Perhaps you are reading this in a moment of quiet after the deluge of wrapping paper and ribbons flying, as presents are disgorged to the squealing delight of little voices belonging to your children or grandchildren.  You might well be reading this over a cup of coffee near the glowing tree in the stillness of an undisturbed Christmas morning.  Likely as not, you won’t look at this email devotional until all the excitement of the day is long gone.  Whether you are pre-celebration, mid-celebration or in post-celebration recovery mode, may all the blessings and joy of Christmas fill your heart and your home throughout this holy season of Christmas which begins today.

Christmas is a time for giving, but presents are complicated things.  Getting someone a present from their very specific list (online or otherwise) feels a little impersonal.  But on the other hand, picking something out for someone based on your best guess is an iffy proposition too; it’s so hard to know what someone needs and what they will like. 

Gifts are complicated but the ‘obligating gift’ is the most distressing.  Imagine it’s 4:30 on Christmas Eve and the doorbell rings.  At the door is that family member you haven’t seen since the family reunion in 2004, or your long-forgotten friend from college.  Okay, interruptions happen; invite them in.  Wait, what’s that in their arms?  A gift?  Oh, let it not be so!  A gift!  They brought a gift.  A person you haven’t thought of in 15 years comes unannounced – with a gift.  An obligating gift.  Keeping a calm demeanor, you invite them inside.  Then, at the first opportunity, you dash through the house for something – anything – to give them in return.  Whose present can I rip the name tag off?  Is there an orphaned cheese log that hasn’t been opened?  A bottle of wine in the pantry that I can wrap quickly on the sly?

Admit it; you’ve been there.  It’s not a fun place to be.  We don’t like to be caught unprepared.  We don’t want to fail to reciprocate.  Maybe you are thrilled with the visit – even one that catches you by surprise, but don’t you wish they hadn’t brought the obligating gift?

Today we celebrate the arrival of a Visitor with the most obligating gift ever.  God comes to us in Christ, offering peace and hope, forgiveness and joy.  God presents us with the ultimate gift:  God’s very self.  That gift cannot just be received without reciprocation.  You can’t get away with wrapping up a moldy cheese log or an unwanted bottle of red.  Christ gave his life for us.  We can’t give less than the whole of our lives in return.

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us….”  (John 1:14)

Prayer: Incarnate Lord, you have not withheld anything from us.  Take my life, I pray.  Let me withhold nothing of it from you.  Amen.