I dread holidays…. St. Patrick’s… not so much, but birthdays, and Christmas. Because I find gifts are stressful. I’m poor at giving gifts. Or maybe is it, that giving gifts is stressful when you’re poor. I donno
I like giving wine. Giving wine is weird. It’s like the vanilla of presents. You didn’t really commit to anything. Wine is versatile; you can dress it up with one of those slender bags, or dress it down with a bow. I guess the only time you really would be committing to wine as a present is if the person is in AA or something. I envision someone telling me “Geoff I told you I’ve been sober for 6 months now.” I’m like “and that’s not a reason to celebrate?...Plus it was 3 for $9.99 at Rite-Aid so I have two more in this paper bag mom.”
Wine is non-threatening. It more often then not reveals the recipient’s ability to show their appreciation in silent form… They slide the bottle halfway out of the bag, and recognize whether it’s a white or a shiraz, and as they slide the bag back, they look up and mouth the words “thank you.” Giving nods of acceptance. This… I like, because it’s hard to really wow with my gifts these days.
I attribute this to “The List.” The List is the registry for the non-married/non-showered individuals. I’m not a fan of the list. It’s taken all the spontaneity out of gift giving. Every Christmas and Birthday my mom asks me. “Geoff I need the list of what you want people to give you.” And then for the next two weeks I labor over what I want. This in itself is probably a great exercise for me because I rarely want anything. That’s not true. I know exactly the things that I want….About $16,000 to pay off my bills and back taxes. My real list consists of someone paying off my car, someone else buying me a house, expense paid weekend in Cabo. But alas I’m not Paris Hilton. So I have to make up stuff that will sit on my shelf. “I really want this book…Like I read. I really want this deodorant. “Mom and Dad I really want some wood…to build a house.”
I think a major chaos in my life that has sprung from the inception of “the list” is the “The Present Lie.” This is when you get the same thing from two different people. And as you open the present you exclaim “This is exactly what I wanted…” as you look into their eyes and think to yourself “I wonder if I can take this back.” The other person is telling their friend “you know why it was exactly what they wanted? Because it was on The List.” It’s my understanding that the Apocrypha addresses this problem as it is not addressed in the standard Protestant cannon of the Bible. In I Hezekiah it states: “Thou shalt bear false witness when your neighbor hast given you the same gift ast your other neighbor. For to tell the first neighbor the truth would be-est rude.”
The table gets turned though when there is a party and the recipient begins opening presents publicly. It’s hard when there are two identical presents opened in front of everyone, because the second person is required to apologize. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know Johnny was going to get that for you.” It’s like it’s a race. A winner and a loser. You select the most moderately priced cool item on the persons list and then spin the wheel…Boop Boop Boop Boop AAHGNK. Sorry now you must grovel!
Hence, I like giving wine… You don’t need a gift receipt with wine. Say someone else gives the same wine… now, instead of a nice dinner, they’re having a party! Talk about win/win. There are quite a few lame gifts that are given in the bible. Myrrh is one… Mary is like “he was the poor wiseman, Geoff… don’t make fun of him … he couldn’t help it” But there were others that I think could help it, and they gave the kind of gifts that make me go “HUH?”. Weird gifts that were far worse than wine. They gave their family “air”. Well not even air…just…. nothing. And not like they forgot their birthday. It was purposed, thought out, and then actually given at a particular time …given. This…nothing.
Perhaps some of you are completely confused so let me give you a little back story. There was once this guy named Abraham, a man who didn’t have very much to give. He had a simple, yet strong faith. And though he didn’t have much, there was one thing that he did have. He had this Promise. Now what is a promise but a declaration assuring that one will or will not do something. To some, a promise is just words. But to Abraham this was something much more. Because it was a promise from God.
Early in Abraham’s life he was childless, and this made him very sad. But God told him that his future was going to be a little different than he thought. He said Gen 15:5 “Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." He also said 19“To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates.” And there it was. God Promises. And as Abe lived his life he believed it.
Finally after a series of events Abe does have a legitimate son. And something happens that sort of messes with things. God asks Abe to sacrifice the son. A test. Now his son was the one sole thing that Abraham wanted. And Here’s God, asking him to remove it? What is that all about? Being obedient though, Abe is about to slash little Isaac’s throat in God’s name when God stops the whole mess and knows for a fact that Abe will withhold nothing from Him. Not even his only son.
I think this had a profound effect on little Isaac; possibly messed him up real good. However what he took with him from this was that this very promise from God will be fulfilled in him, and his life. God said Gen22:17 ”I'll bless you--oh, how I'll bless you! And I'll make sure that your children flourish--like stars in the sky! like sand on the beaches! And your descendants will defeat their enemies. 18All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants because you obeyed me." Nothing like your dad holding a knife to your throat to drive home a point.So skip a few years and a few dramas and we come to the end of Issacs life. And culturally there is this thing called “the blessing.” Which for our eyes looks very much like “a last will and testament.” Isaac is reading his will,( by the way … there is a lot of complicated crap going on with Jacob conniving and family issues regarding favoritism that can easily complicate what I’m trying to say. SO if you know it… cool, if you don’t know it, realize I’m skipping some stuff and read the story for yourself. ) He does at this point have quite a bit of land and “stuff” so you would think that Jacob would be wanting to hear that “he gets the house, and the cat… blah blah blah…” but this is want Issac says: Gen28:3"And may The Strong God bless you and give you many, many children, a congregation of peoples; 4 and pass on the blessing of Abraham to you and your descendants so that you will get this land in which you live, this land God gave Abraham." Here’s what makes me stagger back: Isaac says to Jacob “I’m willing you… an idea… a promise….” Not stuff, not a house, this isn’t even air. Air you would seal in a plastic bag and the recipient could sniff it. But this is nothing; nothing but a set of words. Isaac is willing Jacob a future, that his father hasn’t seen, he hasn’t seen and perhaps not even his son will see it. But here is the clincher for me… Jacob’s response… “Yes! I got it. Yes!”
