Christmas Presents: Day 4
“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?” Isaiah 58:6 NIV
Injustice – If Christmas is the celebration of the birth of God’s Son, why aren’t we giving Him the presents? This must be the only birthday party in the world where the guests treat themselves to the gifts. Why do we do that?
The answer is obvious. The gifts that most please our birthday boy cannot be purchased at the mall. They can’t be wrapped in glittering paper. They can’t be paid for with Mastercard. If you want to give Jesus the gift that He most desires, it will cost you much more than money. So we settle for substitutes and in the process, we insult the Savior.
God tells us what matters to Him and to His Son. Jesus fully endorses the recommended gift list (go read Luke 4:18-19. You will hear something familiar). Isaiah’s prophetic voice announces the true gifts for this party. But when we look at the Hebrew word, the real impact is even scarier.
Resha does mean violations of the civil law (injustice). But it is first and foremost a word about wickedness. It is about evil actions perpetrated on others. It is exactly the opposite of the character of God. If we are going to loose these chains, we will need to destroy every action that brings harm to another.
Did you think that loosening the chains of oppression only happened in the ghettos and the war zones? No, says, Jesus. When you pass the wrapped box to your child, will she feel the chains of fear of failure being broken? When your spouse opens the package, will she find inside a heart of gratitude and sacrifice for her? Will your gifts be wrapped in forgiveness? Will the broken ribbons be reminders of untied lives? Will you give the gift that removes evil from the lives of all who open it?
What would your Christmas be like if you gave only the gifts on God’s list? Do you think that instead of a tree we might see a cross?
