The Gift of Christmas: A homily for the service of Lessons & Carols on Christmas Eve

Preached on Tuesday, December 24th at the Church of the Holy Trinity, Manhattan. The lectionary readings are here. And a brief explanation of the service of Lessons & Carols is found here. 

The point of a service of Lessons & Carols is that you let the Scripture and the song tell the story. There is really not much more to say, so, here’s your first Christmas gift, I will be brief. You're welcome.

But we do repeat this cycle, and tell this story every year at this time and it is worth a moment’s reflection. And the story, the whole story, is basically this. We were created by a loving God, and with that creation, we were given the freedom to do what we willed with the gift of our world, and the gift of ourselves. 

To no one’s surprise, least of all God’s, we misused that freedom, on some occasions. We did some things, thought some things, said some things, we acted and failed to act, in ways that were not worthy of that awesome gift of life and freedom.

But God did not abandon us. Far from it, God came closer. God became one of us, and in that, again awesome, gift of the Incarnation, God took on our own humanity, and lived out a life just like ours, with all the joys and laughter, and all the temptations and troubles that we face. 

And this person who was God yet one of us, Jesus, faced some trials of his own, figuratively, and then in the end, quite literally. He was a worry to his parents, when he stayed behind in the temple. He knew disappointments, as when his family didn’t understand his ministry, and his friends abandoned him. He lost his temper, as some money-changers in the temple can tell you. 

But also, this Jesus was a person who knew how to have a good time, he went to wedding feasts, and dinner parties, so much so that the partying he did and the party crowd he partied with caused some comment from his critics. If they’re saying you’re having too much fun, then you must be doing something right, right?

Then he ran afoul of the powers that be, but that didn’t stop him speaking his truth. He didn’t shut up really, until it was too late to do him any good. Then he was put to death. But then he rose again, and made our creation even more miraculous. For in that act, Jesus showed us how the gift of our creation, the gift of life was actually the gift of eternal life.

It’s an old story, but a compelling one still. And it’s a familiar story. Not only because we recount it every year, but because we live it. We all know, most of us, times when we’ve used our freedom poorly, when we’ve disappointed others, and when we’ve been disappointed. Sometimes we succumb to despair, but if we hang in there, many of us find a path that leads to a restoration of some kind. It’s as if the matrix of sin, repentance, redemption and resurrection leads us full circle to a point where we remember just how special and beloved of God we are, just how awesome is the gift of life, and we resolve to live in ways that are worthy of that gift. 

And maybe too, we lived in such perfect imitation of Christ that on one occasion or another, we’ve had enough fun to cause ‘em to talk. I hope so.

The gift of Christmas is this. Unlike the gift of creation, our creation, the gift of life and freedom -- all these are gifts from God. The gift of Christmas is the Gift of God, God’s self. It is a gift of what the old hymn calls blessed assurance, because Jesus is mine, and yours, and everyone’s. That’s really the first gift of Christmas, and the last, and the only one that really matters. And it is yours and mine and everyone’s, now and forever. Merry Christmas.