What is that? Can you imagine? How easy would that be if I was at a birthday party. The Person opens the wrapped gift and looks within the tissue paper, and there isn’t anything there. They turn it over to look at me in confusion and I tell them. “You’re going to have lots of descendants.” And their response is: “YESSSSSSSSSSS! I didn’t put it on ‘my list’ because I thought no one would get it for me. You truly are amazing!”
I think what is incredible about this is they viewed this promise as a possession. When you will something to your family they get it. When you will your house to your family…they get a house. Soooo… when Abe willed this promise to his son…he got it. What is so amazing to me is the promise of God that Abraham got, he never saw. He saw a glimpse of it when he had a son; but not the whole enchilada. But he still saw it a something tangible and real. So he passed it on.
The promise has happened over the ages “many, many children,” would be how the nation Israel was developed. They eventually did get the land in which Jacob lived. And a major clincher, “All nations on Earth will find themselves blessed through your descendants” was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Abraham could have easily considered this promise as “nothing” but a bunch of words; especially because he never saw if it would came true or not. However, to Abraham, this “nothing” was something. So much “something” that he willed it to his kid. And his kid took the empty box filled with nothing, and gave it to his kid. And so on. The empty gift was as real to them as a house, money, or whatever. I’m sure some days they might have felt like the empty box was truly empty. But it wasn’t. It happened! That is the real substance of God’s promise.
To this day all nations continue to be blessed by Abraham’s descendants, because within that empty box, God promised to give us something extraordinary. He promised to give us eternal life. Everyone who would believe in one particular descendant of Abraham would look into this empty gift, and see that they were truly loved by God. Because it was God Himself that came down as one of Abraham, Issac, Jacob and so on’s descendants. In the form of a man called Jesus Christ. Whoever looks into this empty box called Jesus, and believes, knows that they have the grace of God. Because John3:16God loved the world so much that He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. 17God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. 18Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
We have been given a gift of nothing or we have been given a gift of everything. You choose. It’s not an easy choice because it speaks of where you are and who you are. Some will never see it, though they have been given the gift over and over. Others may see it for what it is, yet place it in the back of their closet because they’ve grown to view it as one of their many possessions. The reality of this gift is exactly that, a reality. And the reality of faith is extremely simple… you either believe it or you don’t. If Jesus is not savior…your savior… you don’t have faith. It’s nothing personal, its fact: you see nothing in the gift that you’ve been given. Its time to look at your ambiguities, your questions, your myth-busters, and ask yourself… Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for you? Not did he die, no one is questioning that, but did he die for you? Is he your Savior? The empty box is staring at you, waiting for a decision, waiting for you to open your heart and say “I do choose the grace of God… I do believe.” So many times we crowd our lives with emptiness. Obstinately looking the other way because of what might happen if we take a chance and believe something that is so simple, yet so revolutionary. Maybe for once you’re seeing God’s grace filling that box. If you see the substance today… look deep… it’s the love of God for you. What if we could see that belief? What if you could hold it in your hands? Wrap it up and give it to someone? What if you could will it to your kids after you die? Believing the promises of God so strongly that you would will them to your kids. That’s just not done today.
What is God promising you this morning? Is it real to you or is it a myth. A hope. A pipedream. Let me tell you today…God’s promises are very real. So real that you can will them to your kids. The Promises of God will always meet their mark; whether you’re around to see them or not. At this moment, one of those promises is eternal life for those who would believe in Jesus. 1John 5:11 God gave us eternal life; the life is his Son. 12So, whoever has the Son, has life; [conversely] whoever rejects the Son, rejects life.
Maybe someone is going “hmmm… I disagree”… I ask you to not get into a semantically battle with me on who stays or who goes. God’s the final judge on that matter. But why on earth would you choose to reject grace? Why would you look at Jesus Christ dying on the cross and rising from the dead and not say “hallelujah!” because what that means for us is Good News! Jesus Christ paid for our sins. Saw the complexity of our problems And let us off the hook! He has given us a second chance to live “with the holy spirit inside of us” If anything, this is your proof. This is! When you believe. When you strongly take hold of that substance of God’s promise. eph13…[you] find yourselves home free--signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. 14 This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life. The proof that you are justified to have eternal life… is the Holy Spirit. To believe that God loves you, births within you a very real substance of the Holy Spirit. Which begins to show outwardly gal5:22 like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, 23not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely. Am I selling something?… maybe I am. Why wouldn’t I? Its good freakin’ news! You’re loved! You’re Loved!! YOU”RE LOVED!!! Why would you choose to look at this as empty? This is love and acceptance from God…straight to YOU!
I’m terrible at giving gifts, especially when it comes to air. (“Here I got you air….(breathe) mmmThanks”) Its not your birthday, its not Christmas day…It is today. This gift is nothing to the eye. Nothing. Yet this gift is everything to you heart. Everything to your soul.
Do you believe Jesus Christ is your savior? We can all say that Jesus was this famous guy who claimed some stuff. But what I’m asking is: Do you believe that Jesus is your Savior. Because when it comes to gifts, though it looks like nothing to the eye. It means eternal life.
I just hope today that you begin to view the promises of God, like something you can rely on. Something that you can shove into your knapsack, and even pass on to your children. They are as real as something that you would will to them. Your house, your cat, your salvation. The love of God is worth that. It’s worth holding onto. It’s worth passing on.
Let’s enjoy today, and thank God for the many blessings he’s given us, starting with his Son. I love you guys.
