Give Love as a Gift

The gifting day has come and gone, and one point is again clear: gift-giving becomes very stressful for many people. One of the reasons for this stress at the holiday season is the fear of what to get someone as a gift. It’s often been said that men are harder to buy gifts for than women. I don’t know what makes that saying true.

However, I know my wife has said that about me many times over the years. The idea of giving someone the perfect gift overtakes the giver. Fear sets in, and the possibility of rejection and inadequacy is crippling. Trying to give a gift that’s memorable and lasting truly gets harder and harder as the years roll on.

In our text for this Sunday after Christmas, St. Paul gives us a helpful suggestion for giving a gift that’s just sure to be lasting. Actually, Paul’s words from the Lord are more than helpful, and they’re more than a suggestion. The apostle tells us to give love as a gift.

Concordia Pulpit Resources, Volume 29, Part 1, Series C Concordia Pulpit Resources, Volume 29, Part 1, Series C

I. Christ has given us the ultimate gift and does not charge.

I. Christ has given us the ultimate gift and does not charge.

Give Love as a Gift.

Quite to the contrary of giving, receiving gifts is easy—or it should be. Simply to receive the love, care, mercy, and compassion of people in the form of a gift is often less stressful and more enjoyable than giving—or at least it should be. The stress is gone, and the joy of receiving is paramount.

I.

Quite to the contrary of giving, receiving gifts is easy—or it should be. Simply to receive the love, care, mercy, and compassion of people in the form of a gift is often less stressful and more enjoyable than giving—or at least it should be. The stress is gone, and the joy of receiving is paramount.

Surprisingly, maybe, the ease of receiving tends to be the opposite of what we hear during the holiday season. Many have said, “It’s better to give than to receive.” I’m not sure that statement is accurate when we look at it from a theological perspective. One reason people may believe that giving is better than receiving stems from the focus area of the statement. When saying that giving is better than receiving, a person is more focused on looking at himself or herself as the centerpiece rather than on the one who is to receive. The world would encourage this behavior and deny the importance of what receiving is all about.

The gift of forgiveness and salvation is a free gift, one that comes with no strings attached. This gift is one we receive from Jesus without any merit or worthiness in us. The love of the Savior is an unmatched and tremendous blessing. Therefore, the idea that receiving is far more important than giving comes to us directly in the form of the Son of God, on the cross the sin-bearer of the world. Put in proper context, our receiving of this gift is a continuation of the promises of the Old Testament, where the Lord declares that he will send us a Savior, his Son.

Not only is it very enjoyable and surely commanded, but I’m certain that receiving forgiveness is the place where we build the foundational principles of our text for today. We hear clearly in verse 12 of the text that we are God’s chosen ones—called by him and set apart by him for the purpose of doing his will. “As God’s chosen ones,” Paul says. We are God’s people, and he has extended his hand to us and marked us. The text continues, telling us that we are beloved and holy people of God: “as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved.” This is no small declaration for the faithful children of Christ. As his chosen and set-apart ones, we are not alone and living for ourselves. We are his, chosen and called to share his love and compassion. “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” ().

Colossians 3:12 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

Once in a class at seminary, a professor asked me if I had ever done private confession. That was to say, had I ever confessed my sins vocally to another person? At that stage in my life, I had not done private confession. He told me that there’s no greater feeling than being forgiven for something you’ve done in life. He was right. Later in that academic year, I took him up on that encouragement, and, while stressed and somewhat embarrassed, I did private confession. I found that he was exactly right. There is no better feeling than being forgiven. It was revolutionary for my Christian life, although it was not a new concept. I had just humbled myself and confessed; I had received the free and clear gift given to all of God’s children out of his love and grace.

II. Jesus reminds us that he has called us and we are to share his gift with all people.

II.

The text for today now reminds us that we should forgive one another in Christian love: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” ().

Colossians 3:12–13 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Oftentimes, we are not willing to forgive those who’ve hurt us because it seems to empower us as we withhold forgiveness. The apostle encourages us to see and know that our ability to forgive comes from the reality that we are first forgiven by Christ in our own lives; thus we are able to forgive others. This is a beautiful reality in which we live as children of the heavenly Father.

Immediately following this encouragement about forgiving, we’re told to put on love: “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony” ().

Colossians 3:14 ESV

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Colossians 3:13 ESV

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

Love is what binds all things together in the life of the Christian. One of my catechumens once asked me, “How do we put on love?” This question is, for the Christian, a beautiful picture of God’s love and mercy. God the Father has showered us with his love. His love comes to us in the form of his Son on the cross. We know this reality through the Word of God as it reminds us in many places and in many different ways of the love in our lives, which is Christ. For all Christians, the love of Christ is poured out in Holy Baptism, where you are robed in love. Therefore, putting on love is a reality of our relationship to Christ as his chosen people. Like many aspects of our relationship to Christ, we must not reject the ability we have to love.

The text before us today reminds us strongly that the Word of God dwells in us. “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” ().

Colossians 3:16–17 ESV

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We remain hopeful and joyful at this reality. It is through that very Word that we are encouraged and strengthened to be able to meet the tasks before us with confidence and joy. As we put on love to share forgiveness and mercy, as we provide the gift of forgiveness to those who’ve hurt us and trespassed against us, we are able to take encouragement and nourishment from the Word of God as it reminds us and empowers us in our lives in Christ. We give freely the gift of forgiveness as it has been freely given to us by Christ our Lord and risen, living Savior.

So with joy, receive what is yours as a gift. Receive it with joy and thankfulness knowing that you are forgiven freely, without price and without worthiness on your part. Amen.