My dear friends, greetings to all of you –
We find ourselves on the cusp of Christmas as we celebrate these final days of Advent. Most likely, for many, it may seem like Christmas is already here. And that’s ok.
Our scripture readings over this past week have focused our attention on the birth of Jesus – Emmanuel, God is with us. The promise of a Messiah is about to be realized. The grace of God is about to appear.
Throughout salvation history, God continuously had made overtures toward the people of Israel and invited them into an intimate relationship. But they continuously chose the things and ways of the world, which led them away from God. God knew that “things” would not satisfy the deepest desires or longings of the human heart so he decided to come among his people in human form to save us from our sinfulness and our sinful ways.
He came to give us something far better than “things” to make us happy and fulfilled. He came to share with us the gift of his Son, Jesus. Can there ever be a greater gift?
Through his Son, God has given his people a future that this world could never or will never be able to offer. He has turned this sinful, impoverished world upside down, so that our sin and our impoverished lives will not destroy us forever. He has given us a way to freedom.
What God has done for us is the reason for this season; His love is the reason.
I would suspect that many children were taken to the Malls throughout the country and they sat on Santa’s lap. I don’t know this for a fact, but I am going to speculate that Santa asked the question to many of them, “Have you been naughty or nice? Good or bad?” Or perhaps parents over the last few weeks perhaps have said to their children, “If you are not good, Santa is not going to bring you any toys or presents.”
As we all know, the real grace of Christmas has nothing to do with the question of being naughty or nice, or good or bad. The real grace of Christmas has little to do with the extravagant way it is celebrated today in our society. This real grace of Christmas has given us a whole new identity. In fact, our identity is bound up in this gift of Christmas.
Because of the gift of Christmas and Easter, we “share in the divinity of Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity.” No one is excluded from this message. No one is excluded from this gift. It is especially for the outcast, for the addicted, for the poor and the sick, for the marginalized and the migrants, for anyone suffering physically, emotionally or spiritually.
But this birth is only one moment in the unfolding of God’s plan for both Christ and for us. The final purpose for the Advent of Christ was atonement for our sins, thereby connecting Bethlehem to Golgotha – the manger to the cross.
For Christ, God’s plan was taking on yours and my sins, and the sins of all humanity in the ultimate act of love. The manger became the cross where eternal love was born into the world. In both his birth and death, the poverty of Jesus was fully displayed for all of us to see.
For each of us God’s plan will continue to unfold as we continue to accept the grace and the gift of Christmas.
Friends, when all the packages are unwrapped, and we have received the love behind those gifts, don’t let the celebration of Christmas end. I invite you to continue to reflect upon the true meaning of Christmas.
I would encourage, or even challenge you to spend time these next days (and even weeks – the Christmas season is only beginning) reflecting and sharing with each other in your families, what the grace of Christmas is for each of you.
Answer this question: What does this wonderful feast mean for each of you in light of God coming into this world desiring to enter into this relationship with you?
If we can do this, then the true meaning of this Christmas story will be a living story and not merely an historical event. It will then be a living reality whereby the gift of Christmas is opened and shared, and God’s love is accepted and then given away.
In the end, my friends, this is the true meaning of Christmas! May God bless you all and Merry Christmas!