Grace and peace to you for your eyes have seen your salvation which God has prepared for you in the sight of all people. Amen.

Luke 2:25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ²⁹ "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. ³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all people, ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." ³³ The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."

When aged Simeon held you in his arms, Lord, he recognized you with joy as the long-awaited Savior, the Light of the Gentiles, and the Glory of Israel. Help us to be more like Simeon – filled with peace and joy, ready to depart this life as heirs of heaven, saved by grace through faith. Amen.

In one of the greatest Christmas cartoons of all time, "A Charlie Brown Christmas," Charlie Brown stands at the wall with his friend Linus discussing Christmas. Charlie Brown admits, "There must be something wrong with me, Linus, Christmas is coming but I’m not happy. I don’t feel the way I’m supposed to feel. I just don’t understand Christmas, I guess. I like getting presents and sending Christmas cards and decorating trees and all that, but I’m still not happy. I always end up feeling depressed." Linus replies, "Charlie Brown, you’re the only person I know who can take a wonderful season like Christmas and turn it into a problem. Of all the Charlie Brown’s in the world, you’re the Charlie Brownest."

As great of a philosopher and theologian as the preschool Linus is, I have to disagree with him. I know lots of people in our world who have taken the wonderful season of Christmas and turned it into a problem.

A few weeks ago, President Bush irritated many of his conservative supporters when he sent them cards that said, "Happy Holidays" and not "Merry Christmas." Here in Wisconsin, a group of Republican legislators have petitioned Governor Doyle to change the name of the big evergreen tree standing in the state capital. They want it to be called the "Christmas tree" and not the "holiday tree." Although Governor Doyle is just following the example of many panicky officials who have produced multicultural trees, holiday trees, community trees, care trees and giving trees.

The principal of Braden Middle School in Florida said, "You won't see any Christmas trees around here. We keep it generic." Some principals and teachers around the country even ban the word "Christmas." In Rochester, Minnesota, two girls were reprimanded for saying "Merry Christmas" in a school skit.

An elementary school in New Hampshire declared that December is a gift-giving month but couldn't explain why or how it got to be a giving time of year, since it refused to use the word "Christmas." The South Orange/Maplewood, New Jersey, school district banned religious Christmas songs, even in instrumental versions. In Florida, an elementary school concert included songs about Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, but offered not a single note of Christmas music. A recent winter parade in Denver looked very much like a Christmas event, except for one small thing: Every reference to Christmas was banned.

Santa Claus, originally based on a Christian saint but no more religious than Kermit the Frog, is considered much too divisive and hurtful to non-Christian students in many schools. In Watsontown, Pennsylvania, a motorist ran over and destroyed the nativity scene outside the Watsontown Alliance Church. They ran over Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and clipped a couple of wise men and shepherds, too.

This morning we are going to discuss the problems that many "Charlie Brown’s" have in our world with Christmas. We will discuss the minimalism of Christmas. Then we will look at the example of Simeon to realize and discover the magnitude of Christmas.

It used to be that in the past, ministers used to preach against the evils that sprung up around the Christmas season. We used to preach against the materialism of the Christmas season. Stores advertise to shoppers what they ought to buy, long before Thanksgiving has come and gone. Even in "A Charlie Brown Christmas", Lucy tells Charlie Brown and Linus to get an aluminum tree. The gang is dancing to un-Christmas like music, instead of rehearsing their lines. Snoopy’s doghouse is all decked out in Christmas lights, not to celebrate the joyous holiday, but to win money in a contest. Charlie Brown has had enough and almost loses all faith in Christmas.

Then ministers could preach against the secularism of Christmas. Christmas specials on TV or floats in the Macy’s parade really aren’t about the Christ of Christmas at all. Everything is about Santa Claus, the Grinch, Scrooge, and Rudolph. Somehow the meaning of Christmas has been distorted to feeling good about each other and not about the Savior being born.

The materialism and secularism of Christmas still remains. However, the polytheism of our American society has again removed much of the true message of Christmas. For fear of somehow offending people in our politically correct society, we are encouraged to wish everyone "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Somehow people feel that we might offend those who celebrate Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or nothing at all. At times, I am tempted to wish a black person a "Happy Hanukkah" or a white person "Happy Kwanzaa" just to demonstrate the folly of our society. This polytheism – the acceptance of many gods – has led to the minimalism of Christmas.

The minimalism of Christmas means that our society has removed the meaning of Christmas from this holy day. We are encouraged to celebrate the holidays, which really mean "holy days." We are discouraged from using the phrase "Merry Christmas." I think it would be better to wish people a "Blessed Christmas" or better yet, "may you have a blessed mass of Christ" – mass means "worship" of Christ. Or even better yet, "may God bless your celebration of the Christ Child" – although that’s getting a little long.

