It's Christmas Eve and all our preparations are done.  There's not much more we can do now.  We perhaps could have done more, but this is as far as it goes.  Most of us are pleasantly satisfied with the evening and plans after this service.  But a few still may be wishing they'd have done more.  I'm sure Joseph wished he could have done more, provided a better place than the stable, a better way for his young wife to travel, a better life to give her than the poverty they had.  And he's not the only one to wish things were different.

          It was Christmas Eve 1881.  Matthew Miles was fifteen years old and felt like his world had caved in.  He was sure he would not be getting what he so badly wanted for Christmas - a new hunting rifle.  He and his Pa did the chores early that night.  "Bundle up good, Matt, it's cold out tonight."  That wasn't good news, Matt thought, because it meant extra work.  Going outside he saw the team of work horses hitched to the big sled, and Pa already up on the seat, reins in hand in the biting cold.  Matt just hated the thought of whatever work lay ahead in this miserable cold.

          "We'll put on the high sideboards," he said.  That meant it was going to be an even bigger job than he'd thought.  "Pa, what are we doing?" Matt asked.  "You know the Widow Jensen?  I rode by today and it appears they're out of wood."  They loaded the firewood high on the old sled.  Then Pa went to the smoke house for some ham and bacon.  Matt saw he was also carrying a flour sack over his shoulder.  "What's in the sack?" he asked.  "Shoes.  The kids are out of shoes.  Llittle Jake had gunny sacks wrapped around his feet this morning.  And I got them a little candy, too.  Every child should have some candy at Christmas."  Well, Matt thought, I can't ever remember getting candy; how come they're getting some?

          As Mary and Joseph approached Bethlehem, they knew that this child to be born was special, someone who would be different than other children, someone who would make a difference among their people.  Exactly what He would do they could not know.  Exactly what difference lay in the future.  Despite all against them, they believed the best for now.

          When people come to church, whether on Christmas Eve or any time, they come with expectations.  They know a church is a special place, and they're hopeful something special will rub off in some way.  Only the hardened skeptic believes there is little for them here.  Most of us come here for a blessing from God, a blessing we aren't sure of, a blessing we hope will make our lives better.  True, the world isn't a very perfect place tonight.  Some think it's a more terrible place due to an unjust war they oppose.  Others think the world is safer because of the just war they support.  Whatever we may think, we're all gathered here for a blessing from God.  Despite all that's bad, we want to believe the best.

          Matt and his Pa rode to Widow Jensen's in silence because Matt was deep in thought.  They didn't have much themselves except a house with a big woodpile and lots of food.  Widow Jensen had closer neighbors than them.  And shoes?  Dad only had one pair himself.  When they got to the Johnsons they unloaded the wood as quietly as possible and then took the meat and flour sack and knocked on the door.  "Who is it?" a voice said timidly.  "Lucas Miles, Ma'am, and my son, Matt.  Could we come in a bit?"

          Widow Jensen let them in.  A blanket was wrapped around her shoulders and her children were sitting in front of a very small fire wrapped in another.  Their house was freezing!  "We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said setting the food down.  Then he handed her the flour sack.  "It's a pair of shoes for each of the children, and something for you too."  Matt watched carefully as the children timidly looked inside the flour sack.  Tears came to their mother's eyes.  "We brought you a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said.  Turning to Matt he said, "Go bring in enough to last them awhile.  Let's get this place heated up."

          Despite our outward prosperity, there's still a lot of poverty out there.  Our homes may be warm, but there's a coldness inside some that we can't shake.  It's caused by a feeling that something's wrong.  It's 2003 and we have so much, so why be uneasy?  What is it that's wrong?  Why, with our advanced technology, do we still have war?  Why, in a land of plenty, should there be hopelessness?  Why are we so far in debt?  Why can't we even agree on simple things?  Why don't our gadgets make life better?  The answer, of course, is sin.  No matter how far we progress, we can't shake sin.  It's part of our human condition, and it separates us from each other.  Sin never really goes away.

