“Not a Santa Claus Saviour”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Titus 2:11-3:8a (Forward, p. 54) CEV p. 1254
Much of the Christmas ‘narrative’, especially as it is directed at children, and of course, songs like ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’, reinforce the notion that Christmas gifts are based on merit, on the child’s behaviour over the past year. Just listen to some of the lyrics of the above-mentioned Christmas carol and you’ll see what I mean:
You better watch out
You better not cry
You better not pout
I'm telling you why
Santa Claus is coming to town
He's making a list
He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out who's naughty or nice
Santa Claus is coming to town
He sees you when you're sleeping
And he knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good
So be good for goodness sake
And certainly, in keeping with this sentiment, many a child has wondered whether he or she would only get a lump of coal in his or her stocking, because that is all that they deserved!
But that is not at all how our Saviour works. He bestows upon us His grace, His favour, whether we have deserved it or not. Just listen to what Paul says in this regard to his fellow worker Titus:
“God our Saviour showed us how good and kind he is. He saved us because of his mercy and not because of any good things that we have done” (verses 4-5);
“Jesus treated us much better than we deserve. He made us acceptable to God and gave us the hope of eternal life” (verse 7).
So, sadly, this whole Santa Claus thing is actually contrary to the entire meaning and truth about Jesus’ coming into the world. It runs totally opposite to what Christmas is about. God gave us the gift of His Son, not when or because we merited, because we deserved it, but exactly, precisely when we did not. As Paul says, “while we were yet sinners…” God did not wait until we had ‘cleaned up our act’ or got ‘all our ducks in a row’. He came, in the person of Jesus, long before we could become ‘nice’ but sadly, when we were still ‘naughty’. We clearly deserved that ‘lump of coal’ but He gave us His Son instead. What an amazing gift, a Christmas gift, that is for each of us. So, let us rejoice in that gift, receive it with our entire beings, and live into it. Amen.
Forward notes: “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit” (verses 4-5).
“I once knew a Catholic monk who extolled the power of taking multiple showers every day. For him, it wasn’t merely about getting clean but about washing away frustration and anxiety; it was about refreshment and experiencing ‘the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.’
“Although I believe in water conservation, I don’t doubt this man had found something that really, truly brought him closer to the love and mercy of God. Perhaps, when water trailed down his chest mid-afternoon, he was reminded of various times when ‘the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared’ in his life; perhaps, when water dribbled down his forehead, nose, and chin, he remembered that it was not about anything he had done but entirely about what God had done on his behalf.
“Perhaps, the next time we step into the shower, it’ll be the same for us.”
MOVING FORWARD: “Grab an index card and write Titus 3:4-5 on it. Then, slip it in a plastic baggie and tape it to the wall of your shower or bath. Meditate on it.”
