It’s customary for preachers to condemn the commercial aspects of Christmas – the excesses, the shopping  madness, the spending that we cannot always afford, and so on.

I am not going to do that. If you have any guilt about it at all, you are hereby absolved.

That doesn’t mean that I like,, or approve of it.  Even though I, like you,  wait with dread for those January credit card bills to come in.

Still, I have come to the conclusion that it isn’t all bad.

I have to thank Susan, my wife  for that. She it was  who pointed out to me that if there were no commercial Christmas, with the lights, and the feasting, and the glitter, and the excitement, then this time of the year, the dark mornings and the dark nights, and the cold, and the ice, would be unbearable.

That of course, is why, before Christianity came along, feasting, and celebration at this time of year was widespread, in the northern hemisphere, at least.

People rejoiced that winter would be over. The days would get longer. Nights shorter.

The church chose Christmas to be at this time as an acknowledgement of the fact.

In the thick of it, we need something to brighten up our lives, to give us something to look forward to. And from what you read, shopping at Christmas is a great patriotic exercise. The more you buy,   the more money companies  will  make, and the more jobs there will be to go around.

Now who can be against more jobs?

There. Do you feel better?

But I hate to tell you  – the lights on people’s homes, the bright stores, the excitement that glows in the eyes of children when they realise that Santa Claus has been, – the joy on a husband’s face when  after many years of trying he has managed to buy the right gift for his wife – these joys,  this light that shines on us at this time of year, as welcome as it is, and as much as it lifts the gloom of winter off our shoulders, is unfortunately, only temporary.

Next week when the excitement has gone, and the batteries have run down on the toys that were opened so feverishly at six a.m., and we get back to work, and things are back to normal, the light we found in the world’s Christmas has gone.

Even the Boxing Day sales won’t help this year – we already had them –  two weeks ago.

For those who live in unhappy situations; for those who don’t like their work, for those who just don’t earn enough money to make ends meet; for those who have problems and issues that they can’t resolve, for those who suffer from depression, for those who have lost someone – for a lot of people – there is no light.

Even Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem can’t help them –  can’t help any of us, if we take it as single event.

If we take it as a seasonal event .

But  when we see that birth for what it was – God’s coming to be with His people – that is  when it begins to  make sense.. 

There was a European monarch who worried his court, by often disappearing and walking incognito among his subjects. When he was asked not to do so, for security’s sake, he answered, “ I cannot rule my people unless I know how they live.” 

Well,  Christians believe we have  a God who knows  the life we live, because he lived it.

God came into the world to suffer with us, to rejoice with us, to be with us, to be of us, if you like. 

And that is what we have to celebrate:

“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of darkness, on them a light has shined,” Isaiah says.

I mentioned lots of ways in which this glitter of Christmas doesn’t help some people, because it doesn’t relate to them – like when someone says, “You can’t help,  because you can’t know what it’s like!”

Well God knows what it is like. 

He knows how we suffer, and how we feel when we can’t cope.  He knew what it was like to face horrible pain and death.

The moment in the garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus knelt by that rock and  in his anguish asked that if it be God’s will, the cup be taken from him  – the suffering, and death, that he faced be taken away from him – that moment, when in his pain the sweat that dripped from his brow looked like blood – in that moment he shared in our suffering. He knew what suffering meant.

God can relate to us.   He travels with us through life, and the birthday of Jesus is the beginning of His journey with us.

There was once a family that celebrated Christmas every year with a birthday party for Jesus.  They placed an extra chair of honor at the table as the family’s reminder of Jesus’ presence. A cake with candles, along with the singing of ‘Happy Birthday’ expressed the family’s joy in Jesus’ presence.

After Christmas, one year, an afternoon visitor asked  five year old Ruth, “ Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?”

After a moment’s hesitation, she answered,” No  …… but then it’s not my birthday.”

