The Greatest Gift

The Greatest Gift Luke 2:8-20 Today, as we follow The Redemption of Scrooge, we come to the life of Christmas Present. Now I’m sure everyone has heard the saying, “There’s no time like the present.” I find thinking about time interesting because “the present” – this moment, right now – is so fleeting. There is, in all reality, no time in the present because the moment I start thinking about the present, it’s already in the past. So indeed, “There’s no time like the present,” because it can’t be measured. It’s over before it’s begun. Another popular saying is to say that someone “tells it like it is.” When people say this, they usually mean they agree with what’s being said. I mean I’ve never heard someone say, “he tells it like it is, and he’s totally wrong.” But if anybody can tell it like it is, the Ghost of Christmas Present certainly can, who says, “Come in, come in. Sit front and center. And get to know me better.” It’s now that the Ghost of Christmas Present is going to take Scrooge on a journey, offering Scrooge a window into the way things are that he could never have experienced by himself. The clock chimes One, awakening Scrooge to see an illuminating light shining under his bedroom door. The Ghost of Christmas Present woos scrooge into the next room, a room that’s been transformed with signs of life. Holly and berries adorn the walls, the fireplace glows with soothing warm heat, and a bounty of food and gifts covers every surface. So real was this experience that Scrooge could feel the warmth of the fire and smell the turkey on the table. The laughter, warmth, food, and decorations of Christmas remind us of God’s ever-present abundance. God’s always present and always offers us what we need. Scrooge’s senses come alive in the “realness” of this vision. Why? Because the present is the only part of time that feels real. The past is a memory, and the future is a dream, but the present is now, and now is when everything happens. Every word of love we share, every meal we enjoy, every song we’ve song were all experienced in the now. The past and future are simply nows that you have either experienced or will experience. That’s why I like to say that God lives in an eternal now. It’s all now to God because God is independent of time as we know it. Not only is God with us, but God always offers us what we need. Unfortunately, we often confuse our needs with wants. Sin causes us to be afraid we won’t have enough. This fear is as old as the birth of humanity. In the Garden, God offered Adam and Eve every tree except one. But the want, the fear of not having enough, transformed desire for the Creator of the fruit to the fruit itself. Jesus came to unwind that misguided desire that we still struggle with today. But desire is not in itself a bad thing. Psalm 42:1 says we should “long for God as the deer longs for streams of water.” To want something is not bad either. But it’s what you want and how you go about getting what you want that can lead to trouble. But when want and desire are properly connected, it reflects Philippians 4:19 which says, “And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God satisfies our needs but also leaves us wanting more. That’s why David could write in Psalm 23 that he knew God was with him, causing his cup to overflow. Brothers and sisters, because of Christ, God has reconciled everything, from the depths of the earth to the farthest star. So fill your cup with good tidings this season and share God’s goodness with the world! But before Scrooge could share God’s goodness with the world or have his cup overflow, the Ghost of Christmas Present had to take Scrooge out of that room where holly’s and berries adorned the walls, and take him out into the world, to reveal to Scrooge things he could never have learned on his own. But in a moment of haste and disbelief, Scrooge cried out, “I’m too old! I’m beyond hope! Go and redeem someone younger. Someone more promising. Leave me to keep Christmas in my own way.” But the Ghost of Christmas Present calmly yet forcefully gazed deep at Scrooge and said, “We don’t live Christmas but one day a year. We live the whole 365. So is it true of the child born in Bethlehem. He does not live in man’s hearts one day a year but in all the days of the year. You have chosen not to seek Him in your heart. Therefore you shall come with me and seek Him in the hearts of men of goodwill. Come.” The Ghost of Christmas Present knows Scrooges past, but nevertheless invites Scrooge to “Come.” Just like how on that very first Christmas practically 2,000 years ago, Christ came to earth, wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying on a manger. Jesus wasn’t born in grand fashion. He didn’t enter into this world through rich parents or people of high honor. But He come. Mary and Joseph, that young couple, didn’t have money or fame or prestige or power. And yet, as they hold their newborn baby, they held the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. That young, scared couple, 100 miles away from home with no money and no room at the Inn, holding God Incarnate. Whatever fear, whatever doubt they must have felt, suddenly got lost in the greatness of that moment. Folks, that’s what happens when you let Christ in. Christ transforms fear itself into an embodiment of hope. And just as the Ghost of Christmas Present asks Scrooge to “Come,” Jesus also asks you to “Come.” “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” But will you come? Don’t hold back, thinking like Scrooge did that you’re too old or too sinful to be redeemed. Scrooge, like all of us, has a choice to make; come or don’t come. Thankfully, Scrooge chooses to come, I pray you have too. Scrooge followed, and the first place the Ghost of Christmas Present takes them to is the home of his counting clerk, Bob Cratchit. The Cratchits are a simple family who share a great faith. Scrooge watches this jolly family. The fireplace is roaring and the only thing louder is the joyful sound of Christmas carols being sung as the family gathers