All I want for Christmas. It’s a phrase that is heard frequently during the Christmas season, and is a seemingly innocuous and humble statement. In fact, it even appears to be a somewhat limiting phrase. Let’s break it down.
The
first word is all. It conveys a sense
of humility in that it limits what is desired. That is, it implies a minimal
gift, or something minor, in comparison to what is typical or customary. At the
same time, it implies a sense of deserving something. In other words, it’s as
if one is saying, “I deserve something, but I will demonstrate restraint and
humility.” So, out of all the things one should be rewarded with during the
Christmas season, humility is feigned, and a degree of restraint shown, or so
it would seem.
Next
we come to I. Ah, the ubiquitous
pronoun. We’re consumed with ourselves today – I, I, I, me, me, me. As James
Boice noted in his comments about humanism, we are preoccupied with ourselves
today – our desires, our goals, our intents. Everything revolves around us and
getting what we want to fulfill our lives. As we consider this pronoun, it
quickly becomes clear that this statement does not involve other people. Just
the simple use of that one letter individualizes Christmas and shifts the focus
upon us.
Want. Again there is the implication that one
deserves something. But this goes further by inferring an expectation that is
realized in a want. How many people have been asked, or have
asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” Now there’s nothing wrong with asking
this, nor is there any ill intent. One is merely trying to ensure a purchased
gift is done with a measure of accuracy. The shopper is merely trying to
correlate a gift with a want. Again, there is nothing wrong with this since Christmas
involves shopping and exchanging gifts.
This custom, of
course, originated when the wise men brought gifts to the baby Jesus to
celebrate his birth. We carry on this practice each year at Christmas, which
can involve a fair amount of shopping. Therefore, it is reasonable for shoppers
to ensure their gifts are well received in order to prevent the dreaded
exchange and/or return, which is an interesting facet of the Christmas season
we’ll get to soon. But back to the want.
Christmas has
become the time of year, especially for children, to get some of the things we
want, i.e. toys, tools, clothes, a big screen television, etc. We’re human, and
there are things that we both want and need. And Christmas is often a time to
satisfy both. The Bible tells us not to conform to this world and not to love
the things in this world, yet we are, to a lesser or greater extent, filled
with want.
In regard to want,
let’s consider the gifts. As mentioned previously, some people inquire as
to what we want in order to give an acceptable gift, and others give presents
out of the goodness of their hearts. They hand it to you and say, “Merry
Christmas,” and you open it and say, “Thank you,” even if it’s something you
don’t really want or like. Years ago, it was considered good manners to be
polite if you received something you didn’t want or like. Today, though, we’ve
become so fixated with materialism and the acquisition of things - the right
things - that many retailers provide gift receipts. This is done so that if a
gift is the wrong size, color, or not acceptable, it can be returned or
exchanged for something one wants. No longer does the thought count or matter. Materialism
at its finest!
Gift giving used
to be a matter of the heart. People gave gifts to show they cared. Thought was
required. Today, gift giving has become an institution that requires little
thought – just money. In fact, you can find various gift cards at the checkout
counter of many grocery and convenient stores. It’s a simple remedy for the ill
of shopping. There’s nothing wrong with giving a gift card. I enjoy them myself
on occasion.
Let’s look at the
last two words in the phrase, for
Christmas. Christmas is not about Santa Claus, and it’s really not about
presents. Christmas is the day that Christians celebrate the birth of Christ.
The birth of Jesus was unlike any other birth in the history of the world
because Jesus was immaculately conceived, born without sin, and was the Savior
of the world. We remember and celebrate his birth every December – with
Christmas carols, cookies, candy, shopping, midnight specials, and returns the
day after. We remember His birthday by descending further into debt to make
other people happy by satisfying their wants and gorging their materialism.
For Christmas is really the key to that
phrase, for Christ’s mass. That’s what the word Christmas means. So, in considering
this phrase, all I want for Christmas, I
can’t help but wonder what Jesus would want for Christmas. Now it’s easy to
suppose what Jesus the resurrected man might want. He might say, “I want people
to obey my commandments; I want people to follow me; I want people to study my
Word; I want people to pray more often: I want people to stop gossiping about
their neighbors; I want people to attend church because they really want to
worship me, not to make themselves feel good; I want Christians to love their
fellow man; I want Christians to love their neighbors and to serve me in loving
their neighbors.” We can imagine Jesus wanting these things and others.
But when I think
about the phrase, all I want for
Christmas, and I think about Jesus, I think, “What would Jesus the boy
want?” You see, I have twin seven-year old daughters. They don’t really
understand the Immaculate Conception, although they know Christmas is Jesus’
birthday. They kind of understand He saved the world, although they don’t
understand why He was crucified. They don’t really understand the concepts of
sin or death fully. Everything is very simplistic. In a way, I think they are
better off. I think they understand more about the Bible and Jesus than I ever will.
Yet I look at them and think about what they want for Christmas. They love
Santa Claus, and their imaginations are filled with the idea that this man
lives at the North Pole and is able to fly around the world in a single night
and deliver presents to children.
We
were all there once and had the ability to believe the familiar Christmas tale
about the man in red. It’s a shame that we have to grow up sometimes. Yet as I
ponder my daughters, I wonder what Jesus was like as a five-year old. Christmas
for Him didn’t involve Santa Claus. In fact, it wasn’t even Christmas to Him;
it was His birthday. I have no idea what ancient people did to celebrate
birthdays. We can imagine Jesus was somewhat different than other children.
However, I suspect that as He grew up, His mental faculties developed in the
normal fashion and at seven years old He was very much like my daughters –
innocent and trusting. Certainly He knew who he was, I assume, but it’s hard
for me to imagine He circumvented the normal development process and was an
adult in a child’s body. He became flesh to be like us and experience our
humanity. That is, he experienced thirst, hunger, fatigue, frustration, sorrow
and even death. Therefore, it’s logical to conclude he experienced a typical
childhood minus sin. He was the perfect
substitute in every way.
So
what would Jesus the seven-year old want for Christmas? What would Jesus the
teenager want for Christmas? Well, I really can’t answer that with any degree
of accuracy. But by the time Jesus was a teenager, I believe He was fully aware
of His fate and destiny. He knew why He came – to be a sacrifice for sinners.
He knew He was going to suffer and be crucified. Therefore, what I believe He
might have wanted for Christmas, His birthday, was not to endure death, to
avoid the cross. In fact, before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to have the cup
taken from Him if it was His Father’s will. I don’t believe He prayed this out
of fear. Rather, I think it was out of humanity. And we can all relate to that.
If we didn’t have to die, why would we want to?
We
must realize that at this time of the year, we attempt to exhibit humility and
restraint by making the simple statement, All
I want for Christmas. Cleary that statement is an abomination to Christmas.
It implies we deserve something; it glorifies individualism; it highlights the
fact that we are focused on possessions; and it marginalizes the true meaning
of Christmas, which is Christ’s mass. The phrase is a detractor from the
Christian holiday, and no Christian should ever use it. For to do so is to
succumb to the ways of the World, and as Jesus noted, His kingdom is not of
this world. Therefore, Christmas is not either. Want nothing and give freely.
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