Parasitoids Ill.
Parasitoids are parasitic insects such as small flies and wasps that lay eggs on and sometimes is other insects. These special parasites only live on a single host, eventually killing it. Parasitoid larvae eat their host from the inside out, usually emerging from the remains of the host as a pupa or adult. Their eggs are coated with some kind of agency which prevents the immune system of the host from killing the parasite.
Once a parasitoids injects its eggs into the host a symbiotic relationship between host and parasite exists. A tipping point is eventually arrived at where the host no longer has life in itself but instead is just a carrier for the parasite. At that point the host becomes just a shell and it won’t be long until the shell is dispensed.
What I want to suggest this morning is that Christianity, and Christendom is the host into which the Parasitoid — in this case various forms of non-Christian belief — has long ago injected the eggs of sentimentalism and secularism into the host that is Christendom. These injected eggs have fed off of Western Christendom since the Enlightenment with the consequence that the host is very ill.
One evidence of this is what we have seen now during the Christmas season for a very long time, and which we will be looking at today. The spawn of unbelief has fed off of the host of Christianity and Christendom for decades.
I.) As we have read this morning Christianity, as a host, has its own narrative that includes Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Re-creation.
In Matt. 1:21 Joseph is told that Jesus will save his people from their sins. This is core of what we believe and who we are as a people.
The fact that Jesus came to save implies a people needed saving
This is the fall. Man walked with God without shame after creation and then sin entered the world. This sin cut man off from fellowship with God. This is our narrative.
The fact that Jesus saves ( Jesus Literally means “Jehovah is Salvation”) gives us the idea that the Love of God deigned not to let man die in His separation from God. A beautiful quote from the Puritan, Thomas Goodwin, that is on the back of your bulletin conveys this great love of God.
“All that Christ doth for us is but the expression of that love which was taken up originally in God’s own heart… Christ adds not one drop of love to God’s heart, [but] only draws it out … Come first to Christ, and he will take thee by the hand, and go along with thee, and lead thee to His Father.”
Thomas Goodwin
The Heart of Christ In Heaven.
In the simple text this morning — a text building up to the first Advent of Christ — you have then these great motifs of the Christian faith upon which Western Civilization was build. You have the reality of God. You have God’s Character being seen by His upholding of His law. You have the hint of atonement, reconciliation, redemption, substitution, sacrifice and propitiation as means by which man will be saved from his sins.
As such, this Christmas Text gives us the makings of a Christian worldview that ends up being incarnated into the host which is Christendom. This worldview we find here includes these simple realities
1.) We do not live in a closed, time + chance + circumstance world. The world is open to God’s doing. It is His universe where Angels can come announce God’s message to His people … where virgins can be impregnated … where a woman is Theotokos — one who carries very God of very God.
The world is not closed. God can make pagan Emperor’s and their calls for Taxation serve His purposes.
The world is not closed. God can orchestrate the Heavens to produce a Star that announces the arrival of His Salvation.
2.) These simple truths then remind us that man is not God. Here is the Creator – creature distinction.
3.) God’s character is one of justice (sin must be punished) and love (God will exhaust His just punishment upon Himself in the second person of the Trinity.
4.) Man is not basically good. He can not save Himself and left to Himself he will die in his sin.
5.) In terms of the question of “how do men know,” Man is not shut up to his own reason to know truth. God provides Revelation in Scripture. This is seen in the Scriptures here where we are told,
“And all this was done that it might be fulfilled, which is spoken of the Lord by the Prophet, saying,
23 Behold, a [m]virgin shall be with child, and shall bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which is by interpretation, God with us.”
And elsewhere where Prophets foretold both the virgin birth, and his birth in Bethlehem hundreds of years before it happened. Scripture, as man’s means of knowing is seen again where even the slaughter of the innocent children is proclaimed as prophecy fulfilled.
6.) The Lord Christ is to be worshiped. Look at the titles that the Lord Christ is given in Scripture
· Wonderful Counselor
· Mighty God
· Everlasting Father
· Prince of Peace
· Jesus—Savior
· Immanuel—God with us
· Son of the Most High
· Christ the Lord
So this Christmas text begins to lay out the story line of a people who embrace Christianity and who once comprised Christendom.
But something happened along the way. Parasitoids
II.) Parasitoids laid deposited their ideological eggs of sentimentalism and secularism into the host
To all eyes we remained Christendom as guided by Christianity. But something had happened. While still remaining Christianity in form, we have been serving as a host for ideas which are not us.
And I’m proposing this morning that the evidence of that can be seen during this time of year.
Evidence of Sentimental and Secular Ideological Parasitoid poison that must be drawn
A.) Christmas songs
In our narrative, during this time of year we would sing songs centered on Christ… his incarnation, his promised coming salvation. This idea remained even in some of our popular culture songs. In 1949, for example, Jenny Lou Carson and Eddy Arnold could write,
When I was but a youngster, Christmas meant one thing
That I’d be getting lots of toys that day
I learned a whole lot different when mother sat me down
And taught me to spell Christmas this way
C is for the Christ child born upon this day
H for herald angels in the night
R means our redeemer
I means Israel
S is for the star that shone so bright
T is for three wise men, they who traveled far
M is for the manger where He lay
A is for all He stands for
S means Shepard’s came
And that’s why there’s a Christmas day
Sure … this is not exactly heavyweight Theological stuff but it was an attempt, in the pop culture, to remember our narrative.
