THE EXCITEMENT OF GIVING

Some of us can remember the time in our lives when we first became aware that we were loved.

For Rob that magic moment came when he was 15 and he overheard a conversation between his mother and father.

"Mary," said his father, "I hate to call Rob in the mornings.  He's growing so fast and he needs sleep.  If you could see how soundly he's sleeping when I go in to wake him up.  I wish I could manage alone."

"Adam," replied his mother, "you know there's too much to do on the farm.  Anyway, it's time Rob took his turn."

"Yes," said his father slowly, "but I sure do hate to wake him."

As Rob listened, a strange, wonderful feeling came over him.  His father loved him!  He had never thought of it before.  Neither his father nor his mother talked much about loving their children.  Such things were taken for granted.

On the night before Christmas, that year when he was 15 - Pearl Buck relates an episode in a moving story entitled "Christmas Day in the Morning" - Rob lay in bed wishing he had a better present for his father than the dime-store tie he had bought.

Then the thought struck him.  He would get up early that morning - Christmas morning - while his father was still asleep and creep into the barn and get all the milking done.

Then when his father went in to start the milking, he would see that it was all done.

"What the..." he could hear his father exclaiming.

So that's what he would do.  At quarter to 3 he got up and crept down to the barn.  He finished the milking, then came into the house and crawled back into bed.  He lay still, laughing to himself.

In just a few minutes his father would know.  His dancing heart was ready to jump from his bady.

Soon, sure enough, the door to his room opened.

"Rob!"

"Yes, Dad?"

"Rob, you son-of-a-gun!"  His father was laughing - a sobbing sort of laugh.

"It's for Christmas, Dad!"

It was dark and they couldn't see each other's faces but Rob reached out and found his father and clutched him in a great hug.

"Son, thank you.  Nobody ever did a nicer thing."

This is a story in the true spirit of Christmas, for love was exchanged that Christmas morning between a father and his son and Christmas is a love story - a love story as old as the Judean hills which first echoed to its telling and as new as this Christmas Day.

[Copied from an old, yellowed, newspaper clipping in my Christmas file - by George R. Plagenz, 'Scripps-Howard Religion Writer]

JACOB GETS A NAME CHANGE

Genesis 32 is transformational!  

God has nudged Jacob out of Haran and away from Laban and has headed him back to his homeland.  This ought to be a joyous thing, but Jacob knows he must soon face the ire of his brother, Esau, who had - twenty years earlier - threatened his life.  He was rightly fearful!  He had abused Esau and stolen something very precious and valuable from him.  

Ever the schemer, Jacob develops a plan to placate his brother - while also recompensing him for the damage Jacob had done earlier in life.  He wisely divides his large family and many flocks into two groups, thinking:  If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape  [v.8].  

Then, this maturing man prays an eloquent prayer:

O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, O LORD, who said to me, 'Go back to your country and your relatives and I will make you prosper,' I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant.  I had only my staff when I crossed the Jordan, but now I have become two groups.  Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children.  But you have said, 'I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.'  [vs.9-12]

Funny how a life-threatening situation can revitalize one's prayer life!   

After hearing that Esau is coming to meet him - along with two hundred men - Jacob prepares a magnificent gift for Esau and places it ahead of the two groups with very clear instructions:  When my brother Esau meets you and asks 'To whom do you belong, and where are you going, and who owns all these animals in front of you? then you are to say, 'They belong to your servant Jacob.  They are a gift sent to my lord Esau, and he is coming behind us.'  

The gift:

• 200 female goats
• 20 male goats
• 200 ewes
• 20 rams
• 30 female camels with their young
• 40 cows
• 10 bulls
• 20 female donkeys
• 10 male donkeys

Then, after securing his family, Jacob crossed the ford of the Jabbok and spent the night alone.  Make no mistake about it - he is afraid!  God - in the form of a man - came that night and wrestled with Jacob.  Whether this is real or metaphorical, I do not know, but it was real to Jacob.  When the man saw that he could not overpower [Jacob], he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled...Then the man said, 'Let me go, for it is daybreak.'  [vs.25-26]

But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."   Jacob knew he was wrestling with God!  

The man asked him, "What is your name?"  

"Jacob," he answered.'

Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."  [vs.26-28]

Jacob gave this place a special name and walked with a limp for the rest of his life as a reminder of this night!  His testimony:  I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.  [v.30]

___________________________________

"God has chosen to do the impossible for those who enter the covenant.  He will literally and actually remake every person who will let Him.  This cosmic act of salvation produces a transformed individual, so different from the old person that it is awkward or impossible for him to answer to his old name."  [Webb Garrison, Reading the Entire Bible in One Year, p.23]

Revelation 2:17

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna.  I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.  

Gift Giving #3

There are at least a couple of good reasons for giving gifts at Christmas time or anytime!

1.    Gift giving is an expression of our love for one another!

Giving and receiving gifts can be part of fulfilling what Paul says about giving in 

II Corinthians 8:7-8, "Since you excel in so many ways—you have so much faith, such gifted speakers, such knowledge, such enthusiasm, and such love for us now I want you to excel also in this gracious ministry of giving. I am not saying you must do it, even though the other churches are eager to do it. This is one way to prove your love is real."

2.    The Bible gives us the wonderful story about the gift God gave us - Christ. 

Does giving gifts have to take away from the true meaning of Christmas?  No, it does not.  If we focus on the wonderful gift of salvation the Lord has given us (Isaiah 9:6),

For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

it is a natural expression of that gratefulness for us to give to others.  The key is on our focus.  Is your focus on the gift, or the ultimate gift-giver - our gracious Heavenly Father? 

 

Back around 1998, MasterCard sponsored a variety of "Priceless" commercials. Each ad began with a list of stuff (or services) and a matching set of prices. Then came a phrase identifying some intangible that can't be purchased. And finally, there's the single word "Priceless," followed by the assertion that "There are some things money can't buy. For everything else, there's MasterCard." They were great commercials, and were popular, according to the Harris ad tracking service. The ad executive who services the "Priceless" account at the McCann-Erickson ad agency explained that "what really hit home with consumers was that a company that is fundamentally all about money and paying for things would actually declare that the things that really count can't be bought."

New iPads, iPhones, androids, video games, power tools, appliances, clothes, jewelry, and all the other things that will be given and received the 25th – all pale in comparison with the gift that is truly priceless!  There is a peace that comes from accepting the Gift of Christ into your life that cannot be attained any other way in this world!  The joy of being forgiven for our sins and of gaining a hope of eternal life is truly priceless.

 

There was another advertising campaign quite a few years ago that said it even better.  I went to the Hallmark store for a card that year and saved the bag because it said it so well:  “When you care enough to send the very best”!  That’s exactly what God did when He sent His one and only Son into the world to save us!  He cared enough to send the VERY BEST!

Gift Giving #2

Let’s consider the gifts that Jesus received:

v GOLD

     If diamonds are a woman’s best friend – then gold can’t be far behind!  Almost any adult would appreciate a gift of gold.  To give a gift of gold is equal to giving a gift of money!  Who would turn that down?  Money is good!  Right? 

     In this case, the gold was probably used to finance Joseph and Mary’s escape to Egypt.  There is no evidence to indicate that Joseph was a wealthy man.  He obviously had a trade and was capable of producing income;  however, he had just financed a costly trip to Bethlehem and was facing the transition from caring only for his own needs to caring for the needs of himself, his wife, and a newborn son!  The gift of gold given to Jesus was probably viewed as a gift from God  to enable them to be obedient to His guidance!         

v FRANKINCENSE

     Remarkably, giving gifts of fragrance is not uncommon in our day!  Many of us will either buy or receive gifts of cologne or perfume.  Others may receive gifts of potpourri, scented candles, or even incense!  Something capable of eliminating harsh or unwanted odors must have been a welcomed gift in the days of Mary and Joseph.  Who knows?  If there really were animals present at Jesus’ birth, some of that incense might have been handy right on the spot! 

     But this was not just any incense!  It was a specific incense that was rare and probably expensive.  It was almost exclusively used in the Temple and was associated with the burning of sacrifices before God.  It had to have been perceived as an odd gift to give to a newborn baby or its parents!  Its purpose was clearly symbolic.  It was a divinely inspired gift to indicate that Jesus would become the unique sacrifice for our sins.  His ultimate death on the cross would be a pleasing sacrifice to God and would satisfy the death penalty that comes on all of us as a result of our sin.