together praising the Lord. As the family finish’s the last verse of Hark! The Harald Angels Sing, Tiny Tim walks in. He’s a cripple and walks with a cane. And as Tiny Tim sits down next to the warmth of the fire, Scrooge overhears Bob talking about taking his young son, Tiny Tim, to church that evening, saying, “He told me, coming home, that he hoped the people saw him in the church, because he was a cripple, and it might be pleasant to them to remember upon Christmas Day, who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see.” Scrooge looks on as his heart is breaking and healing at the same time. That’s the funny thing about the heart; how it can be so strong, yet so weak. But no matter how broken, Christ heals the heart. But you must be willing to not just “Come,” but “Follow.” And as Scrooge follows the Ghost of Christmas Present into the Cratchit’s home, their Christmas dinner was an exercise in noticing blessings. They had been blessed with a beautiful feast. Some might overlook the beautiful bounty of their simple meal, but their abundance doesn’t go unnoticed by the Cratchits, who know all too well the difficulty of poverty. This time of year, it’s easy to get distracted with all the decorations, lights, and music, but at its heart, the first Nativity is a story born out of poverty, where scarcity is transformed into abundance by a God who will stop at nothing to be with us! Now in the Gospel of Luke, he begins his Nativity story with the words, “In those days.” Luke wants his readers to know that Jesus’ birth narrative is situated in a specific time and place. This is the story of when God entered into human history, not with thunder and lightning, but with a chorus of angels and lowly shepherds and a wandering family placing their newborn child in a manger. Just as Scrooge’s heart is transforming as he watches Bob Cratchit and his family celebrate Christmas in a specific time and place, that first Christmas day, another, even more incredible transformation was happening. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which means “house of bread.” Jesus is the Bread of Life, placed in a feeding trough because it’s Christ upon which we feed to be filled with grace. Jesus grew up in Nazareth, which means “new shoot,” because Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy rooted in God’s Word, but also the new way God is choosing to be with God’s people. Jesus saw His final days in Jerusalem, the “city of peace,” because it’s through the cross that we find our peace with God and with one another. Christ’s birth means “those days” are passing away, and “this day” will be with us forever! The angels appeared in the heavens, not saying, “In those days..” – rather, they proclaimed, “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” In those days the palace ruled the world, but on this day the world is being turned upside down. In those days the shepherds were less than unimportant, but on this day, the shepherds received a gift of the kingdom of God! In those days we simply read about a miracle. On this day we expect one. In those days we tried to make our traditions and material gifts perfect. On this day we let go of the anxiety of making things perfect so that we can make room for a perfect God. In those days our Christmas list was full of things for family and friends. On this day our list contains what Jesus wants. Remember, it’s Christ’s birthday after all. And what’s on Jesus’ wish list? The proclamation of good news, release, recovery, freedom, and favor. In those days we worried about what’s under the tree instead of the tree itself. On this day we see the Giver of Life. And now, on this day, Scrooge is finally understanding. But there’s one more thing. “Learn this lesson,” the Ghost of Christmas Present says as he opens his long, splendid, kingly robe, revealing two small children, one boy, one girl. They're both dirty, poor, and starving. Scrooge is horrified. “Can’t you help them?” Scrooge shouts! But if you’ll remember back to week one, when we first began our journey with Scrooge, the Ghost of Christmas Present replies, using Scrooge’s own words against him, “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” Scrooge grasps his head in shame, trying to drown out the Ghost’s words, but to no avail, they just keep getting louder and louder in his head. For the first time, Scrooge is afraid. Just like in verse 9, when “an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.” The angel had to tell them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” At first, Scrooge was afraid, but great joy will soon follow. You know, Scrooge’s journey and the angel's proclamation are timeless. When we read the angel's words, “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord,” we read a timeless truth, making Christ’s presence with us an ever-present reality. But why did Scrooge embark on this journey? And why did God send angels to the shepherds? God proclaimed the good news to the shepherds not because they were the best equipped to spread the news, or that they were simply nearby and it was convenient; it’s because God was already there, with the unlikely. Scrooge was unlikely, but still can be redeemed. Scrooge’s redemption might be called a miracle, but the Christmas story is the story about a miracle – the infinite and almighty God deciding to put on human flesh so that we could inherit the eternal, a kingdom full of life, built by grace on a foundation of love and justice. So what are you looking for this Advent and Christmas season? Are you looking for a miracle? The good news is that God has already done the great miracle by sending Jesus to break the bonds of sin and death – that first Christmas was a miracle! So will a miracle happen for Scrooge? Will he be redeemed? I pray you come back next Sunday, as we’ll explore the Christmas future, and “Accept Christ’s Invitation.” But I want you to remember, if nothing else, this one thing, that God has blessed us all with the gift of Himself. And in the words of Tiny Tim, “God bless us, Everyone!” AMEN