Thought for December 24, 2024

•  1223: Francis of Assisi assembles the first nativity scene. He invited his peasant neighbors to mass on Christmas Eve. They came singing Christmas hymns and found a manger in a cave with a doll depicting Jesus, two people dressed as Mary and Joseph, a donkey and an ox. Francis chanted the story of Christ's birth from the gospels and preached a sermon.
• 1777: Christmas Island discovered by James Cook
• 1814: Treaty of Ghent signed ending the War of 1812
• 1818: "Silent Night" written by Peter Morh and composed by Franz Gruber
• 1851: Fire destroys 35,000 volumes in the Library of Congress
• 1895: George Vanderbilt opens the Biltmore House
• 1906: First broadcast of music over the radio
• 1920: Last public performance by Enrico Caruso
• 1943: Eisenhower named Supreme Allied Commander
• 1968: Apollo 8 astronauts read from the Book of Genesis
• 1982: Chaminade [850 students] an NAIA school beats #1 Virginia and Ralph Sampson 77-72
• Born: Kit Carson, Howard Hughes, Ava Gardner, Anthony Fauci, Paul Tagliabue [NFL Commissioner when I was with the 49ers], Mike Curb, Kate Spade, Jay Bilas, Ricky Martin
• Died: Vasco da Gama, William Thackeray, Johns Hopkins, Lottie Moon, John Muir, Gerard Kuiper [Kuiper Belt], Peter Lawford, Norman Vincent Peale, Cheetah [chimp from the Tarzan movies dies at age 80], Jack Klugman, Richard Adams ["Watership Down"]

Thought:

Yesterday, we looked at the first 5 verses of 2 Corinthians 8. Paul continues this teaching in verses 6-15. Here is what I take from these verses:

• Complete what you start. The Corinthians had made a commitment when they heard about the need in Jerusalem. They probably were like us--heard about the need, felt the heart move, got excited about helping out. Then, Monday came and we put that in the back of our minds. [8:10-11] This reminds me about all the vows I make--Lord if you will just ______________, you can count on me to __________________. Lord, what you are doing is really important and I want to be part of it, but I'll get to it when I have some extra money, time. Look over at 9:5. A previously promised gift. Paul had used their promise of a bountiful gift to encourage the Macedonians to give. Now, he is urging the Corinthians to fulfill their promise and not be hindered by covetousness. 
• Being generous is not about me working hard and saving and then giving money to others to make their life easy. [8:13-15] It is about God's plan of economy--today I have resources to share, at another time, someone else will have resources to share. It is God's way of allowing us all opportunities to be a blessing and to be blessed. Plus we know that it is more blessed to give than to receive. 
• Generosity is following Christ's example. [8:9] He was rich, King of Kings , Lord of heaven and earth. He became poor--became like me, so that I could become like Him. 

This is Christmas Eve. And, while Jesus was not born in December, it is fitting that we are looking at this passage on the eve of our celebration of God's Great Gift to the world--His only Son, Jesus. We read Paul's letter and are encouraged to generosity, but we see that generosity demonstrated when Jesus left His throne in glory to arrive in a stable in Bethlehem. No matter what gift you receive tomorrow, or what gift you give tomorrow, the greatest gift, the most generous act was God taking human form to live the perfect life to die the atoning death so that our sins would be covered and our relationship with the Father restored. What can I do to repay that perfect gift?

Blessings

Larry