Don't Let The Grinch Steal Christmas

Don’t Let the Grinch Steal Christmas

Luke 2:1-13

INTRODUCTION

One of the best known Christmas stories of all time is the story written by Dr. Seuss – “How the Grinch stole Christmas”. This popular Christmas allegory has become one of the most popular Christmas movies.

The Grinch is a green creature who just isn’t having any fun. And since he isn’t having any fun, he wants to make sure that no one else is either.

The Grinch in the movie and book wanted to take Christmas away… not just take away a part of Christmas or some element of it. Today’s Grinches don’t want to take away all of Christmas… they want to keep some elements… the commercialism, the paid vacation, the benevolent part, and the lights and festive attitude. Modern Grinches just want to take away one part, the bad part, the offensive part… you are probably thinking about the part where we feel compelled to buy presents for people we don’t even like, we don’t know what to get them and don’t really care, but we know it is expected of us. That is a bad part… but not the bad part that modern Grinches want to remove. They want to remove the part that has snuck in, that doesn’t belong and without which Christmas would be better…. CHRIST, the baby in the manger, GOD!!!!

They want to take Christ out of Christmas. What do you have if you take Christ out of Christmas? Mas????

It reminds me of the woman who was in the mall doing her Christmas shopping. She was tired of walking through every aisle of every store to find just the right present. She was stressed out by the mounting debt on her credit card. She was tired of fighting the crowds and standing in lines for the registers. Her hands were full and when the elevator door opened, it was full. “Great!” she muttered and the occupants of the elevator, feeling her pain, graciously tightened ranks to allow a small space for her and her load. As the doors closed she blurted out, “I think whoever came up with this Christmas junk ought to be found, strung up and shot!” A few others shook their head or grunted in agreement. Then, from somewhere in the back of the elevator came a single voice that said, “Don’t worry. They already crucified him.”

There have always been Grinches. There have always been those who tried to take Christ out of Christmas.

First There was Satan. He tried to keep the baby from being born.

He tried to break up the marriage, taint the birth

Next There was Herod, who tried to murder the baby as an infant

Next There were the false teachers who denied His diety

Next There were the dictators who tried to wipe out all Christianity

Stallin, Mao SeTung,

Next There were Atheists who formed political lobbies and filed suits against anyone who tried to put up any Christian decorations in public places

Next There were the politicians who caved into the Atheists and passed laws that prohibit public displays of Christian religion.

Next There are the courts who interpret everything by their anti-Christian bias and rule in favor of every fanatical, godless, amoral minority.

Now There are the NYC schools who have passed a new policy that bans any decorations that have Christian meaning or messages. At the same time Jewish menorahs and Islamic crests are allowed and encouraged.

Ethan’s (my son) teacher sent home an assignment that said, ”Have your child make a decoration that reminds him of December.” Not make a Christmas decoration or a decoration that reminds them of Christmas. CHRIST is being taken out of Christmas… and now Christmas is being taken out of December. The schools no longer get a Christmas holiday… they get “winter holidays.”

Now Administrators at Fountain Valley High School in California ruled that students could not wear T-shirts with Christian words, messages or symbols. In the same picture were students wearing Muslim scarves.

I guess there are some of you who think, “He needs to get off that soapbox.” I guess it does sound like that.

I’m not on a soapbox today. And I don’t have any intention of ranting and raving against some enemy who seeks to annihilate all that we believe in and hold dear.

I realize that most of the modern-day Grinches are not necessarily anti-God.

SOME ARE!!! We must realize that, and not close our eyes to the fact.

But…

Some are just trying to be all things to all people… like stores… and they just don’t want to offend anyone.

Some are just caught in a system where they have no choice… those over them have ruled that they must take a certain stand.

Some are just scared to death of a law suit... like many public school administrators… and are just trying not to lose their jobs or be sued for every thing they own.