“God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen”
IDEA: Behind common carols can lie uncommon theology.
PURPOSE: To help us sing the carols with understanding.
Have you noticed how easily a tiny typographical error can change meaning? Here’s a familiar Christmas carol that suffered from a typographical error: "God rest you merry, gentlemen, Let nothing you dismay; Remember Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas Day, To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray."
Instead of “to save us all from Satan’s power,” it was printed “to save us all from Santa’s power.” I hope it was a typographical error, but do you see any truth in that?
There is also a comma that has been misplaced: the comma doesn’t come after “you,” but after “merry.” It always sounded as if it was about merry gentlemen. I pictured it as someone at a Christmas party who had gotten tired and needed to go home and take a nap.
What is this Christmas hymn about? What does it mean, "God rest you merry"? Dictionary definitions include: "giving pleasure or causing happiness, agreeable, cheerful, hilarious, joyous." We can rest joyously because of what God has done for us.
"From God, our heavenly Father, a blessed angel came; And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same; How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.
" 'Fear not, then,' said the angel, 'Let nothing you affright, This day is born a Savior, of a pure virgin bright, To free all those who trust in him from Satan’s power and might.'
"Now to the Lord sing praises, all you within this place, And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace; This holy tide of Christmas doth bring redeeming grace.
Refrain: "O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy, O tidings of comfort and joy!"