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.
All the Who girls and boys would wake bright and early. They’d rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That’s one thing he hated! The Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!
Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feat, and they’d feast! And they’d feast! And they’d feast, Feast! Feast! Feast! They would feast on Who pudding, and rare Who roast beast which was something the Grinch couldn’t stand in the least! And then they’d do something he like least of all! Every who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing. They’d stand hand in hand. And the whos would start singing. They’s sing! And they’d sing! And they’s ding! Sing! Sing! Sing! And the more the Grinch though of this who-Christmas sing, the more the Grinch though, “I must stop this whole thing! Why, for fifty-three years I’ve put up with it now! I must stop this Christmas from coming! But how?
III. Some People Misunderstand Christmas.
The Grinch misunderstood. In fact, he decided to steal away all their presents including the food. Laura and I were at the mall, shopping in Toy’s R Us looking for the right gift for our grandchildren. When you look around you begin to sense, the malls and stores have misunderstood Christmas. They have gotten so busy with their collection of money, that even the decorations they display show their ignorance for the season. Jesus has been replaced with Santa, shepherds and sheep with reindeer and elf’s. The star lights the way to the store but now it is a place to spend, certainly not a place where we can come an adore the Christ of Christmas. History has not changed much, look at Jesus birth in Luke 2:1-7
Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Who would give up a bed if they knew it was the place the Messiah was to be born? The inn keeper did not, nor did any of the guests who had filled his house and his bank account with their arrival for the census. Was it out of disregard? Probably not. It was out of ignorance because they misunderstood the significance of the events that was taking place around them. It is easy to do, especially this time of year. When is the last time you took time to think through the meaning of Christmas? Has time in gift buying, meal preparation and the getting ready for the big day overshadowed the meaning of Christmas?
It was quarter past dawn…All the Whos still a-bed, All the Whos, still a-snooze when he packed up his sled, packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings! The tag! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt Crimpit, He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it! Pooh-pooh to the Whos! He was grinch-ish-ly humming. They’re finding out now that no Christmas is coming! They’re just waking up! I know just what they’ll do! Their mouths will hang open a minute or two. Then the whose down in Who-ville will all cry Boo-Hoo! That’s a noise, grinned the Grinch, that I simply must hear. So he paused, and the Grinch put his hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow…But the sound wasn’t sad! Why this sound sounded merry! It couldn’t be so! But it was merry! Very! He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every who down in who-ville, the tall and the small, was singing! Without any present at all! He hadn’t stopped Christmas from coming, it came, somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet, ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling, How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags! And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store, maybe Christmas…perhaps…means a little bit more.
IV. Some people embrace Christmas.
Christmas is not always lost in the throngs of the crowd,
No Christmas can be found through the heart of our God
Jesus came to earth, to show us the way
Found as a child in a stable amidst the straw and the hay.
The Grinch who stole Christmas learned something that day
He learned that Christmas was something beyond what was in his sleigh
Christmas is found in the heart of a child
Christmas is found outside of the mall
Wise men and shepherds and angels found out
Christmas is found in Christ, King of all.
So watch how you celebrate, enjoy all you can
But remember this Christmas to pay homage to Jesus, the Lamb.
