Gifts to Jesus

It may be easy for us to forget that this is Jesus' birthday. That usually means gifts to the birthday person. Children especially will think it normal that Jesus should receive something for his birthday. We'll need to talk with them about what it means to give a gift to Jesus since we can't put it in his hand. One of the unusual things about Jesus is that when we give a gift to him, other people benefit. 'And the King will answer them, "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me"' (Matthew 25:40).

If you decide early in the Advent season where your gift is going, you can be praying for the recipient throughout the season. Your prayer becomes an added gift to the family with special needs, the Christian relief agency, the local ministry, the missionary, or whomever you have chosen. . . .

The children at our house have had a simple drawstring bag - a shepherd's pouch, we call it - in which to collect Jesus' gift throughout December. On Christmas Eve, during a special family worship time, the children lay their pouches beside the manger of our special nativity scene. We speak to them then of giving their gifts to Jesus, as the shepherds came, giving Jesus worship and wonder. (Piper, Noel. Treasuring God in our Traditions. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 2003. p86)

I love this idea as a way to honor Jesus in a way that is practical and tangible for toddlers. The emphasis is not on the gift, or even on the recipient, but on the King.