“A Little Reassurance” – Luke 2:8-20 – December 24, 2009
A few weeks ago a young boy asked me to tell the story of St. Nicholas on Christmas Eve. He asked me several times so I knew it was important to him. I believe what he really needed was a little reassurance that St. Nick is real. My guess is that one of his friends cast doubt on his belief. I gave him a hug and assured him that I would include St. Nicholas in my message.
Like my little friend, there are times when we all need a little reassurance. Life can be scary. Some are worried about making ends meet. Others are worried about losing their homes. Some have health problems and some have relationship issues and some are just feeling alone.
The shepherds were afraid. They were outcasts in society, living and working in the dark, cold fields, far away from town life. They had no sense of community nor did they have any awareness that God cared for them. To ease their fear, an angel appeared to them in the darkness of night and said, “Do not be afraid, for I bring you good news of great joy for all the people.”
What the shepherds received was reassurance from God that they were included. They may have been on the outside of society but they were part of God’s kingdom. The angel continued, “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Today, many people are afraid. Some don’t believe that God cares for them. You might even be angry at God because things haven’t been going well for you. Perhaps you have experienced some unfortunate circumstance and consequently your faith has been challenged. Whenever we experience hardship or loss we feel that God has abandoned us. Those are the times we need some reassurance to go on.
What God gave us in Jesus was a gift, the gift of God’s presence. We celebrate the birth of Jesus as a reminder of God’s love and assurance. God is with us, watching over us, forgiving us and blessing us with His grace.
Just as God gives us His love God wants us to give freely of ourselves to others. As a consequence our faith becomes stronger. God becomes more real when we give our love to others not expecting anything in return. And, God becomes real to us when we experience God’s unconditional love from others.
Some would ask what Santa Claus has to do with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus. Some might even find it sacrilegious to make a connection with the story of the birth of Christ and the secular jolly old man in a red suit.
The true story of Santa Claus begins with Nicholas, who was born during the third century in the village of Patara which is on the southern coast of Turkey. His wealthy parents, who raised him to be a devout Christian, died in an epidemic while Nicholas was still young. So Nicholas experienced a tremendous loss when he was a child. But, his parents taught him to follow Jesus' words to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor," Nicholas used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. He dedicated his life to serving God and later became a bishop. He became known throughout the land for his generosity.
Through the centuries many stories and legends have been told of St. Nicholas' life and deeds. One story tells of a poor man with three daughters. In those days a young woman's father had to offer prospective husbands something of value so that a young woman could find a good husband. Without a dowry, a woman was unlikely to marry. This poor man's daughters, without dowries, were therefore destined to be sold into slavery. Mysteriously, on three different occasions, a bag of gold appeared in their home-providing the needed dowries. Before the third bag appeared, the girl’s father stood watch to see who was the mysterious benefactor. He saw Nicholas through a window when he delivered the third bag of gold. The bags of gold, tossed through an open window, are said to have landed in stockings or shoes left before the fire to dry. This led to the custom of children hanging stockings or putting out shoes, eagerly awaiting gifts from Saint Nicholas.
This evening we celebrate the birth of Christ when God gave the greatest gift anyone could give, the gift of His son. I believe that the story of the birth of Jesus opens our hearts, minds and souls to the reassurance of God.
God reassures us with little gifts of kindness and love through His people. One time there was a line of Christmas shoppers who were in a panic mode. There were only two shopping days before Christmas. Dale was one of those last-minute shoppers who depended on fast service to do his buying. However, the line was moving very slow. An elderly woman was at the counter chatting with the salesclerk. “This sweater is for my granddaughter, who is going to be a teacher.” She continued telling the story about her family as anxious shoppers waited impatiently. Finally she painstakingly counted out her change and completed her purchase. The clerk finally said, “next please.” But before the woman reached the end of the counter she cried, “Oops! Excuse me, what is this for?” She was holding up a piece of paper and the clerk responded that the paper was a 15 percent coupon for her next purchase. “Thank you,” she said, “But, I won’t be needing this.”
The woman then handed the coupon to the man who was next in line. The man’s eyes widened as he mumbled a word of thanks. Then an amazing thing happened. He made his purchase and took advantage of the coupon. The clerk then handed him a coupon. He then turned and handed the next person in line his coupon. And so it went, one by one each customer turned and handed their coupon to the person behind them. When Dale reached the counter he had a smile on his face and so did the sales clerk. One small act of kindness has snowballed into a mountain of goodwill. Dale said it was one of his best Christmas gifts ever, not the coupon, but the gift of giving. (from: A Chicken Soup for the Soul Christmas)
God also reassures us with an angelic presence. God opens our eyes when we are unable to see our way clearly. God points us in the right direction just as the angel directed the shepherds to proceed to Bethlehem where they would find “a child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”
Sometimes it takes a child to remind us of the wonder and power of God. Through their innocence we experience humility and grace. My young friend’s passion for the story of St. Nicholas has made me acutely aware that everyone needs to feel included and loved. Most importantly they need God’s reassurance.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this evening we acknowledge the presence of God. We are not alone. God is with us. Like the shepherds, my little friend and the elderly woman, we do not have to be afraid.
Dr. Keith Wagner