     For the record:  the frankincense was probably sold or surrendered to the Temple with the possibility of either gaining a profit for Mary and Joseph or of being a gift from them to God!

v MYRRH

     Myrrh is another perfume, but this one would have been a source of mystery to Joseph and Mary.  It was a specific perfume used almost exclusively for embalming the dead!  This would be the equivalent of buying a newborn baby a subscription to AARP magazine.  It was obviously another symbolic gift.  It was a foreshadowing of the death of Jesus.  Is it any wonder that we find Mary repeatedly pondering these things and treasuring them up in her heart? 

     Let’s remember, she was probably a young, Jewish girl.  She had been visited by an angel who told her that she would miraculously give birth to God’s Son.  A baby was conceived in her womb without the involvement of a man.  Hardship followed.  A census is called for at the critical time of her delivery.  The baby is born in a stable and His first bed is a manger.  Shepherds come, unexpectedly to worship Him.  Finally, wealthy wise men come reporting the appearance of a new star in the sky and delivering these odd gifts!  What is Mary to make of all this?

 

     When we lived in Maryland, we took training to become foster parents.  While doing so, we ran into a couple where the woman was from a large family in my hometown, New Brighton.  As we shared with this couple they told us that they only buy their children three gifts for Christmas every year.  In doing so they  control the commercial aspects of their Christmas by making a clear statement that if three gifts were good enough for Jesus – then it’s good enough for us too. 

 

     We might wonder:  Why do we exchange gifts at Christmas anyway?  Is it because the wise men brought gifts to Jesus?   Historically, the practice of gift-giving around Christmas only roots back about 200 years.  Some think that our gift-giving springs from the example of St. Nicholas who was a bishop in Asia Minor from whom many legends have arisen.  These legends all have to do with the fact that he was a man who knew how to give “so that the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.”  Legends report several practices of this church leader:

o   He baked cookies and distributed them to poor children

o   Having come from a wealthy home, he left three bags of gold hanging on the doorknob of a poor family that had three daughters with no dowry.  Without this gift, they would have been forced into prostitution.

o   The miracle that is recorded to his credit comes from him begging grain for his starving people from passing merchant ships, promising them that at the end of their trip, not an ounce would be missing.

     The memory of this saint has been embellished and changed significantly over the centuries till he is almost unrecognizable to us now.  Is that why we give gifts at Christmas?   No!  The emphasis on St. Nicholas and gift-giving actually has hazards for us. 

 

We must be careful that gift giving doesn’t become the focus of Christmas instead of thanking the Lord for the gift of His Son (John 3:16).

Gift Giving #1

     I was in Wal-Mart and noticed a line of about 30 people waiting to exchange items.  On the days immediately following Christmas that single line will turn into multiple lines as people bring back carefully selected gifts and exchange them for the right size, another color, or something completely different. 

     I watched a report on the news that indicated that the increase in giving ‘gift cards’ is phenomenal!  In 2003, consumers purchased 45 billion dollars worth of gift certificates or gift cards;  that number is expected to escalate to over 124 billion dollars this year!  The message of this increase is obvious:  What better gift can I give you than the resources to buy the gift that you really want for yourself! 

     We all have traditions that we maintain in our various homes and families.  I have chosen to continue a tradition that originated two generations before my arrival.  My father was raised in a very common home with a caring, loving mother, five sisters, and a drunken father.  Grandma Haire had very meager resources to use to provide a nice Christmas for her family.  She was raising her children through the years of the ‘Great Depression’, which made it all-the-more difficult.  She would splurge every Christmas and place in her six children’s stockings an apple, an orange, and some walnuts.  Consequently, when I was growing up, [and by-the-way, my Christmases were not meager;  my parents used Christmas to buy me almost everything I would need to get me through the next year] my stocking also included an apple, an orange, and some walnuts.  To maintain a tradition, I faithfully placed these items in my kids’ stockings every year (along with lots of other goodies)!  Today, Tracie does the same with her children - that's four generations!  Now the further this practice gets away from its source in the depression, the less meaning it has – however, the intent is to remind us that there was a time in our family’s history when the receiving of an apple, an orange, and some walnuts was a noteworthy and even exciting thing!

