Lutheran Church Missouri Synod

The Unwritten Rule About Receiving Gifts

By Dr. Richard P. Bucher

To the surprise of no one, the United Parcel Service (UPS) informs us that the time before Christmas is their busiest time of the year. We all know the reason. Presents! Exchanging gifts has become synonymous with the Christmas and holiday season. It is a tradition stamped upon the psyche of people everywhere, a cross-cultural phenomenon.

The funny thing about our holiday gift exchange is the unwritten rules. We differ widely on what makes a good gift. But no matter what we give or receive, all people strictly follow certain unwritten rules about gift exchange. Rules that have been impressed on us since childhood.

Such as? Such as "The gift must be a surprise. Therefore keep it a secret." That one especially applies to gifts to children. Such as "The gift should be something that the person wants (or at least needs)." Such as "Never, ever leave the price tag on the gift--to do so is in very bad taste." There is no written law about these things. Nonetheless most of us follow these rules as if they were written.

The above rules, however, are not followed by everyone. Adults often tell what they are getting each other before the fact. Many presents are given which are neither needed or wanted. And--yes, it's true--some people leave the price tags on their gifts, shocking as this may be.

But there is one unwritten rule that is universal. Anyone with an ounce of tact follows it. It's the unwritten rule which says, "Graciously receive any gift that is given to you. Smile and say thank you. And never, ever try to pay someone for the gift they give you. To do so is to deeply insult the giver." Every Christmas season, in households across America, this rule is meticulously followed. Smiles and "thank-you's" warm our homes. Gifts are freely received. No one offers money to the givers.

Then why do we have such a hard applying this rule to the greatest Christmas Gift? Two thousand years ago, God gave the Gift that made Christmas: His only begotten Son, born of a virgin, for the salvation of the world. In this Christ-Child, who would later give His life on the cross for us, God gives completed forgiveness, completed pardon, and completed salvation. All that we needed to do to enter heaven, Christ did by His perfect life and death. And that wonderful, good news is what caused the heavenly hosts to break into chorus above the fields of Bethlehem. Jesus is God's Messiah, the Son of God Himself, the Savior. In Him, God and sinners are completely reconciled. What a an inexpressible Gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

The amazing thing is that God insists upon the same unwritten rule for those who would receive His Christmas Gift. They are to receive Jesus in only one way. They are to receive Him graciously. As sinners who cannot contribute anything to their forgiveness, they are to simply smile and say, "Thank you." And above all else they are not to try to pay God for His Gift, for this would insult the Giver and forfeit the Gift.

But wait a minute. Who tries to pay God for the gift of Jesus and the forgiveness He brings? Every person who thinks that God will let him into heaven because of his faith in Jesus AND the good works he has done, such as attending mass, saying the rosary, praying, contributing money to the church, going to confession, serving in the church, not hurting others, not lying, not cheating, helping others, etc.. Whoever thinks that doing good and avoiding evil is the reason that God will let you into heaven, has not received the Gift of Jesus properly, has insulted the Giver, and has forfeited that Gift. Every Christian is to do good works. But a Christian doesn't do good to try to save himself. The Christian believes that Christ has already done that completely on the cross.

That is why the Scriptures say, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast" (Eph. 2:8-9). There is only one way to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus. Through faith. What is saving faith? Saving faith is graciously receiving the gift of Jesus. By the birth and crucifixion of Jesus, God offers heaven to as a gift. Saving faith, like that unwritten rule, smiles and says "Thank you, God!"

There is nothing that would make God happier this Christmas, than to have you do the same.