And it stands in contrast to other pop culture songs that were the songs of the parasitoids. The songs of those who were not us, but who were living off of us. These were songs that were not evil, in and of themselves, but were effectual to the end of separating Christmas from Christ and so, in the words of Abraham Kupyer, worked “the de-Christianization of the public domain.” Our parasitoid enemies did not accomplish this immediately. Parasitoids take a long time before they finally kill the host. But slowly over time.
In 1898 Abraham Kuyper, spoke of this slow degeneration. It starts with the parasitoid but eventually those who once comprised the host are converted to parasitoid status.
“But this degeneration does not happen all at once. Apostates go through stages. At first they keep the complete form of their ancestral faith, only denying the core of the sacred mysteries. Then they proceed by breaking down the authority of the Scriptures. Hence the decay of negation creeps up to the sacred Person of the Redeemer. And thus, unawares, they end up with a religion, which, free from all authority, everyone acts as to he thinks fit…. They then still confess a living God in spiritual sense, but without knowing Him by the light He revealed; and they wander on in the deception of their own piety, which they created in their hearts. This is the perspective of the negation of the Christendom since about 1848. Not so much in the church, nor in the theological classroom, but in leading circles on social, literary and political terrain.”
And so over the long course of time, inch by inch, the public domain, including our public songs, have been de-Christianized.
Philip Roth points out in his book “Shylock” that the songs that are now typically attached to Christmas — a time of year to celebrate the divinity of Christ — are the songs of the parasitoids who reject Christ. Our songs have been de-Christ-ed if you will.
Irving Berlin did this in White Christmas. White Christmas is homey. It has children and snow and Christmas cards but it also has no Christ.
Now, the point here is NOT that it is evil and wicked to listen to “White Christmas.” I enjoy the song myself. The point here is to make us aware of the parasitoids who have an interest in de-Christianizing the public square little by little.
And of course it isn’t just Berlin’s “White Christmas,” just a sampling shows that we are humming and singing Christmas songs that don’t have Christ in them.
Here are a few of the popular Christmas songs
10. “The Christmas Waltz,” music and lyrics by Sammy Cahn and Julie Styne.
Frosted window panes, candles gleaming inside
Painted candy canes on the tree
Santa’s on his way, he’s filled his sleigh with things
Things for you and for me
9. “Silver Bells,” music by Jay Livingston, lyrics by Ray Evans.
City sidewalks, busy sidewalks.
Dressed in holiday style
In the air
There’s a feeling
of Christmas
Children laughing
People passing
Meeting smile after smile
and on every street corner you’ll hear
8. “Winter Wonderland,” music and lyrics by Felix Bernard.
Sleigh bells ring
Are you listening
In the lane
Snow is glistening
A beautiful sight,
We’re happy tonight
Walking in a winter wonderland
7. “Santa Baby,” music and lyrics by Joan Ellen Javits and Philip Springer.
Santa baby, I wanna yacht,
And really that’s not a lot,
Been an angel all year,
Santa baby, so hurry down the chimney tonight.
6. “Sleigh Ride,” lyrics by Mitchell Parrish.
Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing
Ring ting tingle-ing too
Come on, it’s lovely weather
For a sleigh ride together with you
5. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” music by Buck Ram, lyrics by Walter Kent. “Like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘Have Yourself,’ this song was popular during World War II, and it appeals to a certain nostalgia and homesickness, not only on the parts of the troops abroad, but the loved ones at home.”
I’ll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents ‘neath the tree
4. “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm,” music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.
3. “Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow,” lyrics by Sammy Cahn, music by Julie Styne.
2. “The Christmas Song” (“Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire”), music and lyrics by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells.
1. “White Christmas,” music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. “Bing Crosby’s version is the best-selling single ever.”
Now again, it is not that this music is inherently evil. The point here is that it has served the purpose of redefining Christmas for Christians. The point here isn’t that you have to listen to only theological weighty Christmas Carols. The point is to make you aware that there is a parasitoid presence that is interested in eating away our Christians worldview.
Of course all this stands in sharp contrast to the host’s song,
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased as man with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel.
Hark, the Herald Angels Sing, Glory to the Newborn King!
Or this verse from Adeste Fidelas:
True God of true God
Light of light eternal
Lo He shuns not the virgin’s womb
Son of the Father
Begotten not created
Come thou Long Expected Jesus,
Come, Thou long-expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free;
from our fears and sins release us; let us find our rest in Thee.
Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art;
dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.
Born Thy people to deliver, born a child, and yet a King,
born to reign in us forever, now Thy gracious kingdom bring.
By Thine own eternal Spirit rule in all our hearts alone;
by Thine own sufficient merit, raise us to Thy glorious throne.
O Holy Night
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining.
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
I could go on but you get the point. We the host, at one time had our songs, but the parasitoids have us singing songs that are not our own. The parasitoids are eating the host out from the center to the outside and one evidence of that is that we no longer sing Christmas songs that reflect our narrative.
In 1898 the Reformed Dutch Theologian Abraham Kuyper could say,
“Therefore it was inescapable that we came to the conclusion that we did, namely:
a) (these parasitoids) take exuberant joy in Christianity’s great apostasy from the Christ in all the countries in Europe in various forms and names; and
b) that they joined forces with these apostate Christians and that they would exert the most extreme effort to keep powerless those Christians who have not yet deserted the Christ and sternly push through the total desecration and de-Christianisation of the public domain.”
We could find evidence for the de-Christianization of the public domain also from
Christmas children stories
Rudolph — A Reindeer with a funny looking nose is rejected by the mainline Reindeer culture until the Chief Magistrate shows up and allows the former outcast to now be the leader of his chief enterprise. His funny looking nose now becomes his chief virtue.
And we could speak of others easily
III.) What and be done to counter the Parasitoids
