Lessons from the movie “The Grinch who stole Christmas”
Luke 2:1-20
Rabbi Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz
Luke 2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from aCaesar Augustus, that a census be taken of ball 1the inhabited earth. 2 1This was the first census taken while 2Quirinius was governor of aSyria. 3 And all the people were on their way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4 Now Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because ahe was of the house and family of David, 5 in order to register along with Mary, who was 1betrothed to him, and was pregnant. 6 While they were there, the 1time came for her to give birth. 7 And she agave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a 1manger, because there was no 2room for them in the inn. 8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock at night. 9 And aan angel of the Lord suddenly bstood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. 10 And so the angel said to them, “aDo not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; 11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a aSavior, who is 1bChrist cthe Lord. 12 “And athis will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a 1manger.” 13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly 1army of angels praising God and saying, 14 “aGlory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among people 1bwith whom He is pleased.” 15 When the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem, then, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the 1manger. 17 When they had seen Him, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. 18 And all who heard it were amazed about the things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary atreasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds went back, aglorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
I like the original movie about the Grinch and the Whos. For young people, the original movie was an animated feature from back in the 1960s. The story is very simple. The Grinch hated the Who’s celebration of Christmas day. He came to their town on Christmas Eve and stole the Christmas trees, decorations and all the presents. Christmas morning came and, to the surprise of the Grinch, the Whos came out of their homes and gathered in the town center to sing about the joy of Christmas. The Grinch was so taken his heart grew three times its size and he came into the town and returned everything he stole. The Whos openly welcomed the Grinch to their Christmas feast and even let him slice the Roast Beast.
Christmas came to Who-ville even though the decorations, trees, and presents were all gone. The things that made the town look like Christmas were unnecessary for the town to celebrate Christmas. Each year, it is important for me to watch this movie. The animated original made the message about the true meaning of Christmas very clear.
The decorations, trees and presents are not what make Christmas a special time of the year. OK, I will admit that those things don’t hurt. However, Christmas will come whether the decorations, trees, and presents are not there. Can you imagine a Christmas celebration without these things? I am guessing so many people would say yes, but in reality, it is probably not true. The problem is the time of year. In the northern hemisphere, the nights get long, and the days are short. In December, it is nice to have the lights and decorations. The churches I have served over the years always have decorated the building and sanctuary.
Would Christmas time be the same in church if we did not decorate? Would we still have that same love to remember the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? We certainly should celebrate Jesus Christ every day, not just one day a year. It is grand to have a large celebration for the birth of Jesus Christ. It reminds us that God came incarnate to be among his people. Jesus came in flesh to learn about the ways of the world. That might sound strange because since we believe he is the second person of the Trinity, then he should know how we live and feel.
There is a big difference between knowing how things work and experiencing how things work. I have been a scholastic chess coach for many years. I have instructed students in the game's basics and then watched as they did not execute the basics. Why? That is the difference between knowing and applying that knowledge, which we can call experience. I had a student who learned the guidelines of chess openings. He could recite them to me. However, when we played games, he would make moves that violated the guidelines. After a few years, he finally got it and played his games in accordance with the guides he learned. He did well in tournaments after that knowledge became incorporated into his games.
God came to experience human life. Luke's account of the first Christmas depicts fanfare, excitement, angels, and the birth of the Savior. In 336 CE, people recognized December 25th as Jesus' birthday and a day for celebration. From 336 CE to today, December 25th has grown in its celebration. Thanks be to God!
We must celebrate Christmas, the day of the Savior’s birth, with or without decorations and presents, as the day God came to Earth to offer us forgiveness of sin and eternal life in heaven. Afterall is that not what is important?
Getting back to the movie when the Grinch realized what Christmas really meant his heart grew three times its original size. The love of Christmas entered his heart. He came to understand what the Who’s celebration was about. Has the meaning of Christmas entered your heart? The birthday celebration of Jesus Christ is all about discovering the love of God that is already in your heart. We show that love to the world every day. If you have not discovered God’s love in your heart, I pray this Christmas season you will find it. You can help yourself find the love of God in your heart by being open to the celebration of Christmas. Be with your family and friends as they celebrate the day of Jesus’ birth. Ask them how the celebration of Christmas warms their heart.
The founder of Methodism, John Wesley, said that he felt his heart warmed when he allowed the Holy Spirit to enter his life. His warming was in May, but it applies to us in December, especially on December 25th. If the Holy Spirit has warmed your heart, a magnificent gift to God during the Christmas season is to help people warm their hearts as they come to know Jesus.
There is a great Christmas hymn titled “Go Tell it on the Mountain.” This hymn encourages us to go to a mountaintop and proclaim Christ's birth on Christmas Day. In the movie, on a mountaintop overlooking Who-ville, the Grinch's heart warmed and grew. He proclaimed a love of Christmas that he never knew. He went to the mountain to see the Whos cry about the loss of Christmas. Instead, he received God’s love and then wanted to share that love with the people of Who-ville.
Find your mountain and climb it so that you can proclaim that Jesus Christ was born on Christmas day! Tell the world about God’s love through Jesus. Celebrate the day with your family and friends in ways that allow you to spread God’s love. The trees, decorations, and presents are our physical way to share God’s love in this season. However, what is most important is sharing Christ’s love!
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
