Matthew 5:14-19
[Jesus said,] “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be concealed. No one lights a lamp and puts it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For I assure you: Until heaven and earth disappear, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything has been accomplished. So, whoever sets aside one of the least of these commands, and teaches others to do the same, will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
We sometimes complain that Christ has been yanked out of Christmas. And I suppose it’s true. For most, Christmas is just about giving and getting gifts, nothing at all about the Christ Child Himself.
Most celebrate the holy day of the Christmas–that is, Christ’s Mass–without coming to where Christ comes to them in His Word and Sacrament. The frenzy of a commercialized Christmas has all but taken over the celebration our Lord’s incarnation. Santa Claus gets the attention while we leave Jesus, forgotten in the manger.
Yet, we can make a small difference in this distortion of Christmas–if we first understand this Santa-Claus legend and the real history behind it. Most of us have heard of Santa Claus referred to as St. Nick or St. Nicholas. That’s how he got his name. Santa is a word for Saint. Claus is a shortened form in Dutch for the name Nicholas. So Santa Claus is St. Nicholas.
Yet, it’s still true that Santa Claus has become the stuff of fairy tales. But St. Nicholas was a real person who lived during the early 300s. Since December 6th is the day we in the Church remember St. Nicholas, this evening, we will remember this saint of God. This evening, we will see what his life has to teach us about Christ and Christmas.
Nicholas was born into a wealthy family in Asia Minor, what is now Turkey. After being brought into the Church of Christ, Nicholas chose not to chase after a life of riches. He, instead, chose to devote himself to the Church. And so, while Nicholas was still a young man, he chose to become a monk. But later, he wanted to serve in other ways. So he was ordained into the Office of the Holy Ministry. Later, the Church installed him as the Bishop of Myra.
Myra was a city known for its decadence and corruption. In contrast to the city’s corruption, Nicholas became well-known for helping change it by his pious, hard work and by preaching the Word of Christ. People also knew Nicholas for his love for those in need, especially poor widows and orphaned children. As bishop, he saw to it that Christ’s Church there helped care for the needy. Perhaps his giving of gifts, especially to impoverished children, is part of what formed the Santa-Claus tradition.
One famous story about Nicholas rises above all the rest. A father in Myra had three daughters, all of whom were of marriageable age. But he didn’t have enough money to provide his daughters with suitable dowries needed for marriage. And if his daughters couldn’t marry, they would either live in poverty or be forced to become prostitutes.
This deeply troubled Nicholas. So, he decided to help. But Nicholas wanted to help in a way that wouldn’t draw attention to himself. So, using his own money (for remember he was from a wealthy family), Nicholas prepared three bags of gold. On three successive nights, St. Nicholas went to this man’s house and threw a bag of gold into an open window. He threw one bag of gold each night for the three daughters, enough to provide their dowries.
Later, when others told this story in colder regions, they portrayed Nicholas as dropping the bags of gold down the chimney. There are many other accounts of Nicholas helping others. Once, three men were falsely accused of a crime and sentenced to death. Nicholas became aware of this injustice, stepped in, and spoke in their defense. Somehow, he secured their release and gave them back their lives.
Nicholas also attended the first Church-wide Council in 325 AD, in Nicaea. That’s where we get the Nicene Creed from, which we confess in our Divine Services. It was at that Council where Nicholas, with the strong theologian Athanasius, defended Christianity against the majority view.
The majority view was a new teaching. Yet, it was so far afield that it wasn’t even Christian, even though it seemed like it was. A man named Arius taught this new doctrine that Jesus wasn’t fully God and fully Man.
Arius’ teachings were the latest Church fad back then. Many of the pastors of that time followed Arius simply because that was easier to do. To them, they were simply following the party line, giving the people what they wanted, and going with the flow. Even back then, it was easier to give the people what they wanted to hear than what they needed for salvation and strengthening their faith. Thank God brave bishops like Nicholas risked their lives to contend for the truth and preach it!
Nicholas was a defender of the true faith, faith in Christ the Son of God as the only Savior from sin, death, and the devil. Nicholas preached Jesus. He baptized people into Jesus’ body. He absolved people of their sins in Jesus’ name. He fed them with the life-giving body and blood of Jesus. That’s the real St. Nicholas.
Nicholas wasn’t a Santa Claus taking attention away from Jesus. He was a preacher who pointed others to Jesus. He wasn’t one making a list and checking it twice to find out who’s naughty or nice. Nicholas knew that people were both saints and sinners who all desperately needed Christ’s forgiveness and mercy.
So why do we give attention to the generous deeds of Nicholas? We do so because his deeds point us to the infinitely generous love that he first received from God. It was that love of God that was working through Nicholas in his life.
After all, just consider his deeds. Nicholas sacrifices to save the three daughters. Isn’t that what Jesus did for us? He sacrificed himself to rescue us from being eternally violated by death and the devil. He redeemed us, not with bags of gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with innocent suffering and death. That is why we are now worthy and prepared to be His holy bride.
Nicholas also defended those unjustly sentenced to death, risking his own name and reputation. Isn’t that what Jesus did–and still does–for us? He stood between us and eternal death on the cross. Even more, the Scriptures say that, even now, Jesus is standing before the Father as our advocate. Jesus is speaking in our defense. He is silencing every charge laid against us by His own blood and righteousness. Through Him, we are free to be the people of God.
The same love of Christ that was at work in St. Nicholas is also at work in you. In your Baptism, you were crucified with Christ. And so you no longer live, but Christ lives in you and through you. The Lord is working in you. This is so His boundless love, which He has shown to you, might spill over to others. This isn’t so you can feel happy about yourself or draw attention to yourself. It’s so you can give to help others, like a bag of gold through an open window at night.
Did you know that was why Christians began to give gifts anonymously? Christians would say that a gift was from St. Nicholas, remembering and honoring God’s work through that saint. Giving gifts in such a way reflected the love of Christ, as Nicholas did. It sought to give glory, not to the person who gave the gift, but to God, who is the true giver of every good and perfect gift.
Indeed, as Christians, every present we give is a sign of that greatest gift of all, the Christ Child in the manger–given to us almost anonymously. Only the shepherds noticed Jesus that night, and that’s because of the angel’s proclamation. Few recognized and received Jesus throughout His life. But hidden, wrapped within His lowly humanity, was all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, full of mercy and grace. Jesus is love in the flesh for you. There is no greater present than that.
Jesus, Love in the Flesh for you, is the best gift St. Nicholas sought to give!
So is there such a person as Santa Claus? Of course, there is. If you don’t believe in the existence of St. Nicholas, you might as well not believe in the existence of Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, or the Wise Men.
Of course, you’re not going to find Nicholas sliding down your chimney. But, like all saints, like all believers who have gone before us, he is celebrating with us whenever we gather for the Divine Service. For in Christ’s presence are the angels, archangels, and all the company of heaven, all taking part in the same feast of which we now receive a foretaste.
Thank God St. Nicholas lives. He lives forever because, just like you, he was baptized and believed in Jesus, who was born, who died, and rose for us all. Amen.
