For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Ephesians 2:8-9
Imagine if on Christmas morning you gave your child a present and they turned around and asked you, “how much do you want for this?” You would be shocked! They don’t need to earn their gifts. They don’t bring payment or have to work off the debt. They simply receive with delight what love has freely given.
This is the scandal of Christmas—God gives us what we could never earn. The gift under the tree is Jesus himself, wrapped in human flesh, given while we were still sinners, enemies, rebels. We didn’t ask for him at the right time. We didn’t deserve him. We couldn’t afford him. And yet Love saw us and said, “I give you my Son.”
We find it hard to receive a gift. We worry about spending equal amounts. We feel indebted when someone gives us more than we gave them. We’re uncomfortable receiving what we haven’t earned. But Christmas confronts our meritocracy with grace.
We are given freely what we could never afford and never achieve.
The gifts under your tree this year are small reflections of the gospel. They say: You are loved and nothing is required in return. You are loved. Full stop.
