Three prayers, three gifts—nothing could be better at Christmas!
By Dean Collins
Every year as Christmas gets closer we find suggestions of what gifts to buy—online, on social media, and in catalogs mailed to our homes. Magazines and newspapers get in on this too, especially with gift-giving lists: Some are categorized by how much you want to spend, others by who will receive the gifts.
We often think of the gifts the Wise Men brought, but few of us have gold, frankincense, or myrrh on our shopping list or in our Amazon cart!
Excellent gifts
Jude, in his short epistle, identified himself as a servant of Jesus Christ and as the brother of James before he identified his audience: “to those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ.” What a wonderful reminder of our spiritual identity. We are called by God, beloved in God, and kept in Jesus Christ! And not only a reminder, but a gift!
Jude then offered a prayer for believers everywhere: “May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.” This prayer connects us to the wonderful blessings we have in Christ. What is significant in this prayer is that Jude asks not just that we receive this blessing once but that it come to us in abundance and over and over again. Better than anything under our trees!
We can give, too!
Maybe instead of our obsession to find the perfect gifts for others this year, we might consider how we live out the blessing that is ours in Christ. What would it look like for us to overflow with mercy, peace, and love in our relationships with each other and especially with those who yet do not know Jesus?
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said we receive mercy when we are merciful. Certainly this Advent season we can pray that the Holy Spirit reveals to us the many places and people where we can demonstrate mercy to others.
At the last supper with his disciples, Jesus announced he was leaving us his peace: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.” The peace of Christ allows us to have a right relationship with God and becomes the basis by which we can have a right relationship with one another. For centuries Christians have “passed the peace” as a part of their worship gathering each Sunday.
Jesus also told us to love one another. In fact, he said that when we love one another, the world will know we are truly his disciples (John 13:34-35).
So in this Advent season, I wonder if we might start by praying Jude’s prayer for each other. “May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.”
And as we pray this for each other, we might expect ever more visibly to share mercy, peace, and love with the people around us.
Father thank you for multiplying mercy, peace, and love in our lives! Now send us out to the world so that we might share these gifts with others. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your time with God’s Word
Jude 1:1-2 ESV
Photo by JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
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