Sermon Central
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Some Thoughts About Gifts
Contributed by Jonathan Spurlock on Nov 26, 2022 (message contributor)
Text, 2 Corinthians 9:15, KJV: 15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.
Thoughts: This is about the closest verse I can find to use as a text for this illustration. There may be others but please remember that God’s greatest gift ever was His Son, Jesus! Now I’ll share the illustration itself.
My oldest son, one summer, decided to treat me to a Father’s Day train ride on a tourist line not too far from where we live. The idea was, Dad rode free if the child paid for his or her own fare. I got stuck with paying for the gas but, hey, it was a great trip nonetheless!
On the way there we stopped at a (relatively) fast food place for some lunch. While in line, I was musing about some of the very pretty flowers or other decorations in the store. Some fast food places are about as welcoming as a laboratory. Maybe they don’t really want you to stay there??
And it was about that time a woman, perhaps a few years my senior, also took her place in the “we’ll call you when it’s ready” section. Talking about flowers, I casually mentioned that once in a while I give my wife a rose or another flower, “just ‘cuz”, as she says. I mean, who really needs a reason to give your favorite person a flower or some other notion or gift, right?
Not this woman. She seemed a bit offended and said, “I don’t want anyone to give me anything that’s dead! If someone wants to give me something, I want it to live,” Well, okay, there are live plants but if one isn’t careful, your house may end up looking like a greenhouse or nursery!
She and I parted ways and I still remember this, even several years after the fact. I still give my wife a rose once in a while (they’re easier to find at certain times of the year, clearly) and, after all, she’s worth it. I love her and try to show it in tangible ways.
Now, isn’t God’s love kind of like that? I’m writing this just after Thanksgiving Day 2022 and before long the shopping frenzy for Christmas gifts will probably hit full speed. Sadly, the greatest gift of all, Jesus, is likely to be overlooked by people who want “living” things, not so much the only true LIFE there ever was.
God’s gifts to us, like Paul mentioned, are truly unspeakable—but we can still speak about them! As you too prepare for giving, remember the greatest, most unspeakable gift of all, Jesus.
I hope you all have the greatest Christmas season ever!
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV).
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