Sunday, December 22, 2013
The Best Gifts of Christmas
“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” -- Matthew 1:20-21
Christ came to earth as a divine gift. Christ’s suffering for our sins and mortal experience gave Him perfect empathy. Humanity, through Christ, could find redemption and atonement for our sins.
Atonement actualized by giving
Atonement requires sincere repentance and it’s necessary companion: giving. Christ commanded that we offer forgiveness as he has done for us. He has also commanded that we give to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Luke 3:8, 10-11
This Christmas season we celebrate Christ’s gifts to us and our gifts to Christ, specifically, our gifts of service to others.
Our gifts to Christ humble us
Recall the gifts of the wise men to the Christ child. This, in part, represents the need for the learned, wealthy, or powerful to humble themselves before Christ and serve those whose circumstances and abilities are less fortunate or capable of earthly success.
The popular Charles Dickens novel “A Christmas Carol” tells about the redemption of a wealthy and cold-hearted miser. Decades previous to the publishing of Dicken’s novel, the age of enlightenment or reason advanced new concepts in physics, individual freedom, private property rights, and the economics of wealth, free trade, and competition. This competition took place in an environment of an exponentially growing population striving for limited resources. “Misery and vice” seemed necessary for human advancement. However, many wise men of that time, and still today, believed that mankind's poor were a necessary part of of human advancement and their pains should be left unaided lest humanity cease advancing.
Such a man was Ebenezer Scrooge. When Ebenezer was asked to share his wealth with the poor he pointed out they should accept the difficult government programs available at that time or die “and decrease the surplus population.”
Later in the novel and accompanied by the Spirit of Christmas Present, Ebenezer watched his poor, but thankful clerk’s family enjoying Christmas cheer:
On Ebenezer’s redemption at the end of the story, he gave much to care for and save Tiny Tim.
Our own judgments of those less fortunate and capable (and we do have them) are often less conspicuous, but we too judge others under the pretense of knowing how much others deserve their lot in life, misuse help they've been given, or how our own needs consume both time and resources. We may also set up for ourselves social situations that avoid serving those with special needs.
Pope Francis beautifully put it this way:
Christ's gifts are for everyone (and so should ours)
John 3:16
13 Article of Faith
We believe...in doing good to all men.
Though we avoid "worldliness," which means sin, do we remember John stated "for God so loved the world?" We must not avoid service to others whom we may feel to judge as "worldly" or sinful.
Give without personal care for reciprocity
Christ taught in Luke 6:31-35
Give without fear of social stigma
Luke 5:30-32
After Christ visited the Book of Mormon people, a great unity occurred in that land.
4th Nephi 1:15-17
Today, we have "-ites" deeply separated by wealth, appearance, education, race, offense, politics, and religion. Through Christ's atonement, we can become one with those whom we find ourselves, consciously or not, estranged by ignorance or selfishness. I believe we can remove the various "-ites" that separate all of us to varying degrees. We must not think to do this by making everyone become more like us, but by showing Christ-like love and respect while humbling ourselves to serve their greatest needs.
Pres. Uchdorf Remarked in his recent “Reconciliation and Thanksgiving” address.
Brothers and Sisters, may we draw on the power found in the teachings of Christ this Christmas and give the best gifts to those we normally do not. Amen.
Christ came to earth as a divine gift. Christ’s suffering for our sins and mortal experience gave Him perfect empathy. Humanity, through Christ, could find redemption and atonement for our sins.
Atonement actualized by giving
Atonement requires sincere repentance and it’s necessary companion: giving. Christ commanded that we offer forgiveness as he has done for us. He has also commanded that we give to those less fortunate than ourselves.
Luke 3:8, 10-11
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance... And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then? He answereth and saith unto them, He that has two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.
This Christmas season we celebrate Christ’s gifts to us and our gifts to Christ, specifically, our gifts of service to others.
Our gifts to Christ humble us
Recall the gifts of the wise men to the Christ child. This, in part, represents the need for the learned, wealthy, or powerful to humble themselves before Christ and serve those whose circumstances and abilities are less fortunate or capable of earthly success.
