Sample of Popular Notions about Christmas

Popular Notions about Christmas

Sermons for Midweek Advent Devotions by Rev. Ken Behnken

1. Christmas Is for Kids. Matthew 18:3

I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

You’ve heard it said – and have probably said it yourself: “Christmas is for kids.” It usually is said by parents as they explain why so many of their plans and purchases seem to revolve around their children – especially this time of year.

A walk through a shopping mall these days goes a long way toward confirming the notion. Mothers – and sometimes fathers, too – have brought their children to the mall to let the little ones talk to Santa Claus (and to buy a picture highlighting the event) and to let the older ones feast their eyes on the toys and games and other items that are produced and displayed just for them.

Their parents, though somewhat harried by the bustle of the season, seem to be enjoying the annual exercise – as they, perhaps, relive the excitement and happiness they remember in their celebration of Christmas when they were little. They want their children to know the same merriment and joy they have stored away in their memories.

None of this is lost on the store-keepers and advertising people, who seem to agree that Christmas is for kids. At least many of their displays and advertisements and commercials are aimed directly at children to stimulate in them a feeling that their Christmas just won’t be complete unless they get that particular product. Marketing researchers tell us that the Christmas market for items made expressly for children continues to rise year after year. After all – Christmas is for kids.

The commercial world, of course, doesn’t aim just at youngsters as it looks for a big Christmas. It tries to awaken a sort of nostalgia – a kiddishness, if you will – in us oldsters, too. Nat Cole’s song still sounds out to offer its “simple phrase to kids from one to ninety-two: ‘Merry Christmas to you.’”; decorations at malls and stores assure buyers of all ages that “there is a Santa Claus”; and television commercials are frothy with gaiety and merriment and celebration and gift-giving. “Christmas is for kids,” they seem to agree. But they suggest that when it comes to things like Christmas we are all just kids at heart, and if we want to recapture the excitement and gaiety we used to feel at Christmas we have to let the “kid” in us take over – or at least learn to enjoy the celebration through the eyes and actions of our children.

The striking thing for us tonight is the fact that we just heard Jesus tell us: “You must change and become like little children.” But he didn’t urge this on us just so we will enjoy Christmas more – much more is at stake than just our enjoyment of the holidays. Jesus said we need to become like little children if we are going to enjoy the possibility of entering the kingdom of God.

Our celebration of Christmas is a case in point, however. The popular notion about Christmas being for kids carries with it an encouragement to childishness and sentimentality. Those misled by the notion may get so wrapped up in the busyness of shopping and baking and decorating and partying and family gatherings, looking for the glow of Christmas merriment in holiday activities, that they overlook what is at the heart of Christmas and at the center of the kingdom of God.

Jesus’ words do not encourage childishness. They call for childlikeness. Think of the little ones of the congregation and the joyous faith that sparkles in their eyes and radiates from their faces as they sing their birthday songs of praise to Jesus in their Christmas services. Better yet, think of the receptive qualities of the faith of your children and grandchildren as you read to them from their favorite Bible book about shepherds and angels and wise men and Mary and Joseph and the birth of their Savior – or as you talk to them about the figures in the manger scene that is part of your Christmas decorations. That kind of humble, receptive faith that simply takes God at his word and rejoices in the Good News is what Jesus was talking about.

It’s easy for us to be childishly self-centered and self-serving throughout life. It goes right along with our sinful nature. But as we grow up and take charge of our own lives and explore and utilize the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of the world it gets harder to be childlike and respond in faith and trust to the Word of God that makes us wise to salvation through faith in Jesus – including the wondrous Christmas Story.

That’s why Jesus said “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Other English versions have “Unless you turn and become like little children.” That’s what the change involves – a turning. Entrance into the kingdom of heaven – and a truly blessed celebration of Christmas – involve us in turning from wanting things our own way, to wanting nothing more than Jesus’ Way of grace and truth. It calls us away from wanting the things we want to wanting only what God in his mercy wants to give us. It means setting aside our logic and science and rejoicing at the miracle in the manger – God’s love wrapped up in the birth of his Son as the long-awaited Promised Savior. It means seeing the shadow of the cross over the manger and knowing that Jesus came finally to give himself to suffer and die in atonement for our sin, so we might have redemption in him, the forgiveness of our sins.

There’s power in Jesus’ words to us tonight, not only to call for this change, this turning, but to effectuate it in us. It’s a great time of the year for this to happen. As we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior we may remember our own births – and our rebirths, God’s reaching into our lives to draw us into the kingdom of heaven, God’s placing his Name on us and declaring us to be his sons and daughters through the washing of rebirth and renewal in the Holy Spirit. We don’t understand that new-life-giving-happening any more than we can understand the birth of God’s Son of a human mother – but we have God’s Word on it: “We are children of God through faith in Jesus, for as many of us as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

We generally take the approach that “seeing is believing”. The Christmas season is the time to turn that around and realize that in the greatest and deepest realities of life “believing is seeing.”

Christmas is not for kids – not in a shallow, sentimental sense. But it is for children. How can we work at being like little children in this season of Advent? How may we develop a childlikeness that will let us enjoy our best Christmas ever? There is only one way and that is by consciously putting ourselves under the instruction and guidance of the Holy Spirit in us. He works his miracle of changing us, turning us, through Word and Sacraments. What we do together here in church is significant and powerful – but what we do when we are alone with him is more significant and powerful.

During these days before Christmas take the time to be alone with him and with the Word that is his means of grace. Sit quietly and read and meditate on the great sections of Scripture that tell the Christmas story: Luke 1 and 2; Matthew 1 and 2; John 1. Commit yourself to being a child in the Holy Spirit’s school. Ask him to help you be more childlike in your response of faith and love – and he will do it.

Then you will appreciate more than ever before that Christmas is indeed for children, children of the heavenly Father, children in the kingdom of heaven.

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