I appreciate beautifully decorated Christmas presents. I remember a year, however, when my son wrapped his gifts to us in brown package paper, sealed them with duct tape, and wrote our names in marker on the outside. What was inside was great, but I didn’t want him to put the wrapped presents under the tree. (He so enjoyed upsetting traditions and his mom!)
God’s Gift
Two thousand years ago God gave the gift of Jesus, but he too came wrapped in brown paper. The Jews expected him to come as their King dressed in royal robes and restoring the Jewish kingdom. Instead, they received a baby born in a shelter for animals, a poor itinerant preacher who died at the hands of their Roman oppressors. They missed the gift, not looking beyond its plain packaging.
Sometimes God’s best presents come wrapped in brown paper, but we often prefer those that look good. We want our family to be healthy, wealthy, successful and loved by all. When we get less attractive wrapping instead, we may do what the Jewish leaders did so long ago—miss the very presence of Jesus and his kingdom.
This may be a Christmas when your gifts come wrapped in brown paper—health issues, grief, broken relationships, disappointments, joblessness or loneliness. Those are things to lament and weep over. Beneath the visible hardship, however, is the gift of Jesus who is present with us in our sorrow. He uses the difficult times to draw us more closely into his arms to receive his love, his comfort, and his peace—gifts that are priceless. “Peace on earth” is discovered only in him.
May we recognize the gifts of peace, joy, and love found only in Jesus this Christmas and throughout the New Year!
“God is our refuge and strength,
a helper who is always found
in times of trouble” (Psalm 46:1).
This article was initially posted on 12/21/2010 on kaydaigle.com.
