The Gift

     Many Christmases ago, in a village closer than you think, a young man awoke to find a mysterious gift nestled among the freshly fallen snow upon his stoop. Curious, he picked up the package and searched for the tag. His name was clearly printed on the card dangling from the bow atop the present, but unlike what you or I would have done perhaps, he didn't open it. He didn't rip into the paper to discover its contents; he simply studied the beautifully striped wrappings, and admired the delicate ribbon wound about it. He gently shook the package to guess what lay inside, but never bothered to actually find out. Instead, he brought the box inside and placed it prominently on his table. Stepping back to admire it, he called his family to come and see what he had received so unexplainably. They gathered around and also wondered at the exterior of the package, but left shortly to continue about their business.  The man, made temporarily joyful by the receipt of the gift, decided that every year on that day, he would celebrate the gift and remember the joy that it had given.  In the meanwhile, he packed the gift away for the next year: never bothering to find out who had given it to him or even what awaited him inside the cleverly wrapped box.
     You may wonder at this man’s strange behavior: why he never bothered to open his present? Why his curiosity never got the better of him to tear into his unearned gift? Perhaps, had he known the cost of the gift, he would have appreciated it more, Perhaps, had he known the giver of the gift, he would have loved it more. Perhaps, had he known the joys and benefits the gift would have brought, he would have embraced it more. But rather, he chose to neglect the contents. He never realized nor appreciated the greatness of the gift.      Crazy, you may call him. But I wonder at the similar behavior of our world.  Every year we celebrate the giving of a gift many have never bothered to open. Every one of us has received an unearned gift from a Giver we never knew or sought.  Perhaps had we known the cost of the gift – the suffering of the cross – we would have appreciated it more. Perhaps, had we known the Giver of the gift – God – we would have loved it more. Perhaps, had we known the joys and benefits the gift would bring – eternal life and reconciliation with the Father – we would have embraced it more.  But so many have chosen to neglect the contents of our gift. Over two-thousand years ago, God gave us the greatest gift of all, His Son Jesus Christ; won’t you open up your gift and find out what it’s all about? 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

Merry Christmas