Christmas Through The Eyes Of The Grinch

Everyone who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot…But the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville did not! The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don’t asl wju. No one inquired the reason. It could be his head wasn’t screwed on just right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But I think that the most likely reason of all may have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

Christmas, it brings out the best in people, and it brings out the worse. We have probably all been around people from both persuasions. I want us to look at Christmas through the eyes of the Grinch. You might have watched the cartoon, or read the book by Dr Seuss, How the Grinch stole Christmas, or seen the new Jim Carrey Movie of the same name. Or you might not have done any of these. I know you will however be able to identify with the different people I plan to identify, perhaps even identify yourself. So lets look at different people’s reactions to Christmas.

I. Some people Hate Christmas.

Hate is a strong word, and some people feel strongly about Christmas. The ACLU continues to bring lawsuit after lawsuit to remove Christ from Christmas. In our public school system they say happy holiday now instead of Merry Christmas. They sing of Frosty and Santa but not Jesus, the Christ of Christmas all because of a small minority of people who hate Christmas. Even the Grinch hated Christmas. Perhaps no human hated Christmas more than King Herod. He tried to get the wise men who were following the star to let him know when they found of Christ of Christmas. You can read about it in Matthew chapter 2. The wise men were truly wise because instead of listening to the request of Herod the king, they instead listened to God who came to them in a dream and told them to return home another way.

Hatred can bear bitter roots. It can prevent people from attaining their true God given potential because they become consumed with the hate which has taken root. Herod was such a consumed person. To prevent others from becoming king, he killed some of his own children. Then when he heard about the birth of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, he became consumed hatred toward someone he had never met.

Hatred, if left untended, will affect everything around it. Matthew 2:16 is one stream hatred runs through, Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its environs, from two years old and under according to the time which he had ascertained from the magi.

Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, it could turn to hatred and hatred leading to devastating results.

But, whatever the reason, His heart or his shows, He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos, staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinch frown at the warm lighted windows below in their town. For he know every who down in who-ville beneath was busy now hanging a mistletoe wreath. And they’re hanging their stockings! He snarled with a sneer. Tomorrow is Christmas! It’s practically here! Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming, I must find some way to stop Christmas from coming.

II. Some People try to steal Christmas.

This time of year, more often than not,

We hear of some shopper, whose presents weren’t bought

They have gone in the store, there intention was clear,

To fill their pockets with all kinds of gear.

The tapes and the CD’s, little toys or robots

All because they thought they were good girls and boys

Christmas they think is just free for the takin’

And when caught they think the clerk was mistaken.

What causes people to think that Christmas can be stole.

Could it be they have been misinformed by a diabolical foe?

Satan who has tried to steal kill and destroy

Has for years tried to take away all your Christmas joy.

But the ultimate end and his ultimate fate

Has been determined, it’s so final, a set date.

So the lesson is taught, I hope you gave listen.

Stealing Christmas leads to a hot, final location.

Stealing Christmas is more than just filling our pockets, or taking gifts from someone else’s car. We steal Christmas when we get caught up in other things rather than the real meaning of Christmas, the birth of Jesus Christ, and those things become the central focus of our celebration. Santa, and Frosty, and reindeer and sleighs can point to the Christ of Christmas or they can steal it away, it is all in how we present it. In Jesus day, on the day of His birth, a census stole away the purpose of that day, and so it continues to happen in ours as well, the trivial taking the place of what is most important.