One of my favorite yuletide memories from my childhood is one that occurred every year a few weeks before Christmas. Two eight-year-old boys are sitting at the very small dining room table of a very cramped row house in Harrisburg, PA. There’s a new but rough looking catalogue on the table between them. Each of the boys has a sheet of paper before him and a pencil in hand. On the stereo is a scratchy Mitch Miller album blaring out songs of the season. Filling the air is the tongue watering aroma of freshly baked sugar cookies.
For the next couple of hours, both boys carefully examine the toy section of the Sears catalogue as they draft their wish list for Christmas. Of course, there are the limitations of both cost and number. They are not to include anything costing more than about $5 or so (which in today’s money would be around $50) and they are to keep the list “manageable” in number. Once done their lists, with great expectations, they hand them to their parents. This evokes a parental response along the line, “Thank you, boys. Just remember we won’t be able to buy you all these gifts. And you will have to wait until Christmas morning to see which ones you might receive.”
Those two boys working on their Christmas wish lists were my twin brother and me. We had so much fun going through the Sears catalogue and making our lists and checking them twice (to be honest, far more than twice!). And to their credit, Mom and Dad came through for us (usually!).
Reflecting on this memory gave me pause to think about the best Christmas gift any one of us could ever receive. This gift is not to be found in a Christmas catalogue, but in a person . . . the person of the baby Jesus. How amazing is it that God the Son, the Creator of all, who has no beginning or end, was willing to leave the glory of heaven to come to this sin cursed, evil filled world? And he did so not to be served as the King of kings and Lord of lords, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many! God the Son, became one of us. He lived among us. Then he died for us! But the icy cold grip of death could not keep him in the grave. He rose from the dead and is now at the right hand of God the Father. From there he offers this invitation to one and all: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
What an incredible gift he offers to us. And unlike the gifts on my childhood wish list, his gift has no limitations. As for cost, it is free to us (thought at great cost to him). And this gift does not have to requested each and every year. The gift of eternal life is just that – eternal!
Joy to the world, the Lord has come,
Let Earth receive her King!
Let every heart prepare him room,
And heaven and nature sing!
Have you received the King? It's the the gift that keeps on giving in both this life and the life to com!
A merry and joy-filled Christmas to you all and thanks for stopping by,
PJ
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