Letter: Lest us give the best Christmas gift

Christmas is celebrated all over the world, but millions who celebrate the day are ignorant of its meaning. To me it means decoration to the houses, the decking of trees with mistletoe, angels, silver and gold decorations, the homecoming of members of the family who have long been absent, the invitations sent out to friends to share in the rejoicing, the abundance of food and dainties eaten with such relish, the jovial singing and happy talk that make the day, one long one to be remembered.
But in the midst of all these delights, how many thought of Him in whose honour the day was being observed, many would be seated with feasting and some would be drunk but what place would the Lord have in it all? What place has He in our hearts? The message of the angel to Mary was, “Hail thou art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee.” The word of God goes on to say “There was no room for them in the inn”, today we are busy with our arrangements for the Christmas season, for the Christmas holidays, for the office parties, where booze and food freely flow, that the birth of that babe at Bethlehem 2000 years ago, is far from our minds. We do not have a place for Him in our programmes. Today it is only the wise men who are seeking him like it was then. Christmas is celebration for commerce.
The hotels are full with holidaymakers, the shops are full of customers rushing to cash their bonus cheques to buy presents for one another, toys for the children, a microwave for mother, a bottle of whisky for father, a cartoon of cigarettes for grandpa, a little something for grandma and also for aunt so and so etc. Christmas is costly for many. Have you thought of the real cost? The cost Mary and Joseph paid during a long period of exile in Egypt to protect the baby. It cost mothers in and around Bethlehem the massacre of their babies by the cruel order of King Herod. It cost the wise men a long journey, expensive gifts and changed lives. It cost the early apostles and the early church persecution and sometimes death. It cost the missionaries of Christ untold sufferings and privation to spread the good news. More than all this has cost the Lord Jesus a life, a sacrifice and service a death cruel and unmatched in history, is Christmas too costly? It is, if all it means is gift exchanges.
It is, if all it means is millions spent on commercialization of Christmas. It is, if all it means is a holiday. It is not too costly, if it means the hope of the world. If it means the forgiveness of sin. If it means peace among men. Commerce has taken him out, they call it Xmas. Let us put Christ back into Christmas. May we offer him the best Christmas gift…? Ourselves.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” – Romans 8 v 1.
COLLIN MAISTRY
Tongaat