Christmas gifts

I find myself really bothered by the sometimes unhealthy focus on gifts at Christmas time...but Christmas IS about a gift. It is the celebration of the most necessary gift we've ever received. 

The gospel accounts tell of us of a few of ways that people respond to this gift of salvation through Christ. In Matthew, we see the interaction of three different responses in the story of the wise men and King Herod.

The wise men knew something big was up. And they wanted to be a part of it. So, they went to king Herod to get some clarification...and it's here that we see some interesting reactions. First...let's look at the reaction of "people’s chief priests and teachers of the law".

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod,Magi[a] from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him.4 When he had called together all the people’s chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Messiah was to be born. 5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:6 “‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,    are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for out of you will come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’[b]” 

The Teachers of the Law and the chief priests knew exactly what was going on! They knew the right answers and they knew where the messiah could be found. But they didn't even go to check it out. They were so arrogant and self righteous that they couldn't even be bothered to examine it further!

And how about Herod? His response is disturbing...

16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:18 “A voice is heard in Ramah,    weeping and great mourning,Rachel weeping for her children    and refusing to be comforted,    because they are no more.”[d]

Herod absolutely rejects the gift. He is so concerned with keeping hold of what he has that refuses to accept that there could be something better. He actively opposes this gift and he tries to destroy it.

And how about the Magi? They were the ones searching for the Christ. They travelled for what could have been months to see this young baby.

9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

They fell down and worshiped! They gave valuable gifts. They acknowledged that this gift is something special. We don't know what they did afterwards...but it seems like they simply returned back to their home. We don't know if they were changed or if they even talked about what they had seen...or if they simply chalked it up as another "cool experience".

We see another response in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 2...the response of the shepherds.

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

They hurried off to see the baby. And then, after seeing the baby...they spread the word. They couldn't stop talking about how God had fulfilled his promise. That this was the Messiah, Immanuel - God with us!

So how have you responded to the news of Christ? Have you ignored it like the teachers of the law? Have you angrily rejected it like Herod? Have you worshiped the king but then just gone back to your old life like the Magi? Or have you responded like the shepherds, worshiping AND sharing with everyone that has listened.

I know that I have responded in all four ways.

My prayer for this Christmas is that we all can respond to this gift, God with us, like the Shepherds did.