Putting Jesus in a box

We have a family Christmas tradition. The week-end after Thanksgiving, when all our family is together at the same time in the same place, we decorate the house for Christmas. We get out all the boxes. And as we unpack each box of Christmas decorations, we remember Christmases past; we recall with love when and where and from whom each ornament and wreath came.

We carry the Christmas boxes up from the basement, and drag some out of closets. Then comes the dilemma of trying to decide where to place each decorative piece.

"Mom, we’ve found the Manger Scene – but we can’t find Jesus!"

"Keep looking! I know He’s in one of those boxes because I remember packing Him away last Christmas."

We have a tendency to put everything in boxes! Then we put labels on the boxes. It’s our way of organizing life so that life is more manageable, and makes some sense to us.

On the other hand, boxes are confining, have strict limits, and tend to separate one thing from another.

The tragedy of Christmas is that we often treat Jesus like just another one of our Christmas ornaments! Oh, Jesus is nice to have around, but merely for decoration. After Christmas, we put Jesus in a box along with our other Christmas items. Jesus-in-a-box! We confine His wondrous love and mercy and grace to the people we think are most deserving, people whom we like to associate with, people like us. We limit His influence to the "religious" section of our lives. We don’t think, we don’t live "outside the box." We separate his spirit from our daily routines. We put Jesus in one box; we put our family, our work, school, and our social lives in another box. We wouldn’t want them to get mixed up!

The Good news from God is that the Spirit of Christmas cannot be "boxed in"! God’s love and mercy and grace will always go beyond any limits we impose. Goodness and Rightness will not be confined to only the "religious" areas of our lives. The Christ-mas spirit tends to tear down the walls that separate us from each other, and from God. The Spirit of the Christ sings and shouts and shines 365 days a year, year after year! Despite our efforts to box Jesus in, He will not fit our human limitations! We might try to file Jesus away in a box of our making, but He refuses to stay hidden!

We mistakenly think that we can treat Jesus just like any other thing we own, control; we can’t! The Child who was born in a manger in Bethlehem, the Child whose birthday we celebrate each year, the Child who is King of Heaven and earth, is alive and well and still in total control of life!

As we unwrap our Christmas gifts, let us also unwrap Jesus! Let His spirit take control of our lives; let Him rule in our hearts! Let His spirit lead us to new depths of living and new heights of giving! Let us turn His spirit loose, so that His love and mercy and grace might fill the hearts of all peoples; so that joy and peace and hope might abound in every life! Let His spirit change all that is worldly into that which is Heavenly! AMEN!