Where did Santa Claus come from? Let’s journey back to 300 A.D. to the country we now call Turkey. A young boy named Nicholas has just become an orphan and gone to live with his uncle. A large sum of money was bequeathed to Nicholas, to be presented when he came of age. Being a wise man of faith, his uncle taught Nicholas about God and giving to others.
When Nicholas received his inheritance, his dream of being able to help others in need came true! Shortly after receiving his fortune, he left Myra to attend an all boys’ school in the neighboring town of Patara. While at school he heard about a homesick, lonely boy. To cheer him up, Nicholas secretly began carving a wooden animal for the boy to play with.
Late one night when everyone else was sleeping he crept out of bed and slipped his gift into the little boy’s shoe. In the morning when it was discovered, all the boys were so excited that they decided to create an entire Noah’s ark for the younger ones. Back at his uncle’s home in the summertime, Nicholas heard about a local merchant who had borrowed money from an evil slave trader. Since the merchant couldn’t pay the money back, the slave trader was going to sell the merchant’s three daughters into slavery. Grieved by the situation, Nicholas knew what he must do. In the middle of the night he quietly crept up to the merchant’s house and dropped a bag of money through a window. The bag landed in one of the girls’ shoes. What joy they had the next morning when the merchant was able to keep his lovely daughters.
Nicholas continued secretly giving throughout his entire life making him a very beloved man.He became a role model parents wanted their children to admire and pattern their lives after. Caring more about the needs of others, he was willing to sacrifice his own comfort to provide for others. He sought only the reward of knowing he had made another’s life easier.
As he grew older he was overwhelmed by the poverty in the world. Where could he begin to help? An elder gave him these words of wisdom:
Each of us must do our very best and trust in God. Who knows how many people are happier because of one kindhearted deed? It is like lighting a candle in the dark. One candle brightens the night for so many people. And some light more candles from it, to carry the light to others.
So did Santa Claus come from Nicholas of Myra? It is a possibility. But consider the differences between the men as well as the responses of those who received the gifts. Nicholas sought to give people what they needed, whereas Santa Claus focuses on the wants of others. As a result the people to whom Nicholas of Myra ministered were deeply grateful, and, in turn, sought to “light a candle” for others in need. Today, our modern day Santa Claus promotes the idea of “What can I get?” not, “What can I give?”
As I think about it, what a great thing to instill in children...to teach them to give. One day, should the Lord choose to bless me with children, I would like to teach my children to give to others and to care more about them. That's the kind of role model I want to be and the kind of legacy I want to leave way after I'm gone. This puts all of the gift giving of Christmas in perspective. We should give to others because we sincerely want to, not out of obligation. We should really put thought into the gifts that we give, otherwise we are just spending money and giving useless, meaningless gifts to others.
So, back to today's sermon. Jeff, our pastor, made several points about gifts and what makes them special. He said that there are 4 characteristics that make a gift special:
1. If a gift meets a need.
2. If a gift is useful.
3. Who gives the gift.
4. What the gift costs (if there is a sacrifice involved).
These same characteristics can be said about the gift of Jesus.
1. The gift of Christ meets the ultimate need for us.
2. The gift of Christ is useful for everything we face.
3. The gift of Christ is special because He is from our Father.
4. The gift of Christ costed God His very Son.
All of this really puts Christmas in perspective. There isn't anything wrong with giving gifts and receiving gifts. We just need to not lose sight of the most important gift we've been given, Jesus Christ.
I hope this gives you a new perspective on Christmas and gift giving. More importantly, I hope it makes you think about what some of you may be teaching your children about giving. For those (like myself) who don't have children, I hope this will make you think about what you want to instill in your children one day. Christmas is all about the gift of Jesus.
