It’s beautifully wrapped. Wrapped in red paper. Why red? It seems to be a color that stands out, so why not enfold this specially boxed gift in the color red.

Like any gift that’s received, it’s meant to be opened. After unwrapping you hear grandmother yell from across the room, “Save the paper!” What? Is there a paper shortage? Is this family that poor? Do you iron the paper and use it again or just let the wrinkles remain from the first opening and prepare it for the re-wrapping? I suspect when my grandmother’s house was cleaned after her passing, a lot of wrapping paper was found neatly ironed and folded and stored in her closet. Right next to boxes of “Sweet and Low” sugar. You never know when you’ll need one!

“Save the Paper.” If the gift had eyes, it’d be staring right up at you patiently waiting to be discovered. The suspense of the unwrapping, the surprise of what’s inside all defines this small box in front of you.

Jesus gave us all kinds of images to convey the opening of the gift of all gifts. He tells us about yeast that rises to feed a hungry family, a small mustard seed that soon will soften the afternoon sun, finding a lost coin and inviting friends over for a drink to celebrate, rediscovering what you felt you’ve lost like the prodigal son, a lamp that brightens a good book instead of hiding it under a bushel basket, how a couple of fish and pieces of bread can feed multitudes – with leftovers!

Simple gifts illustrating growth, successes, fulfillments along with renewal and those “starting again from scratch” during troubling times. He’s given us enough this red gift to last a lifetime, no matter the length of years. And if Jesus’ images don’t do it for you then how the gift of his own life and death – in service, commitment, and dedication to something bigger and larger than just one person.

Any gift that is opened involves a degree of risk – will I like it, it is more useful than the Veg-O-Matic I never use, can I make it my own and not simply copy someone else’s, how will others accept it when I show it to them? Any opened gift involves growth – read the instructions and follow them. When a failure occurs, “dust yourself off,” as the song sings, and then re-read the instructions. Any opened gift involves dependence – we like to think we are self-made people but just remember how many people it took to create this gift for you and to never forget who the Giver of the gift is. Risk, growth, dependence; I can go on but I hope you get the gist of what I’m saying.

I forgot the best experience of any opened gift: it is hope. Scripture assures us that “hope does not disappoint” This is authentic hope, not the hope of your favorite sports team. The gift of this hope is the undergirding and context of life. It is the hope that opening this gift was worth it, or better yet that you were worthy of receiving this gift. It is the hope that looks beyond human foibles and failings (our own and others) and dedicates itself each day to living and modeling a divine hope. That’s the kind of hope that led the woman to find her silly, lost coin that was important to her or the silly, loving father who kills a fatted calf for his unrepentant, wayward son.

Did I forget to tell you what’s inside that beautifully red-wrapped gift box? And did I forget to tell you what happens to that bow? I’m sure my grandmother would have saved the bow as well. It’s the gift box given to each of us at birth and gradually to be unwrapped throughout our lives. This year and every year, this holy day asks us to reflect on this unwrapping of this sacred gift. How are able to be gift to family, friends, coworkers? And to the checkout lady. (Why is the checkout lady always used in sermons?!) And the one I like the best is, how are we able to help others unwrap their life’s gift?
This gift box is still being unwrapped by each of us with each new encounter, each new situation – whether joyous or troubling. And unwrapping this gift knows no age because we are all still breathing life – from our life into the lives of others.
Explain the box? That’s easy. The box is all of us seated here, or standing. The red wrapping is all the significant people who enlighten us. Contained inside the box is all of our experiences – good, bad, or indifferent – the contents inside the box define who we are. The bow? The bow is eternal life. You need to undo the bow first in order to open the gift. We need to begin life in order to have it end. You thought I forgot about the wrapping paper? The wrapping paper is all the memories that are neatly ironed and folded and carried within all of us for all of our lives.

So go ahead and keep opening your gift. It’s worth it. God gave us the gift box to be opened and to be used. And..to be used up. 

So, my grandmother was right. “Save the paper!”