Ephesians 3:20 Encouraging and Empowering Faith: "Of His Increase, There Shall be No End" - Isaiah 9:1-7

“Of His Increase, There Shall be No End” – Isaiah 9:1-7

Imagine on Tuesday morning that you found a few gifts from heaven underneath the Christmas tree for you. What would they be? How would they look? Who would have brought them? How would you ascertain their authenticity? What would you want from heaven?

Imagine further what the ideal gift for each member of your family would be. Would you like for each person to be totally debt free? Would you desire the latest technological gadget? What about the most impressive designer clothing wardrobe that there is? How about a 2008 model of a luxury sports car? Then, there is the dream house that all of us would like to have some day. Again, what would the perfect gift be for each member of your family?

The crass commercialization of Christmas, specifically, and the holiday season inclusive of Chanukah and Ramadan which our Jewish and Islamic brothers and sisters celebrate respectively, generally, greatly eclipses the spiritual and religious nature of these celebrations. We risk becoming robotic consumers incessantly swiping plastic in devotion to the god of commerce and in narcotic obedience to the wizards of Madison Avenue rather than disciples of our Lord who are truly grateful for the gift of eternal and abundant life which His birth offers us. Dwelling upon the possibility of material acquisition obscures our ability to desire gifts of eternal value. The true eternal riches of life are faithfulness, gentleness, goodness, joy, kindness, love, peace, patience and self-control, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, there is truth, honesty, integrity and justice. Imagine receiving these as gifts under the tree on Christmas morning rather than earthly and material items that moths and dust corrupt and that thieves assuredly will break in and steal. Consider the possibility of receiving inner healing and wholeness for a Christmas gift.

Let’s let our minds wander as we further consider this question. In the approximately fifteen hospitals in our area, what do you think that all of the patients would like for Christmas? How many persons living with cancer would like a clean bill of health? How many parent of young children at Monroe Carroll Hospital in Nashville and St. Jude’s Children Research Hospital in Memphis would like the gift of a completely healthy child? How many of those children would prefer the gift of health to enable them to ride a used bike instead of a sparkling new one that they could only visually admire? Now, let’s travel to the thousands, perhaps millions, of houses where broken, divorced and dysfunctional families will gather for Christmas. How many children will whisper silent prayers to the baby Jesus asking Him to repair the torn relationships in their families? With the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future, we can take the mental flights to places of bereavement, failed businesses, automobile accidents, psychology and psychiatric wards, termination from employment, and the myriad rejections and thwarted attempts to accomplish a longstanding heartfelt goal or dream.