Consider My Servant Nicholas – The Story of St. Nick

It is the season to save. Santa Claus land. A time for Santa Claus. Sound familiar? Maybe we give old St. Nick too much static for the commercialization of Christmas. Maybe Jesus would say, consider my servant Nicholas.

His life was not easy. He lost his parents as a child in an epidemic, but not before he was old enough for them to help him discover the gift of faith in Jesus. After his parents died, little Nicholas went to a new town and lived a life full of sacrifice and giving to others, flowing out his love for Jesus. In fact, Nicholas lived such a Christ-like life that when the town needed a bishop, he was immediately elected. Later he was imprisoned for his faith. He was eventually released by the Emperor Constantine. Then stories of his generosity spread like wildfire. He begged for food for the poor, and raised money for girls to use as a dory so they could get married.

The most often told tale of St. Nicholas is how he would put on a disguise and go out and give gifts to poor children. Nicholas gave everything he had plus everything he could get from others. Good. Nicholas died in three 14 ad his story has spread around the world today. There are more European churches named after St. Nicholas than any other person in the history of the church. Other than people from the Bible, people have done a lot of things to Saint Nick. Clement Moore, the poet, gave him a red nose and ate tiny reindeer artist Thomas Nast gave Nicholas a round belly and a red fur trim suit. But what’s really important is that he lived in the mindset and lifestyle of Christ. The life of Nicholas touched the whole world. Now here’s the real meat of the story. That same Christ-like mindset and lifestyle is supposed to be in and lived by us all.

Merry Christmas.