Mary and Joseph were not rich people. We know this because the offering they gave when they presented Jesus at the temple was the one that only the poor gave (Luke 2:21-40). Many people believe that love is measured in financial terms through the cost of the gifts given, and Christmas can easily become a time of debt and anxiety rather than a time of peace and love. In our society where credit is often available, it can be easy to spend now and worry about paying later (and indeed, that seems to be the economic philosophy of governments which is causing so much heartache nowadays.)  But love is not simply about money and gifts.

Mary and Joseph showed their love for God in this passage today, following the rules of God’s law and expressing gratitude for the miraculous gift of their son. They understood the principle that the earth is the Lord’s and everything in it (Ps 24:1) and more specifically that ‘every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord.’ (Ex 13:2, 12) Jesus gave us a new rule of thumb when He said, ‘If you love me, keep my commands.’ (John 14:15) The best way to show God’s love is to do what He says. Love isn’t about expensive gifts; it’s about simple obedience to God.

In Luke 2:25-38 we meet two more ‘incidental’ characters in the Christmas story, Simeon and Anna. Simeon was an old man who was righteous and devout and full of the Holy Spirit. Anna was an old widow, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. Both were deeply in love with God and were waiting for His Messiah to come. Of Simeon, Luke tells us, ‘It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah.’ (Luke 2:26) Of Anna, we learn ‘she never left the temple but worshipped night and day, fasting and praying.’ (Luke 2:37)

Their love for God was rewarded by seeing Jesus as His parents brought Him into the temple. Simeon knows the peace of God as he holds the baby in his arms and prophesies over him. (Luke 2:28-32) Anna ‘gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.’ (Luke 2:38)

We know nothing else about these two people, but their love for God shines through these verses. May our love for God shine through to our families and communities; may our words this Christmas time be all about the child who brings redemption to the world.

Dave spoke tonight on the third Advent theme of love, speaking from 1 John 4:7-16. We are called to love one another as Christ has loved us, but we must not simply love other Christians. God wants us to reach out to others in love, just as Peter did when moved to speak the gospel to Cornelius and other Gentiles. Love ultimately originates with God and His love is what must be seen in our lives, not simply our love. This goes far beyond a feeling; it requires the sort of commitment shown by God at Christmas, for He so loved the world that He gave His only Son. (John 3:16)

Despite the evil in the world and the sin in us all, God still chose to give His Son. He did this so we can feel the warmth of His love and can come to have eternal life. His love is shown not only in the fact that the Son came to earth, but also in the fact that the Son died for us. Justice was tempered by mercy.

Others can only see God’s love through God’s people. We are called to love even the difficult and the unlovable. It’s the challenge God sets before us all: to love as He does.

I was interviewed by Radio Sheffield this afternoon as part of their virtual tour of South Yorkshire, which today landed in Goldthorpe. One of the many blessings of Goldthorpe is having the wonderful outdoor space at the Railway Embankment, which was the scene for a joint ‘Churches Together’/ Embankment group meeting this afternoon. We had hot drinks, sang carols and did Christmas crafts.

It was great to have so many people out and about on such a cold afternoon.

We also had a star trail, which turned up not only hidden stars but a hedgehog!

This third week of Advent takes as its theme ‘love.’ Love is at the heart of Christmas; ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ (John 3:16) I love the tradition of giving gifts at Christmas. I enjoy choosing gifts for people; I like wrapping them up in pretty paper and adorning them with bows and ribbons. Even though my house is currently overrun by presents, bagged up and waiting to be delivered, I still love everything that is associated with gifts. But the reason we give gifts at Christmas is wrapped up in a simple verse found in a passage where Paul advises generosity to Christians: ‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’ (2 Cor 9:15) We give gifts because God has given us the greatest gift of all in His Son, Jesus.

We can, of course, give gifts for a variety of reasons. We can give them out of duty or obligation, because we feel we have to. We can give them because we hope that in giving the gift, we will receive one in return (the quid pro quo system which seems to reflect the world’s way of doing things.) We can give grudgingly or with no thought at all, buying what we like rather than thinking about what the other person likes or needs. But we can also give gladly, joyfully, wanting to please someone else, choosing a gift with thought and consideration and care.

God gives because He is love. (1 John 4:8) His motivation for all that He does is love, and therefore it is worth taking time this week to consider the true nature of love (see 1 Corinthians 13) and to understand that love gives in a whole variety of ways (not necessarily through gifts.)