It’s December 24, 2017, the day before Christmas Day and the time when everybody seems to be very busy preparing for the Christmas Eve celebration. The Church’s Sabbath services has been reduced to the lowest possible time and meetings postponed to give more time for members and families to prepare and celebrate the special day of the Lord. Consequently, we have our combined Sacrament meeting for the three branches which are regularly using the District Center.
In his Christmas message for us, our District President related the story in a Church video entitled The Old Shoemaker---an account adapted from the story of Russian author Leo Tolstoy. There had been several adaptations of Tolstoy’s story, but I loved this 3.27-minute video produced by the Church. This was a story of Martin the old shoemaker who heard the voice of the Lord in a dream that Jesus will visit Him the following day. And while he was looking over the window, anticipating the visit of Jesus, he happened to see a man shoveling the snow which he offered something warm to drink. There was a young mother and her child cold and weary whom he invited into his shop then gave his own coat and some money. Then there was an old woman selling apples and a hungry little boy stole one from her basket, and Martin saved the boy from being apprehended by the police by paying the stolen apple, after which the boy promised not to steal again. As it was related by my son---our district president, I was again moved to tears as I had been each time I viewed this video each Christmas.
In one concept it was told that, Martin, the Old shoemaker, read about the story from his old leather Bible of the wise men giving their best gifts for Jesus. Then he thought, “If Jesus visited me, what would I be able to give Him?” The story is the same although there are slight variations.
I thought that if by chance we will hear the voice of the Lord speaking to us in a dream as it was in the story of Martin---the old shoemaker---what would we give if Jesus visits our homes on Christmas?
Perhaps at this time of great calamities that befell so many people we can give Him food, clothing and some materials for shelter. His sandals might have been torn for long use and we wanted to give Him a pair of shoes. He might have been cold because of walking under the heaviest of rain and we wanted to give Him a warm jacket and rain coat and a warm blanket to protect Him from the cold of December nights. In His weary walk we might offer him a ride home. He so loved children and perhaps He would need fruits, candies and toys for them to enjoy.
As it was in the story of Martin, the old shoe maker, Jesus did not physically come. Yet throughout the festive season we might have seen and witnessed so many whose lives are in distress. There are the garbage men working under the rain and braving the foul smell of filthy garbage in our neighborhood. There are the children passing by walking barefoot. Old and young singing carols if only to get a peso or two to be accumulated for a kilo or two of rice for a day’s meal. Children come at our gate and sing carols if only to satisfy their craving for chocolate and candies they wished to receive from generous homeowners. We see many even more of the destitute living in slums. When we extend our hands to these suffering people out of love and kindness and generosity, like the old shoe maker we can be the happiest man or woman on Christmas Day.
I and my wife felt such greatest joy as we were made the hands of a very generous donor to extend her benevolence to the poor and needy on several Christmases notwithstanding her own needs. Those things were not ours to give, but a service to share and render.
The story concluded with Martin wondering why the Lord did not come. But he was made to understand later that those who were in need and of whom he extended his helping hands in love and mercy were actually representations of the Lord’s presence. As Martin opened a verse from Matthew 25:40 he was reminded of the Lord’s words: “…Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
In whatever circumstances we may have been entombed, we each can have the opportunity to give. If we are rich we can give more from our abundance. If we are living in poverty we can give of our time and service. Even in our own physical and financial handicaps we each can give a generous offering to the Lord. We need not ask what would we give if Jesus visits our homes on Christmas, for however simple and scanty the gift when given out of charity, it will always be acceptable to Him.
May we all remember that, “The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem of Judea is preface. The three-year ministry of the Master is prologue. The magnificent substance of the story is His sacrifice, the totally selfless act of dying in pain on the cross of Calvary to atone for the sins of all of us.
“The epilogue is the miracle of the Resurrection, bringing the assurance that “as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22).
“There would be no Christmas if there had not been Easter. The babe Jesus of Bethlehem would be but another baby without the redeeming Christ of Gethsemane and Calvary, and the triumphant fact of the Resurrection” (Gordon B. Hinckley).
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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