Politicians like former president of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki and Winnie Madikizela-Mandela have been quoted in South African media lamenting the rise of tribalism.

The fight against apartheid was expressly against tribalism. South Africa, like many countries, comprises different ethnic groups. Officially, only 11 of these  have been given formal status. There are 11 official languages in South Africa, namely, Afrikaans, English, IsiNdebele,  IsiSwati, IsiXhosa, IsiZulu, SePedi, SeSotho, SeTswana, XiTsonga and TshiVenda. Other languages spoken in South Africa, to name but a few, are Greek, Portuguese, Khoisan, Italian, Mandarin, Etc.

Many bumper stickers have been popping up on cars recently about people’s ethnicity. “I am 100% Venda”; “100% Zuluboy”; “I am 110% Tswana”; etc. Whilst these statements and bumper stickers are an honest attempt at defining one’s identity, they are completely misguided. My mother tongue is TshiVenda, but I am not 100% Venda. There is a huge difference between your mother tongue and your ethnicity. A Chinese person born and bred in London, who speaks only English, is not necessarily English. Simon Van der Stel, a “Dutchman” who moved to Cape Town in the 1600s and became the first Governor of the Cape was not Dutch. He was a grandson of a freed Indian slave woman and a Dutchman. Nobody is 100% anything except human.

But what about Jesus?

Was he 100% Jew? Definitely not! There are a few non-Israelite women in his ancestry. I find it fascinating that two of the four gospel writers decided to devote quite a bit of their gospel accounts to the genealogy of Jesus. What were they trying to prove? Matthew starts his book by outlining the genealogy of Jesus going back to Abraham. I believe he was trying to prove that Jesus is the one through whom the promises made to Abraham would be fulfilled.

See what Paul says to the Galatians, who were Gentiles, not Jews. “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:28, 29)

He says anybody who belongs to Christ is Abraham’s seed, and heir according to the promise. What was the promise? The promise was that all ethnic groups will be blessed by God through the seed of Abraham. See what is recorded for us in the book of Genesis:

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)

Paul emphasizes this point to the Galatians. “Have you experienced so much in vain—if it really was in vain? Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.” (Galatians 3:4, 8, 9)

As you can see, Matthew is not trying to prove that Jesus is 100% Jewish. As Paul puts it to the Romans, “…not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” (Romans 9:6)

All humans descended from one man

On the other hand, Luke’s account of the genealogy of Jesus goes further back. He has something else to say. Luke says the ancestor of Jesus is Adam, who is the Son of God. As he puts it, Jesus descended from Adam, who was “the son of God.” (Luke 3:38) All humans descended from this one man Adam, who was the son of God. Continuing his account in the book of Acts, Luke writes:

“From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”(Acts 17:26-30)

The message of Luke was that Jesus shares his genealogy with all humans, including YOU! God made all the nations from the one man Adam. He did this so that all nations will seek him, not just the Jews. This is the story of Christmas. It is the story that God has sent the One through whom all nations will be blessed.  That is, “to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham” (Luke 1:72, 73).

Luke gives even more details about the birth of Jesus. He talks about the angels going to tell shepherds who were out in the fields about the birth of Jesus. “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favour rests.” (Luke 2:10, 14)

The message of Christmas, that is, the birth of Jesus, is a message of great joy for all people of all ethnic groups. It is also a message of peace. There is no difference between Jews and other nations. “…For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin.” (Romans 3:9) “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him” (Romans 10:12).

“For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14). There is no reason for xenophobia, or for being 100% anything, or for war. During the first world war, the Allied and German forces understood the message of Christmas. They put down their weapons for a day, and spent time together. Sadly, they went back to war after that. It should not be so for you this Christmas. Realize you are 100% human.

May you never see humans the same way you did before. “So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.” (2 Corinthians 5:16).

Merry Christmas!