          When young Matt came back inside, he wasn't quite the same person.  He was cold and the warm fire felt good.  But for some reason he had a lump in his throat, and much as he hated to admit it, those tears in his eyes out there weren't from the cold.  He'd gotten and given Christmas gifts before, but never had he seen them make such difference for people who needed it.  He could see he and his Pa were literally saving the lives of that woman and her children.  The children were giggling as Pa handed them candy, and Widow Jensen was smiling real fine, maybe her first time in days.  "God bless you, Mr. Miles," she said.  "I know the Lord sent you.  I've been praying He'd send us one of His angels, but I was beginning to lose hope.  I was beginning to wonder if the Lord was hearing my prayers."

          A lot of us wonder that.  Is God listening to us or not?  We pray for understanding and still feel as if we know nothing.  We pray for direction and still we flop around like boat sails with no ropes.  We try to be wise and smart, but we know we feel ignorant of what's really important.  But despite what we may think, let's never believe that a prayer offered in faith goes unanswered.  God always hears.

          God always answers the prayers of His people.  He'll often answer us "yes", but He'll also say "no".  More often than not He makes us wait.  Waiting is not as bad as it seems, for in our wait, we're forced to turn to Him in expectant faith.  God's Chosen People prayed for centuries, "How Long, O Lord, must we wait for the Messiah?"  But God finally did answer, as St. Paul tells us, "But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of God's children." (Galatians 4:4-5)   Blessings always come to God's people who wait.

          When Matt and his Pa stood up to leave, Pa invited them to their home for dinner the next day.  And then he did something Matt never forgot.  He took each of those little ones in his strong arms and gave them a big hug.  Matt could see they missed their pa, and he -- well right then he was sure glad he still had his.  Lucas Miles was the greatest man he could think of right then.  On the way home Pa said, "Son, I hate to say this, but you're not going to get what you want this year.  You see, your ma and me have been tucking a little money away all year for that rifle you wanted and we finally had enough.  But on the way to town this morning to get it I saw that little boy scratching to get some wood in that woodpile.  And when I saw his feet wrapped in gunny sacks, well, son, I spent your rifle money on them kids.  I hope you understand."

          Matt put his arm around his Dad.  He understood.  That rifle could wait.  His Pa had given him a lot more than he ever knew.  He had given him the look on Widow Jensen's face and the smiles of those three little children.  Actually he'd given him the best Christmas memory ever, because when he grew up and had a family of his own, every Christmas Matthew Miles would tell this story to his children and grandchildren and even some great grandchildren.  And the story of this Christmas gift would be passed down to many generations of people, including everyone here tonight.  And I thank a man named Ryan B. Anderson, great grandson of Matthew Miles, for telling this story to me.

          The best gifts are the unexpected ones.  And the best gifts are given out of love and caring, not obligation.  I always struggle at Christmas time with gift lists.  I don't want to tell others what I want, and I surely don't want them knowing what they're getting.  Christmas is a time for surprises.  To me, the delight of giving is still in the unexpected.  Our home is probably like yours.  By the time Christmas Eve rolls around at least one among us has already figured out what's in all the packages.  But, I must add, the weakness of being the family snoop is usually far outweighed by all her other good qualities.

          God surprised the world with the gift of His Son.  Even though His people had been waiting, the coming of His only Son still surprised most of them.  The sad thing is that so many today still deny that the Christchild is the Messiah.  He doesn't seem real enough, too common, not perfect enough.  But rest assured, the Babe in the manger is the true Son of God.  He's no fake, but the Real Reason for hope this Christmas.

          Sometimes we wish for a certain thing so much that when the real gift comes, we're disappointed.  But the gifts God gives never disappoint.  They're all what we need.  They're all what we long for, even though we may not realize it.  And they're all everlasting - no need to get our money back, no need for exchange, one size fits all.  Tonight we may be a long ways from horses and sleds at Christmas, but we're never far from people in need.  We may be educated and sophisticated, but we'll never outgrow our need of the Christchild.  Amen.

Copyright © 2003 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.