Early mornings are always sleep-tight time for 4-year-old Jay. But not today! Even the slightest creak of the window alerted his ears. It was no wonder then that he rushed to the door the very next moment after he heard a faint knock. But to his disappointment, it was the milkman and not a gift deliverer. You see, it was Christmas day. And like all the stories he had heard and all the cartoons he had watched, Jay was waiting for his Christmas gift. And surely enough, his parents soon surprised him with a bright blue cycle. Jay’s disappointment turned into joy!
The tradition of giving gifts during Christmas season might have passed down from the wise men from the East who travelled to Bethlehem to see Jesus and presented Him their gold, myrrh, and frankincense as an act of worship. Over time, the tradition has remained, but the significance of gifting has shifted its focus from God to men. With all the money in our pockets and luxuries in our hands, we strive to give our families and friends a better gift than what we have given before. And well, no one dislikes receiving a gift, right? Some even think, the costlier the gift, the greater the love. Well, if you are caught up in this web, maybe it is time to pause the shopping spree for just a while and think… If gifts that can be bought by money and sacrifice mean so much to us, how much more precious must the gift be which our money and riches can never buy?
This season, while we rejoice in our blessings and delight in our gifting, may they not cloud the true beauty of Christmas. Because Christmas was never about what we could buy from God in a shopping mall or claim with the worth of our lives. But it is only and only about what He gave to us as a gift of GRACE- God’s Richest At Christ’s Expense. Yes, Jesus Christ is the greatest gift of all, and He alone is the true reason for the season.