     Gift-giving is an interesting thing.  For younger, and even many older folks, receiving gifts is a big deal.  We all probably look forward to Christmas Day with some anticipation of what we might receive.  However, the greater joy is really when you’re on the gift-giving side.   Almost all of us have purchased or made something special for someone.  The excitement and anticipation of seeing their joy is almost more than we can take!  That joy was magnified in my growing-up-home by having to go on a search for gifts that might be hidden almost anywhere in the house! 

     The concept of gift-giving comes under intense pressure, however, at this time of year.  We are occasionally put into circumstances that make us feel that we have to give gifts to others.  Obligatory gift exchanges take the joy and surprise out of gift-giving.  There’s an episode of Seinfeld where George is required to exchange gifts with his co-workers,  In his typically unscrupulous way, George gives out gift cards falsely indicating that he has made a contribution in the name of his co-workers to the ‘Human Fund’.  Most of us have received gifts along the way that left us confused or even unimpressed!  

So, how do we go about giving good gifts this year for Christmas?

How would you describe a good gift?

·      Something that uniquely suits me

·      Something that will save me time or make my work easier

·      Something that is home-made

·      Something that is expensive

·      Something I wouldn’t buy myself

·      Something I can really use or that I really need or want

·      Something that someone sacrificed to give

·      Something that has special meaning behind it

·      Something that was difficult to find, make, or get

·      Something that is an expression of someone’s creativity

How can we give gifts this year that will keep our friends and loved ones out of those long exchange lines?  Maybe the above list is a starting point...

WALKIE TALKIE'S

I was probably about 10 or 12 years old.  We played army a lot in our neighborhood.  Doing so would take up whole summer days!  The nearby woods provided the perfect place to build forts and then attack one another.

About that time, walkie-talkies became  very popular.  I knew that having walkie-talkies would give our side a huge advantage in fighting our wars.  So, I asked for a set for Christmas.  I knew they were expensive and wasn't sure that I'd receive them.

In the course of opening presents, I eventually unwrapped a box and saw that it was a set of walkie talkies!  With excitement, I opened the box and found...

...one walkie-talkie!

Think about it.  What good is one walkie-talkie?  Who are you going to talk to?

After a moment of feigned joy and obvious disappointment, my Dad made a suggestion:  "Why don't you put the antennae up, turn it on, and start talking into it?  Maybe if you listen carefully, you'll find another one."

Hope rising, I did as he suggested.  I began walking through the house talking into my solo walkie-talkie!  Through the kitchen and bedrooms.  Nothing in the bathroom.  Into the garage.  Nowhere else to go except the basement.  Finally, in the far corner of the cellar, I started to hear my own voice.  Buried in my Mom's old 'ringer washer', I finally found walkie-talkie #2.

It was a happy Christmas - thanks to the fun my Dad always added with his unique twist on finding presents!

MYRRH

It was no coincidence that the magi brought myrrh to Jesus!

Myrrh in this instance represented Jesus' eventual, sacrificial death!

It was a strange gift - somewhat like giving a family a funeral array of flowers at the birth of a baby.

Myrrh was an aromatic substance taken from balsam trees in southern Arabia.  It was rich brown or reddish-yellow in appearance.

It had many uses:

• It was used as a perfume and beauty treatment (Esther 2:12).  There are many references to myrrh's romantic uses:  Proverbs 7:17;  Song of Solomon 1:13;  4:14;  5:5,13.
• It was used in the anointing oil for holy purposes (Exodus 30:23f). 
• It was ingested as a pain killer (Mark 15:23).
• It was an embalming spice (John 19:39).

Ona Jane Meens wrote a lengthy poem titled "The Twelfth Christmas", in which she described a conversation between Mary and Jesus on His twelfth birthday.  She includes Mary describing the gifts of the Magi:

These gifts were the lovely caskets,
the gold, frankincense and myrrh.
We have guarded them well for thee.
Now, my lad, please do not stir;
I would have you close to my heart,
there is pain as well as joy;
and I must tell the story
though it brings us grief, my boy.

Frankincense for worship given,
power symbolized in gold -
would that we could forget the third,
think only of what I've told.
For the sad message of the mryyh
since then has clouded my life;
I know, fulfilling your mission,
death enters into the strife.

