In the movie, Christmas Vacation (not for the kids), Clark's extended family reunion is crashed by his obnoxious cousin. The cousin, Eddie, arrives at Clark's house in a beat up old RV with his wife and two small children. Eddie and his family will be staying at Clark's over Christmas but Clark comes to realize that due to Eddie's poor handling of finances no Christmas gifts are prepared for the children on Christmas day.The soft hearted Clark graciously approaches Eddie for permission to purchase Christmas gifts for the kids. Eddie feigns surprise but then pulls out of his pocket a 'wish list' for his kids, having fully anticipated his cousin's generosity. To top it all off, Eddie says 'and get yourself something really niiiiccee'. The viewer can't help but chuckle at the absurdity of Eddie's proposal, panhandling a relative to purchase a Christmas gift for that relative funded by the relative but 'from' the panhandler!
I recently read a comment in a news magazine where the conservative political movement was prophetically criticised. The critic stated that the natural result of a conservative political philosophy would be selfishness. I can't help but wonder if American liberalism doesn't have the same net effect. The redistribution of wealth from the affluent to the poor isn't generosity. It's kind of like Eddie's Christm
as gift to Clark, an act of liberal giving funded by someone else!That's why the message of Christ is so powerful. Jesus came down to earth and He preached INDIVIDUAL generosity. He said 'give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you'.
He then allowed Himself to be arrested, beaten, and crucified on our behalf. Jesus lived out, by his voluntary death, what He preached, because by dying on the cross in our place, He took on the punishment that we deserve! The hound of heaven only asks that we turn our back on sin and turn our lives over to Christ.
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