One Who Started Christmas Was Killed!
One Who Started Christmas Was Killed!
Dr. Vince Hefner, Pastor, First Baptist Church, Cherryville, N.C.
I read a story about a man who waited until the last minute to start buying presents for his family for Christmas. He was not a bad man, but simply a busy man, who felt his time was more valuable to make money than to share it with his family and friends. He felt that he didn’t even have time to buy gifts “online” and have them shipped to the correct homes. It was now Christmas Eve and the feeling that he was going to disappoint his family had overwhelmed him to the point where he left his office after lunch to purchase his gifts. He accepted his fate that he was going to have to take his chances with the crowds in the stores. Every shop that he visited had limited items left on the shelves. After spending six hours (when he had only allotted two hours) going from store to store, he was ready to pay for his final gifts and head home. However, when he went to the front of the store, all the lines were full of other people like himself who had waited till the last day to complete their shopping.
Everyone was just as anxious as he was to get this part of Christmas completed and forgotten. As the man stood in line, he realized just how tired he was of all the quick decisions he had to make, as well as standing in this long line that moved at a very slow pace. He was disgusted with himself that he had not properly planned for this event, even though he had advance knowledge about it. More than anything, the man wanted to be home, off his feet, relaxing instead of participating in this frantic last-minute dash for gifts.
Then the unexpected happened! The checkout girl called out over the intercom, “I need receipt tape on cash register 17!” All the people let out a big sigh as they waited for the cash register to be “reloaded” with receipt paper. After a few more minutes the line began to move until he was next to be checked out. Once again, the unexpected happened again. The person’s credit card that was right in front him was rejected by the store and an argument ensued between the store manager and the customer. One more delay.
As the man was waiting in line for the conflict to be resolved, he overheard a child talking to his mother about adding last minute items to his Christmas list. Finally, the man began to consider all the commercialism associated with Christmas, and before he knew it he shouted out, “I wish they would kill the man that started Christmas!” After a few seconds of silence, an elderly lady who was standing behind the man, tapped him on his shoulder and said, “Young man, they did kill the man who started Christmas!”
Matthew 2:11 says, “And they (the wise men) came into the house and saw the Child with His mother, and they fell down and worshipped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh.”
Christmas began when God sent His Son into the world for our salvation. If we forget this reason, then the rest of Christmas is nothing but standing in long lines at stores wishing we had done our shopping earlier! May your Christmas wish be to honor Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as Lord in your life! When we put Christ first, we are guaranteed a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!