Our Christmas @ The Movies series continued this morning with How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Chuck Jones’ wonderfully faithful adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic tale. Seuss, who’s real name was Theodor Geisel, was a cartoonist and writer of uncommon skill and also a devout Lutheran. His tales, though written for children, had their source in deeper adult themes. The story of the Grinch grew out of Geisel’s distaste for the commercialization of Christmas. There is much that adults today could and should learn from our dear Dr. Seuss. Perhaps they should give out copies at Walmart on Black Friday.
As a villain, Geisel’s Grinch bears a little resemblance to the great villain of the Christmas story: Herod the Great. Herod, like the Grinch, had a heart that was “two sizes too small.” Heart trouble is a common problem for humans and The Teacher of Proverbs warns us to guard our hearts. In the story of Herod we find four symptoms of heart trouble that we should be aware of.
Uncontrolled Anger – Herod’s rage drove him to command the terrible Slaughter of the Innocents in Bethlehem. Uncontrolled anger always has disastrous consequences, and is a sure sign of heart trouble. The Teacher encourages us to control our anger, while Paul recommends ridding ourselves of anger altogether. At times we may be tempted to rationalize our anger by saying “even Jesus got angry.” While it is true that Jesus did express anger, we must remind ourselves that His anger was directed at much more significant offenses than, for example, someone cutting in front of us at the checkout line. Often the best way to control our anger is to resist becoming angry in the first place. Jealousy – Herod was enraged by the possibility that a child had been born that would take his throne. He jealously strove to protect what he believed was rightfully his. He failed to recognize that everything he had was a gift from God. Protecting what we have rather than sharing with those in need is a sure sign of heart trouble. Economic uncertainty should not keep us from being generous with what God has given us, it should inspire us to be all the more generous toward those in need. Envy – Many people misuse the word “jealousy” when they really mean “envy.” To put it simply, jealousy is selfishness while envy is covetousness. Envy happens when we desire what someone else has. Herod was envious that the Magi would give their gifts and worship to a babe in a manger rather than to him. Envy is a symptom of heart trouble because it indicates a lack of contentedness. Paul reminds Timothy of the benefits of godliness with contentment. The advertising industry is built around creating discontentedness and envy. We must not allow ourselves to be caught in their trap. Fear – Herod was a man driven by fear. In addition to the murder of children in Bethlehem, history records that his paranoia drove him to murder his own wife and children when he suspected they were conspiring against him. Decisions based on fear are always flawed and never God-inspired. The apostle John reminds us that God is not the author of fear. Fear is a sign of heart trouble because it indicates a lack of trust in God’s power and His love. Especially given the conditions of our world today, followers of Christ should be notable for their freedom from fear.
Uncontrolled Anger – Herod’s rage drove him to command the terrible Slaughter of the Innocents in Bethlehem. Uncontrolled anger always has disastrous consequences, and is a sure sign of heart trouble. The Teacher encourages us to control our anger, while Paul recommends ridding ourselves of anger altogether. At times we may be tempted to rationalize our anger by saying “even Jesus got angry.” While it is true that Jesus did express anger, we must remind ourselves that His anger was directed at much more significant offenses than, for example, someone cutting in front of us at the checkout line. Often the best way to control our anger is to resist becoming angry in the first place.
Jealousy – Herod was enraged by the possibility that a child had been born that would take his throne. He jealously strove to protect what he believed was rightfully his. He failed to recognize that everything he had was a gift from God. Protecting what we have rather than sharing with those in need is a sure sign of heart trouble. Economic uncertainty should not keep us from being generous with what God has given us, it should inspire us to be all the more generous toward those in need.
Envy – Many people misuse the word “jealousy” when they really mean “envy.” To put it simply, jealousy is selfishness while envy is covetousness. Envy happens when we desire what someone else has. Herod was envious that the Magi would give their gifts and worship to a babe in a manger rather than to him. Envy is a symptom of heart trouble because it indicates a lack of contentedness. Paul reminds Timothy of the benefits of godliness with contentment. The advertising industry is built around creating discontentedness and envy. We must not allow ourselves to be caught in their trap.
Fear – Herod was a man driven by fear. In addition to the murder of children in Bethlehem, history records that his paranoia drove him to murder his own wife and children when he suspected they were conspiring against him. Decisions based on fear are always flawed and never God-inspired. The apostle John reminds us that God is not the author of fear. Fear is a sign of heart trouble because it indicates a lack of trust in God’s power and His love. Especially given the conditions of our world today, followers of Christ should be notable for their freedom from fear.
Let us guard our hearts this Christmas by watching for these symptoms of heart trouble lest we become Grinches ourselves. May our hearts be filled with the peace that surpasses all understanding so that we can truly celebrate Christ’s birth by sharing God’s love.
| Page rendered at Tuesday, February 07, 2012 9:00:08 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00) newtelligence dasBlog 2.0.7226.0