Forget The Box

So many of us try to lift life through possessions, success and people.  Now there’s nothing wrong with possessions, success and people, but if they become our primary source of energy, we never see Jesus.  To be blunt:  we only see Jesus, when we simplify life and focus on one thing:  the simplicity of God, in Christ.   

That’s why Paul underscores, that when God sought to reveal himself, he didn’t utilize “…human standards…influential [things]…God chose…foolish things…weak things…lowly things…despised things…”  (1 Corinthians 1:26-28).  And so must we.  Translated:  we must simplify our lives at Christmas – resisting the temptation to define success at Christmas, by the number of gifts we buy or receive – but by the worship we give to the Gift – Christ and Christ alone.   I mean Paul is so blunt:  if you’re going to boast – if you’re going to trumpet anything this Christmas – “…boast in the Lord…” (1 Corinthians 1:31) and the greatest gift ever -- the child-King of Bethlehem.

Recently I read of a pastor who claims he’s raising the strangest son ever.   Why over the years no matter what gift the pastor has given his son – his son has tossed aside the gift – and focused instead on the box it came in – playing relentlessly, repeatedly with the outward container.  Well, one Christmas the pastor outdid himself giving his son not just any gift, but the most costly gift ever: a super-dooper, fully outfitted, highly charged, very expensive mountain bike.  And it worked; the boy actually focused on the expensive gift.  And with that the pastor went into the kitchen to retrieve and bring out some goodies.  But you guess it:  when the pastor returned, his boy was not only playing with the box -- he was actually in the box – imagining himself not on some mountain trail – but flying off into some fantasy in outer space.  And with that the pastor realized:  a lot of us are like his son.  I mean we get a very costly gift – a gift that can transport us over the rugged terrain of life, with effectiveness and grace – the gift of Jesus.  Yet – we push aside Jesus -- we push aside the costly gift – and play with the lesser gift.  How ironic the pastor concluded:  we receive the “gift of all gifts” the most precious present ever – yet end up playing with the box it came in.  [Inspired by: Paul Tripp, from the sermon "Playing with the Box," Gospel Coalition – adapted]

Yes, the Word became flesh at Christmas – but it’s not the flesh -- the earthly -- we’re to focus on.  We’re to focus on the Word – the costly, the precious gift of Christ that transports us over the rugged terrain of life.

Don’t play with the box!  Focus on the precious gift of Christ!  Listen, John’s correct:  “…though the world was made through [Jesus], the world did not recognize [Jesus].  He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him…”  (John 1:10-11).   

But you don’t need to be among that number.  You can receive Jesus.  For Jesus is not a lousy gift, an unwanted gift, Jesus is a life-changing gift – that’s not to be rejected -- returned – but relished and revered – trumpeted – as we’re energized, lifted, by a counter-intuitive -- crazy – gracious God!