Christmas Kindness
Matt Yamamoto, Director of High School Ministry
Luke 7:18-23
“John’s disciples told him about all these things. Calling two of them, he sent them to the Lord to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’ When the men came to Jesus, they said, ‘John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ’ At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, ‘Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.’”
Christmas is only two days away! It is the season for giving, joy, peace, carols, lights, parties, and family. It is supposed to be merry and bright. All of these words connected with Christmas bring up strong imagery of Hallmark commercials and sugar cookies that I have never experienced during Christmas myself. These words are seemingly so innocent, but they build up an expectation that often times don’t hold up to reality.
I believe that expectations are what make Christmas so stressful. We are expected to have amazing gifts for everyone, have a clean home, bring an elaborate dish to the family party, be the most cheerful version of ourselves, and do all these things simultaneously. Some people may be able to pull this off, but the rest of us are faking it ‘til we make it.
Expectations are so dangerous because there is only one way to fulfill them and a million ways to fail at them. And when we do fail, often times it causes us to feel like failures or keeps us from ever trying for fear of failure. To further complicate things, not only are there expectations that we put upon ourselves, but there are those that others put on us. Christmas is a minefield of these. Just trying to match the values of presents alone is a nightmare.
Here is the ray of hope: Jesus failed at expectations as well.
The passage above describes an account in which John the Baptist, Jesus’s own cousin who from birth was told that he was to be the one who was going to pave the way for his cousin, the Messiah, Jesus, begins to doubt whether or not Jesus was really the Messiah. It doesn’t explicitly say it, but it seems as though he was inquiring because Jesus was not meeting the expectations that John the Baptist had for Him. As a baby in Elizabeth’s womb, John jumped with joy as the pregnant Mary entered the room, and now he was asking Jesus if he was supposed to be looking for a different Messiah.
Think about it. Jesus, the only perfect one to walk this earth, failed to meet expectations.
If Jesus can’t even meet expectations, then we really need to be kind to ourselves when we don’t—and especially kind to others when they don’t. This is what grace is, giving people the room to be human, especially when they fail to meet our expectations.
On top of the normal pressures of the Christmas season, we are doing so amidst COVID. Let’s have a kind word ready when gifts aren’t exchanged, when people choose not to come to family parties, and when masks are worn during gatherings. Our normal expectations don’t work during an economic and health crisis. Let’s be especially kind to ourselves and each other this Christmas season, so much so that when we look back on this Christmas, we will reminisce that this was the kindest, warmest Christmas we’ve ever had.
Prayer: Dear gracious Father, we thank You for your eternal grace. Even when we might feel like we are failing because we don’t meet expectations, You don’t see us that way. Help us to have Your heart of grace and kindness this Christmas season. Release people from the expectations that we might have on them and count everything as a blessing this year. Amen.
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