We can complain all we want about how our PC society and our wimpy politicians destroying Christmas with minimalism. However, before we point the finger at others, we need to point the finger for the minimalism of Christmas at ourselves.

Sure, we complain, "It makes me sick when they leave Christ out of Christmas." But then, what do we do? We sent out cards that don’t mention Christ. The Santas and snowmen in our Christmas decorations far outnumber our nativities or angels. We spend more time worrying about our shopping list than we do in prayer, worship and meditation. We treasure presents and bonuses more than we crave the forgiveness of sins and the peace that only Christ can bring. We spend tons of money on presents, but give minimal presents of money to our Lord for his ministry.

Look at how few people were in church for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and this Sunday after Christmas. Yes, spending time with our family at home is a good thing, but spending time with the Holy Family in God’s home is even better. We relegate Christmas to an eve or a day and then that’s about it – we go on with life as normal. We are just as guilty as everyone else for the minimalism of Christmas.

So what can we do about this? Is there some quick and simple steps that we can take to save Christmas? What you can do is look to the example of aged Simeon. Learn from them about the magnitude of Christmas.

Simeon was inspired by the Holy Spirit to go to the temple to see Jesus who was eight days old and brought to the temple for circumcision. Praising God as he held the baby Jesus in his arms he said, "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel." We still sing these words today in our communion liturgy known as the "Nunc Dimittis," which is the Latin for "you now dismiss." This beautiful hymn emphasizes the magnitude of Christ’s coming.

In prophecy Simeon speaks of Jesus as much more than a baby in his arms but as the Savior of all people and of all the nations of the world. God had kept his promise to send a Savior. God had kept his promise to let Simeon see that Savior. And now Simeon knew that God would keep his promise of eternal life to all who believe in this Savior.

Simeon had see salvation. He was holding salvation in his arms. This left him with peace – a child-like peace and faith. "Lord you now dismiss your servant in peace." Simeon was an old man but his confession contained youthful energy. When a little child learns about Jesus as their Savior you wouldn’t believe the mission zeal and enthusiasm it generates in them. They will speak boldly and openly, without fear, about their Savior, Jesus. They know what it means not only to be young at heart, but also to be young in joy, young in eagerness, young in enthusiasm, young in faith. The other day, Abbey and Miriam walked into the public library singing "Go Tell It On the Mountain" with joy and without fear. While we may be afraid to wish others a "Merry Christmas," our children know how to have a "Merry Christmas." It is all about the Christ.

Simeon was an old man but look at the energy and youth his faith expresses. Simeon confessed that Jesus was a "light for revelation to the Gentiles and the glory to your people Israel." Simeon was saying that Jesus was the Savior of all people. To the Gentile or unbeliever, Jesus was a light in a world of Satan, death, sin, and darkness. And to the believer who was already living in the light, Jesus was the glory of salvation which would be won for them in heaven. Simeon expressed enthusiasm and energy to spread the gospel in his confession. He didn’t want to keep this wondrous news of salvation to himself. He wanted to tell the world. We still tell the world about the magnitude of Christmas every time we sing Simeon’s song. Now may we have the same energy, enthusiasm, and child-like faith as that of Simeon to sing and speak of the magnitude of Christmas outside of the church.

The child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. But Simeon had more to say, especially to Mary. "Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: ‘This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.’" Many in Israel would speak against Christ. They would stumble at the truth of God’s Word and fall away from Christ in unbelief. Those in Israel, however, who accepted Jesus as God’s promised Messiah, would be raised up. They would receive salvation.

On October 12, 1999, in Sarajevo, Bosnia, was a very important birth. On that day, symbolically at least, the six billionth person was born. Six billion. There are estimates that say that there have been over 100 billion people who have ever lived. That’s a lot of people. And Jesus was prophesied, born, lived, died, rose again, and rules in heaven for every single one of them. That is the magnitude of Christmas. The magnitude of Christmas is that Christmas always leads to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The manger always leads to the cross. The Babe of Bethlehem became the Savior from sin.

Simeon is prophetically telling us that no one could remain neutral about this Child and what he would accomplish. That is why we have suffered through our society’s and our own minimalism of Christmas. Unless believers and religious-liberties groups begin to push back, the anti-Christmas trend will prevail in the public square. For example, in Bogota, New Jersey, Mayor Steve Lonegan invited people to sing the "illegal" Christmas carols that were outlawed at their high school winter concert. We loudly proclaim "Merry Christmas." But more important than manger scenes, Christmas cards or Christmas songs in the public schools is how we view Christmas in our own hearts. We must understand that the Child of Christmas is the Savior from sin. He brings light into this world of darkness. He brings peace in the midst of disappointment and sadness. That is the magnitude of Christmas. Even a quintessential loser like Charlie Brown came to realize the miraculous nature of Christmas. Amen.

Our eyes have seen the salvation God has prepared for all people. Amen.