Gift

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen His glory.. John 1:14.
O. Henry has a short story about a lad who was brought up in a village. In school he used to sit beside a girl and they were fond of each other. He became a pickpocket and a petty thief. One day he snatched an old lady’s purse. It was clever work and he was pleased. And then he saw coming down the street the girl whom he used to know, still sweet with the radiance of innocence. Suddenly he saw himself for the cheap, vile thing he was. Burning with shame, he leaned his head against the cool iron of a lamp standard. “God,” He said, “I wish I could die.”
He saw himself. Christ enables man to see himself. (William Barclay )


..glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1: 14.
God’s greatest gift to us is Himself. When we see Jesus we react like the lad in O. Henry’s story or we run away and try to ignore Him. This is the reason so many try to remove Christ from Christmas. There is no person on earth who can measure up to Him, no CEO, athlete, actor, banker, forklift driver or unemployed. He makes our lives look vile. And this is great news for we actually see ourselves as we are. Blessed are the poor in spirit. We see truth. Jesus is the stone that makes men stumble and the rock that makes men fall.

And from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. John 1: 16.
If we face the truth, if we do not run and try to ignore the truth, than we can realize that God loves us and loves us so much that He would not allow us to live a lie. Jesus brings us grace upon grace, blessing upon blessing. If we ask Him into our life we can have a growing, fulfilling relationship with Him. We can have forgiveness. We can practice grace and love the way God does and we too can forgive. What freedom! What peace!

But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God. John 1: 12.