A Pastor’s Thoughts; Nothing for the Birthday Boy

The hall filled quickly, and with the guest of honor ensconced at the head table as usual, already surrounded by well wishers. Most, however, just gathered in clusters, basically there for the party. There were songs and toasts, feasts, treats and laughter; and gifts for everyone, except one. 

Another Christmas and no present for the Birthday Boy.

But what do you get for the Person who has everything – who IS everything? Besides, anything we could give Him came from Him.  Still, remember how we felt when our son or daughter handed us a present they picked out and paid for all on their own? It was no less precious because the money to pay for it had come from us. There must be something we can give the Child in the manger this year.

As usual, Scripture gives us some clues. Through Isaiah, God tells Israel – and us – it’s not burnt offerings He wants; He wants us to do good, seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the widow, plead for the orphan (Isaiah 1:12-17). Through Hosea, He counsels steadfast love, not sacrifice, is what He desires (Hosea 6:6). Finally, Jesus tells those who criticized Him for eating with sinners, “Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice’” (Matthew 9:13).

Love and mercy; how do we package and gift-wrap love and mercy? We package them into small acts of great kindness. We give our love to the newborn Christ by giving it to others.

Here’s a short list of gift suggestions. I’m sure we can each come up with many of our own.

Take down just one wall of silence. Sometimes we seem far more ready to build walls than to tear them down. A perceived slight, a whispered rumor and we throw up a barrier, leaving someone on the other side with no clue, just silence. The adversary would love nothing more than a Body of Christ walled off into little pieces. 

I had a close friend who suddenly found himself shunned in church and on the street. He didn’t know why. A retiring person, he spent years trying to figure out what he’d done to merit their coldness toward him. He stopped going to church. He wondered why nobody had followed Jesus’ teaching and confronted him with what he’d been doing wrong (Matthew 18:15-17). He sank into himself. 

Let’s lay the pieces of just one destroyed wall at the feet of the Babe in the manger. First, pray for a caring heart. Then take out one brick with a word, a smile, and a hug. Let that grow, until we are encouraging the other, speaking the truth in love to the other, building up the other – and the Body of Christ on earth (Cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:15, 16). 

Just once, say, “Hello in there.” Walking our streets, often unnoticed, are people who live in the shadows. A widow with nothing left but memories; a teenager who lives on those streets; a young man struggling to keep his mental illness under control, to keep the demons at bay; a woman whose physical disability makes her the butt of cruel jokes.

This Christmas, by loving them as we love ourselves, let’s bring just one person out of the darkness and into the light, and introduce them to the newborn King. 

Give, and receive, the gift of forgiveness. Not ‘faux’ forgiveness that still holds it over the other, still maintains the distance. As Fuller Theological Seminary professor David Augsburger puts it, “Wrongdoing is no justification for my not loving you as myself.” Give the gift of true forgiveness, without limit, without reserve.  

Perhaps the tougher thing is to seek forgiveness. But if we take the words of Jesus seriously, we would not approach him in worship knowing that our brother or sister has anything against us (Cf. Matthew 5:23, 24).

Reconciled brothers and sisters standing at the foot of the manger will bring a smile to that small Child’s face.

Actually, the question is not what do you get for the Person who has everything; it’s what do you give to the Person who has given everything? We all know the answer to that. So this Christmas let the gifts flow!