The popular Charles Dickens novel “A Christmas Carol” tells about the redemption of a wealthy and cold-hearted miser. Decades previous to the publishing of Dicken’s novel, the age of enlightenment or reason advanced new concepts in physics, individual freedom, private property rights, and the economics of wealth, free trade, and competition. This competition took place in an environment of an exponentially growing population striving for limited resources. “Misery and vice” seemed necessary for human advancement. However, many wise men of that time, and still today, believed that mankind's poor were a necessary part of of human advancement and their pains should be left unaided lest humanity cease advancing.
Such a man was Ebenezer Scrooge. When Ebenezer was asked to share his wealth with the poor he pointed out they should accept the difficult government programs available at that time or die “and decrease the surplus population.”
Later in the novel and accompanied by the Spirit of Christmas Present, Ebenezer watched his poor, but thankful clerk’s family enjoying Christmas cheer:
“God bless us every one!” said Tiny Tim, the last of all.
“He sat very close to his father’s side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be taken from him.”
“Spirit,” said Scrooge, with an interest he had never felt before, “tell me if Tiny Tim will live.”
“I see a vacant seat,” replied the Ghost, “in the poor chimney-corner, and a crutch without an owner, carefully preserved. If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, the child will die.”
“No, no,” said Scrooge. “Oh, no, kind Spirit! say he will be spared.”
“If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,” returned the Ghost, “will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population.”
Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.
"Man,” said the Ghost, “if man you be in heart, not adamant, forbear that wicked [saying] until you have discovered What the surplus is, and Where it is. Will you decide what men shall live, what men shall die? It may be, that in the sight of Heaven, you are more worthless and less fit to live than millions like this poor man’s child.”
On Ebenezer’s redemption at the end of the story, he gave much to care for and save Tiny Tim.
Our own judgments of those less fortunate and capable (and we do have them) are often less conspicuous, but we too judge others under the pretense of knowing how much others deserve their lot in life, misuse help they've been given, or how our own needs consume both time and resources. We may also set up for ourselves social situations that avoid serving those with special needs.
Pope Francis beautifully put it this way:
Sometimes we are tempted to be that kind of Christian who keeps the Lord’s wounds at arm’s length. Yet Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others. He hopes that we will stop looking for those personal or communal niches which shelter us from the maelstrom of human misfortune and instead enter into the reality of other people’s lives and know the power of tenderness. Whenever we do so, our lives become wonderfully complicated and we experience intensely what it is to be a people, to be part of a people.
Christ's gifts are for everyone (and so should ours)
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
13 Article of Faith
We believe...in doing good to all men.
Though we avoid "worldliness," which means sin, do we remember John stated "for God so loved the world?" We must not avoid service to others whom we may feel to judge as "worldly" or sinful.
Give without personal care for reciprocity
Christ taught in Luke 6:31-35
31 And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
33 And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.
34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.
35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
Give without fear of social stigma
Luke 5:30-32
30 But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?Give the gifts of unity and reconciliation
31 And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
32 I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
After Christ visited the Book of Mormon people, a great unity occurred in that land.
4th Nephi 1:15-17
15 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.
16 And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.
17 There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.
Today, we have "-ites" deeply separated by wealth, appearance, education, race, offense, politics, and religion. Through Christ's atonement, we can become one with those whom we find ourselves, consciously or not, estranged by ignorance or selfishness. I believe we can remove the various "-ites" that separate all of us to varying degrees. We must not think to do this by making everyone become more like us, but by showing Christ-like love and respect while humbling ourselves to serve their greatest needs.
Pres. Uchdorf Remarked in his recent “Reconciliation and Thanksgiving” address.
In this time of uncertainty, mistrust, fear, rumors of war, and political road rage, is there still hope for integration and openness across different cultures, religions, societies, and political interests? Is there still hope for virtue, moderation, and divine moral principles?
My dear friends, my answer is a clear and resounding yes!”
...
It takes courage and humility to put away old hatreds, divisions, and traditions that constrict and confine people into a blind succession of destructive behavior toward others.
Where there is gratitude, there is humility as opposed to pride; there is generosity as opposed to selfishness.
I believe that it is within our reach to breach barriers of hate and build bridges of brotherhood and understanding between opposing cultures, religions, political ideologies, and world views.
Brothers and Sisters, may we draw on the power found in the teachings of Christ this Christmas and give the best gifts to those we normally do not. Amen.
# posted by Jon Young @ 6:25 PM 
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