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“St. Nicholas to ”

( said), “So when you give….” (Matthew 6:2a)

Two days ago on December 6th, many Christian churches remembered St. Nicholas, Bishop of . The name may sound familiar to you. Santa Claus is often called, “Old St. Nick!” There is a connection between the real St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. Nicholas lived in modern day Turkey. He received a large inheritance from wealthy family members. He could have lived comfortably for the rest of his life, but he used his wealth to help the poor. Nicholas gave to children. There is one famous account where Nicholas dropped gold coins down a chimney in order to pay for the dowry of three young women in one family. There were many who believed that St. Nicholas saved these women from a harsh life by his generosity. Now you may see the connection between the historical St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra with our present day Santa Claus. There is, however, a greater giver than St. Nicholas.

Our Heavenly Father gave His gift, Jesus Christ, before we gave our gifts to others. The gift of God’s one and only son Jesus Christ celebrated at strengthens our faith. As a result, we give gifts to support the needs of people around us to give glory to God. I like the picture of Santa Claus kneeling at the cradle of Jesus. The picture is a reminder that God gives the best and lasting gifts and we give Him all the glory.

After Nicholas’ death, some Christians prayed to St. Nicholas and thanked him for the gifts they received at Christmas. Jesus said, “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing so that your giving may be in secret.” (Matthew 6:3)

According to Jesus, a believer can only seek the blessing of people or God. The calling of God’s people is to live in such a way that our gift giving causes other people to glorify God. Perhaps during this season, you may want to give an anonymous gift to someone in need. When the giver doesn’t know the source of the gift, all the giver can do is thank the Lord! When you are “a secret Santa” you fulfill the true meaning of this season as you supply a gift to those in need and give all glory to our Savior Jesus Christ.

Pastor Tim