How Do You View Jesus? 

When my youngest grandson had his first encounter with Santa Claus recently, he seemed totally unfazed by the event. He had a rather calm and unimpressed look on his face as Santa held him for a photo op with his brothers. Of course, that isn’t always the case when it comes to children’s reactions to meeting St. Nick. Some kids express uncertainty and curiosity about this strange-looking bearded gentlemen in the red suit. I have seen others with a wide-eyed look of awe and wonder on their faces as they encounter the jolly old elf. Some are thrilled to be in his presence with their countenances beaming with the joy of adoration. However, many of us have also witnessed children who were terrified of Santa, bursting out in tears and wanting to get away from this scary guy. It is hard to predict how any particular youngster will react to this experience.

    It reminds me of how different people react to Jesus, the real VIP of Christmas. They don’t get to meet Him in flesh-and-blood, as those we read about in the Gospel accounts were privileged to do. However, people today often encounter Jesus or the truths about Him during this season of the year. They may see a portrayal of His birth on a Christmas card, postage stamp, or in a Nativity scene in a Christmas light display. They may hear Him mentioned in certain seasonal songs that are sung, played on the radio, or heard over the speakers in stores. In one way or another, many are confronted with this unusual character called Jesus.

Some people can be very nonchalant or even apathetic about Him. They pay little attention to Him as they go about their busy holiday activities. In others, this emphasis on Jesus will sometimes spur their curiosity, but it may not motivate them to do anything more than to look at Him from a distance with a slight interest. Other people view Jesus with a certain degree of respect, seeing Him as some mysterious person whom you need to be careful around but you don’t dare get very close to. And then there are the fearful or the downright hostile. They may not want to have anything to do with this so-called Savior. They don’t like some of His values. They don’t like how guilty He makes them feel. And they may not care for some of the people who claim to be His followers. So either out of fear or disdain, they distance themselves as much as possible from Him and His connection to the Christmas season.

 Then there are those who have come to love Jesus, to worship Him, and to adore Him. They have come to realize how much Jesus loves them. They know that He is the heart of this season. They have moved from curiosity to faith in Him as the Son of God who came to save them from their sins. They know that while He is to be feared as the Judge of those who reject Him, He can be like a loving Daddy to those who will accept Him. While His holy presence may have made them feel guilty, He made a way for them to be pardoned and to have peace in their hearts instead. Rather than running from Him, they know they can confidently run to Him.

Wherever we may be in how we view Jesus and whatever attitude we may have toward Him, I hope we will open ourselves up to drawing closer to this person at the center of the celebration. He is more than a curiosity. He is not just a mysterious divine stranger. He is not an enemy. He is the Son of God who loves us and came into this world to bless us.