This is the time of year when we think back to the =
very first Christmas, when the Three Wise Men went to see baby Jesus, =
and “presented unto Him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” =
These are simple words, but if we analyze them carefully, we discover an =
important, yet often-overlooked, theological fact: There is no mention =
of wrapping paper.
If =
there had been wrapping paper, St Matthew would have said so:
v 13 =
”And lo, the gifts were inside 600 square cubits of =
paper. And the paper WAS festooned with pictures of Frosty the =
Snowman.”
v 14 =
“And Joseph sought to throweth it away, but Mary sayest unto him, =
`Holdeth it! That is nice paper! Saveth it for next =
year!’`
v 15 “So =
Joseph rolleth his eyeballs.
v 16 “And the baby Jesus was more =
interested in the paper than the frankincense.” =
But these words do not appear in the Bible, which =
means that the very first Christmas gifts were NOT wrapped. This is =
because the people giving those gifts had two important characteristics: =
1. They were wise.
2. They were men.
If we =
learn anything from this about Christmas, men are not big gift =
wrappers. Men do not understand the point of putting paper on a =
gift just so somebody else can tear it off. And no one ever had to =
wonder which presents men wrap at Christmas. They are the ones =
that look like enormous spitballs.
My =
point is that gift-wrapping is one of those skills — like having babies =
— that come more naturally to women than to men.
In =
conclusion, remember that the important thing is not what you give, or =
how you wrap it. The important thing is that you save the =
receipt.
[Credit to Dave Barry for the original humor. =
Greatly edited, I’m certain, as it floated around the ‘net many =
Christmases now.]
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] www.grif.net =
"Jesus Knows Me, This I =
Love!"