His journeying with us helps us face the times when life can seem unfair – when we can’t seem to get to where we think we should be – can’t get  what we think is our share.

The birth of Jesus promises freedom from oppression of sin, the burden of guilt, and the feeling of being unloved.  

The  biggest burden some people carry – is the burden of feeling unloved – of feeling unworthy, unwanted.

But we are loved, and we are worthy and we are wanted, even if the world makes us feel that we aren’t.

And you know, Jesus knew what it was like to be unwanted too.

The very fact  there was no room at the inn was symbolic of  what was to happen to Jesus.

The only place where there was room  for Jesus was on a cross.

He sought an entry into the overcrowded hearts of  human beings, and he could not find it; and still his search and his rejection – go on.  Still.  Today.

Every time a politician incites hatred in his followers for a minority group, and that is so prevalent today, Jesus is rejected.

Every time a terrorist bomb goes off, Jesus is rejected.

Every time a retaliatory strike is ordered and people die, Jesus is rejected.

Every time we turn our back on someone, for whatever reason, Jesus is rejected.

Whenever we act in a way that hurts, humiliates someone  –  we reject Jesus.

Just as there was no room at the inn, there is no room in our heart.

You know, it was no accident that the first people to hear of Jesus’ birth, and to see him were shepherds. Shepherds weren’t exactly high on the social roster. They couldn’t keep up with the cleanliness laws, out there in the fields, and they always smelled a bit like their livestock.

Jesus would be condemned for associating with the ‘losers’ of society.

He identifies with those who are outside.   Those who just don’t fit.

Do you know how many people think they don’t fit?  Who need to be reassured? 

They are legion!

There is a story of a young boy who went into a drugstore, and asked to use the phone.  He dialed a  certain number. “ Hello Dr. Anderson….do you want to hire a boy to cut the grass and run errands for you?  Oh, you already have a boy?  Are you completely satisfied with the boy you have?  OK then, goodbye, Doctor.”

As the boy thanked the druggist, the druggist said, “Just a minute son, if you are looking for work, I could use a boy like you.”

“Thank you sir,” said the boy,” But I have a job.”

But, didn’t I just hear you trying to get a job from Doctor Anderson?”

“No sir,” said the boy, “ You see I’m the boy who is working for Dr. Anderson. I was just checking up on myself.”

There are millions of people who have such a low sense of who they are, that they need reassurance. 

God sent the light into the world to illuminate their lives.  He sent Jesus into the world to lift them – us –  out of their feelings of unworthiness.

He loves us.   He values us.   In His sight we are worthy.    In His light we can walk tall.   Hold our heads up high.   We are loved!!!

Isaiah says, of Israel’s coming freedom from slavery,  “ For the yoke of their burden, and the bar across their shoulders, the rod of the oppressor, have all been broken.”

The birth of Jesus means that the things that have held us down have been  banished, for good.

We can walk tall again.

Do you remember what it was like when you were small and your parents began to let you do things that you thought were important?  And you felt big. You felt grown up?

All parents enjoy that period – a short time –  when their child will do anything for them – before they realise that what they thought was pleasure – helping out – is really work.

But in that stage  of their life when they want to help, isn’t it wonderful?

In a country home that seldom had guests, there was a young boy like that.  He was eager to help his mother, particularly after his father appeared with two surprise guests for Christmas dinner.

When the dinner was nearly over, the boy went to the kitchen and proudly  carried in the first piece of apple pie, giving it to his father, who passed it to a guest.

The boy came in with a second piece of pie and again watched his father give it to a guest.

This was too much for the boy, who said, “It’s no use, Dad. The pieces are  all the same size.” …………

……….The promise of Jesus’ coming into this world, is that God will take the little child within each of us  and make us feel grown up – make us feel  worthy – even that inner  child  who sometimes leads us to say or do, the wrong thing.

“He, it is, who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all sin, and purify for himself a people of his own, who are zealous for good deeds.”  

Amen.