Treasuring the Gift

Before I begin with my message, I want to give a heartfelt thanks on behalf of the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant for opportunity to celebrate the birth of our Savior…as well as to thank CPC for your ongoing financial support of our ministries.

A Gift to Treasure

Years ago I served as the youth minister at St. Thomas Presbyterian Church in Houston - and as part of the staff, I would give the children’s message during worship.

One Christmas Eve, I had an idea I was very excited about - as the children came forward that evening, I had a big ol’ box, all wrapped up with a tag that said, To the children of St. Thomas Presbyterian Church. From God.

Of course, it was a huge box, so they wasted no time in ripping apart the wrapping when I gave them the go ahead. I then lifted out of the box a manger that held a baby doll (yes, I had wrapped baby Jesus up in a box).

So, there I was sitting with the manger right in front of me, kids all around, and I’m telling them what a wonderful gift Jesus is to us, best gift God could ever give us…himself.

Just then, my arch nemesis - I know it’s hard to believe, but I had an arch nemesis, she fooled a lot of people, thought she was just this super sweet little girl.

But she had a way of foiling my best children’s messages…one time, I was using a magic trick, disappearing coin trick, to tell the story of lost coin…as I was slipping coin into my pocket, she yelled out…it’s in your pocket! Just gave trick away!

Sure enough, she struck again that Christmas Eve. in midst of my message, I look down - and baby Jesus is gone! And guess who has baby Jesus, right there in her arms. My arch nemesis! She had stolen baby Jesus!

Though, truth to tell, she, out of everyone, got the message. This newborn babe, Jesus - is God’s great gift to all of us…gift of himself.

And that little girl did what God wants all of us to do - receive the gift.

To embrace the gift of Jesus. Cherish him. Delight in him. Treasure him.

This is my hope and prayer for all of us this Christmas - that you will receive the gift of Jesus, God himself coming to us…and embrace him. Love him. Treasure him.

And I want to share a few thoughts about how you might do exactly that.

Treasuring the Gift of Jesus

Dallas Willard says that the great enemy of spiritual life is hurry.

What does he mean by that? After all, there are lots of things we battle in our spiritual lives…sin of pride, selfishness, anger & malice, lust.

But he is talking about what hinders us from engaging in the spiritual life, what keeps us from being attentive to God, to remaining and abiding in Jesus.

And hurry does exactly that. Because being in a state of hurry is being in state where you are already looking toward next thing. Not the now thing, what’s in front of you. You’re preoccupied, thinking of all the other things, what still has to be done.

Because of that…you can not treasure in a hurry.

There is a vast difference in how we enjoy food we eat - wolfing down a meal versus savoring it. Enjoying a leisurely meal…slow food, if you will, versus “fast food.”

There’s a funny little scene in National Lampoon’s Vacation movie. They are making their way across the country - got to get to Wally World. They stop at the Grand Canyon, but father, Chevy Chase, is trying to hurry everyone along. His wife asks him, “Don’t you want to look at the Grand Canyon?” He puts her arm around her, looks for a couple of head bobs, and then, time to go.

There was no treasuring the beauty and majesty of the Grand Canyon going on there.

Why we talk about taking a moment to stop and smell roses. Enjoy what’s in front of you. Delight in it. And this is especially true of people. You can not treasure people a hurry.

I think that one of ironies of our culture today is that we often get so preoccupied with taking pictures of gatherings, being with people, special events…we want to get that perfect picture, capture the moment.

But do we take the time to capture it in the moment - in our hearts? To enjoy and delight in those people, to treasure them?

We see wonderful wisdom from Mary, mother of Jesus, doing exactly that in Luke 2:19

“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”

What we treasure, what we focus our attention and affection on - has direct impact on our hearts.

Matthew 6:21…For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

???Hallowed be thy name…may your name be treasured and loved.

Mary was treasuring up “all these things”

Wonder that God chose her, her, simple girl from tiny town of Nazareth, to bear his Son.

Announcement from God’s messenger, Gabriel, coming and telling her…how many times did she play that encounter through in her mind…did that really happen?

And then, Joseph!! What a remarkable man…to trust and believe this unbelievable story…that baby in her womb was conceived by Holy Spirit…for him to take her as his wife…how blessed she was.

Interaction with her cousin, Elizabeth, who, too, was pregnant, and whose baby leaped with joy in her womb at Mary’s arrival.

And then these shepherds, who come bursting in the middle of night because an angel army had come and told them the news.

And now, here she was, holding this precious child in her arms. It’s all happening, just like you said, Lord. This is your Messiah, your anointed one. The one who will fulfill the prophecies that Israelites have hoped on for hundreds of years. Who will rescue his people. Who will establish a new kingdom.

Those were things Mary was pondering in her heart. She was slowing down, taking time to hold them, reflect on them. She was treasuring Jesus. The amazing gift of this child.

These are things we should be treasuring as well - and even more so, because Mary had no idea the scope and scale of the kingdom this newborn King had come to establish. How great his saving would be.

Here’s thing…you cannot do it in a hurry.

You cannot savor the stories of Savior in hurry.

You cannot ponder the power and presence of God now with us quickly.

You cannot treasure Jesus in a hurry.

My hope and prayer is that over the next few days that you will slow down, savor time with your family, enjoy the gifts you receive, and delight of giving them (listening to music, quiet moments), the food!

But even more so, that you will find that quiet time, that place you won’t be disturbed or distracted, and do exactly as Mary did, treasuring up all these things and pondered them in her heart, and in doing so, you’ll know great joy and peace of having truly received the great gift God gives us at Christmas…Himself.