Unexpected Gifts
When we
think of Christmas one of the first things that come to our minds is gift giving.
Selecting the perfect gift for the person we love, our family members or coworkers
can be a daunting task during this time of festive cheer. Gift giving is a
skill and art. To select the perfect gift that warms their heart and is meaningful
is no easy task. Some of us are better than others. It is said that 2/3 of the
gifts husbands purchase for their wives are actually gifts they want. It’s
really for them. Then there are the expectations of receiving a gift. While Michael
Jordan shoes have been replaced by LeBron James, Atria replaced by Xbox, and board
games like Battleship and Monopoly have been replaced by Candy Crush on IPads, we
have all sat with wonder and anticipation of what is wrapped waiting our revealing.
Then there are those gifts that are wrapped just like all the rest, with the
same bows and glittering wrapping paper that when opened reveal to us socks and
underwear. They are not the exciting gifts we want but they are those gifts we
need. While we contain our disappointment as to not alert the giver, we
struggle to be polite.
This Advent
let us all focus on the gift Christ is to all humanity. We can acknowledge that
Christ was not the gift the people wanted, but the gift we all need. When the
Son of God entered into this world, in reality, not many people even noticed. When
Christ was born it basically went unnoticed. There were a few shepherds, an
angel or two, Mary and Joseph, and some animals and the rest of the world was unfazed.
As we read about the birth of Jesus, the wrapping paper doesn't look too impressive.
If this was God’s gift to all humanity shouldn't there be better details. When
the Son of the God who created the universe in born into this world, when the
creator enters his creation, after 400 years of God being silent, there should
have been a grand exciting elaborate entrance, right? But instead when the Messiah
arrives, this unexpected gift goes unnoticed. Why? Because the arrival of the
Son of God was not what the people expected but was exactly what we need. In
the details of Christ’s birth we find that this unexpected gift is exactly what
we need today. In each detail we find that this unexpected gift is the perfect
practical gift we have been waiting for. It might not be what we want, but
Christ is the perfect practical gift for all humanity. This Sunday we kick off
our new sermon series Socks & Underwear. We will begin to post the videos
as well as the manuscript on here. I
hope you can join us as we will discover how this unexpected gift is like Socks
& Underwear: Jesus may not be want we want in a Savior but he is everything
we desperately need. Be kind to each other.
Peace, Love,
and Happiness
Tommy