But always we must remember
You are God's begotten Son,
- a gift is mystery given -
that His Kingdom might here come.
It's a strange story, Mother,
but I feel that it is true.
God has sent me into the world
that I, His great work may do.

I must do my Father's bidding,
today I am twelve years old;
and He will make it plain to me,
so His plan I can unfold.
I will give the world His message,
that all men may understand
that I have come from the Father
to reveal His love for man.

And to lead into paths of peace
all who would walk by His side,
learning the way of the Master
and seeking His hand to guide.
I can feel my Father's presence -
I know His love and power.
So I accept my Father's plan -
trust Him in my darkest hour...

John 19:38-40 (NASB)
Joseph of Arimathea,...asked Pilate for the body of Jesus...So he came and took away His body.  Nicodemus,...also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight.  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the usual burial custom of the Jews.

GOLD

I have one item made of gold.  It's a pocket watch that belonged to my father.  I don't remember when I received it or how it was given to me.  However, I have always prized it.  It has a secret compartment on the back that is suitable for a picture.  I purchased a gold chain to use in clipping it to my belt loop.

I haven't worn it in years.  I keep it hidden away in a tie box. 

It reminds me of a few lines from O'Henry's The Gift of the Magi,

Now, there were two possessions of the James Dillingham Youngs in which they both took a mighty pride. One was Jim's gold watch that had been his father's and his grandfather's...Had King Solomon been the janitor, with all his treasures piled up in the basement, Jim would have pulled out his watch every time he passed, just to see him pluck at his beard from envy.

I value my pocket watch because it was my Dad's.  I loved and respected him.  When I handle it, I know that he once wore it and handled it.  It connects me to him!

Gold is still a great gift today!  It's value is consistent.  It's beauty is always appreciated.

Gold was an appropriate gift for a king!  Jesus was a King! 

It is likely that this gift of gold funded Joseph and Mary's trip to Egypt and back.  It was God's way of providing for their needs! 

God still provides for the needs of His children!

Why not wear something gold today to remind you of how precious Jesus is to you?  If you see me today, ask for a glimpse of my pocket watch!   :-)

LEARNING FROM THE GRINCH

It's December 19th, the beginning of crunch week!  People will flood the stores in a near-panic to find gifts for friends and loved ones.  Others will prowl, looking for 'mark-downs' on decorations, cards, and wrapping paper.  It gets serious this week!  This is not a time for the naive to be in the stores - leave your kids at home!

The Grinch:  "That's what it's all about, isn't it?  That's what it's always been about.  Gifts, gifts...gifts gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts.  You wanna know what happens to your gifts?  They all come to me.  In your garbage.  You see what I'm saying?  In your garbage.  I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump.  And the avarice...[Shouts]...the avarice never ends!  'I want golf clubs.'  'I want diamonds.'  'I want a pony so I can ride it twice, get bored and sell it to make some glue.'  Look, I don't wanna make waves, but this whole Christmas season is...[Shouts]...stupid, stupid, stupid!

As parents in today's materialistic, American environment, how do you maintain balance?  How do you keep from over-spending?  How do you prevent greed in your children?

Debbie and I went through foster-parenting classes in Maryland.  There were about twelve couples in the class.  We met weekly for several months.  One evening, we began to get acquainted with an African-American couple;  we had picked up that they might be Christians. 

Imagine our surprise to discover that she was from my home town, New Brighton, Pennsylvania!  I had graduated with her sister.  We had fun reminiscing.  We became quite close to them during the duration of the classes. 

In one conversation, we talked about the upcoming Christmas season.  We noticed a glance between the two of them - and asked about it.  They giggled, then went on to tell us how they countered the effects of Christmas greed.

They taught their children from the beginning that Christmas wasn't about gifts, but about Jesus.  Since Jesus was given three gifts at His birth (gold, frankincense, and myrrh), they would also receive three gifts.  Every year, their children knew that there would be three carefully selected gifts under the tree for each of them!

Hey folks!  There are ways to combat materialism. 

We started with the Grinnch - let's finish there, too.

The Grinch:  "How could this be so?  It came without ribbons.  It came without tags.  It came without packages, boxes or bags!"

Be creative!  Find a way to make Christmas be about more than the gifts!