pure olive oil” to light the Temple menorah for one night. The Talmud stated that the Temple Menorah was to be lit and burn throughout the night every evening as a symbol of God always lighting the way in the darkness. Miraculously, the oil lasted eight nights, giving the priests enough time to prepare a new supply of holy oil. Hanukkah is the celebration of this miracle. It is a time to remember the sacrifices our Jewish ancestors made to preserve their religion, their way of life, and their deep and abiding faith in God’s ultimate deliverance from the evils of the world.
 
Had the Seleucids succeeded in eliminating Judaism from history, there would be no Christmas today. In fact, there would be no Christianity, no Islam. Hanukkah is an important holiday for all three Abrahamic religions. It’s no coincidence that the Christian season preceding Christmas is Advent, when we light candles in anticipation of the birth of Jesus—the light of the world. Advent, like all Christian holidays (and Christianity itself) is deeply entwined with Jewish holidays and Judaism. After all, Christians follow a Jewish teacher, a revolutionary in his own right. Like the Maccabees before him, Jesus stood up to the imperial presence of his time as the ultimate act of faith to God. He too would rededicate and cleanse the temple, kicking out the bankers and lawyers who fed on the blood of their people.
 
In Christian churches around the world this week, we continue to light the Advent candles. It's an opportunity to remember our Jewish roots, which remind us that our faith must always be in God and that it must be as deep and hopeful as that of our Jewish ancestors--including Jesus.
 
Prayer: Remind me, God of Abraham, Israel, and Jesus, that by calling myself a Christian, I claim to be part of the long history of Christianity, which begins and ends with a poor rabbinical Jew named Jesus. Amen.