"Do you see what I see?" "Do you hear what I hear?" These are words from a famous Christmas carol written in 1962 often heard or sung this time of year. But these words do not just occur in the Christmas carol, they go back even further. One could take these words back to the third or fourth century to a man we have come to know as Saint Nicholas. You can almost hear the response of the recipients of one of Saint Nicholas gifts. They might be asking, "Do you see what I see? Do you hear what I hear?" A gift like this is hard to believe, isn't it?
We have received a much greater gift than the gifts Saint Nicholas gave away. Jesus says "Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear." What do they hear? They hear the message of Advent: Jesus is coming. They hear the message of Christmas: the Savior is born. They hear the message of the cross and the message of the empty tomb. Jesus Christ died and rose for you. This is the greatest gift that God gives to us.
Unfortunately, not everyone understands the gift God gave at Christmas. During this time of year, ordinary things drown out the blessed joy of God's extraordinary work begun in a Bethlehem manger some 20 centuries ago. Cash registers ringing, shopping lines forming, the frantic pace of the holidays-all these can divert one's attention so that they miss the point of it all. What they see and what they hear is not what Christmas is all about.
However, consider what Christ's eyes saw when He came into this world. Consider what His ears heard. His eyes saw us in our sin and suffering. His ears heard the ridicules. Despite all of that, Jesus came. Jesus became a human like you and me, so that by His death and resurrection, we could live with Him in heaven forever. In that eternal Christmas, this beautiful carol will finally reach its full meaning as we hear the angel chorus and see the glory of God.
THE PRAYER: Dear Lord, open our eyes to see You more noticeably and our ears to hear You more clearly. Amen.
Written by Pastor Adam Parvey
Redeemer Lutheran Church
Springfield, Missouri
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