The Knockoff Jesus -- FPC sermon excerpt
“I like the Christmas Jesus best.”
That’s what Will Ferrell says in the comedy Talladega Nights, when he is playing a stock car driver named Ricky Bobby. “Dear tiny Jesus,” he says as he begins his prayer at a family meal. “Golden fleece diapers, with your tiny, fat, balled-up fist …”
“Jesus did grow up,” his wife reminds him. “You don’t always have to call him baby.”
“I like the Christmas Jesus best when I’m saying grace,” he insists. And so he continues his prayer, “Dear 8 lb., 6 oz., newborn infant Jesus. Don’t even know a word yet. Just a little infant, so cuddly, but still omnipotent … Thank you for all your power and your grace, dear baby God. Amen.”
Now we might laugh at Will Ferrell, but the truth is that we like the Christmas Jesus, too. We love to sing “Away in a manger, no crib for His bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.” We like to “Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!” We enjoy Christmas pageants with glittery stars and shepherds in bathrobes, along with the chance to join our voices in “Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon virgin mother and child! Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.”
We like the Christmas Jesus best.
But what if this tiny infant is a bit of a knockoff? Not a fake, but a version that is not quite as valuable as the original. The problem with knockoffs is that they can take our focus off the genuine article.
In New York City, a battle is raging between designers of high-fashion clothing and manufacturers who create knockoffs. My daughter Sadie has seen this first hand, as she spent this semester doing an internship at the fashion magazine Marie Claire. A designer dress will cost you $750, while a quality copy — a knockoff — can be purchased for $260. You will pay $300 for designer jeans, but can get something similar for $30. The factories that make these copies work fast, delivering knockoffs even before the designer version is available in stores.
So do you want the real deal, or a knockoff? With clothing, it probably doesn’t matter. You are going to be okay with either version. But when it comes to our Christian beliefs, it is important to separate the Knockoff Jesus from the genuine article. We don’t want Will Ferrell’s dear tiny Jesus in golden fleece diapers to distract us from the one who is the Son of the Most High God.
The story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary gives us a glimpse of the original Jesus, and you can tell his authenticity by the presence of certain brand names — they include Favored One, Jesus, Son of the Most High, Servant of the Lord. Unless you see these names, you might find yourself looking at a knockoff.
That’s what Will Ferrell says in the comedy Talladega Nights, when he is playing a stock car driver named Ricky Bobby. “Dear tiny Jesus,” he says as he begins his prayer at a family meal. “Golden fleece diapers, with your tiny, fat, balled-up fist …”
“Jesus did grow up,” his wife reminds him. “You don’t always have to call him baby.”
“I like the Christmas Jesus best when I’m saying grace,” he insists. And so he continues his prayer, “Dear 8 lb., 6 oz., newborn infant Jesus. Don’t even know a word yet. Just a little infant, so cuddly, but still omnipotent … Thank you for all your power and your grace, dear baby God. Amen.”
Now we might laugh at Will Ferrell, but the truth is that we like the Christmas Jesus, too. We love to sing “Away in a manger, no crib for His bed, the little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head.” We like to “Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!” We enjoy Christmas pageants with glittery stars and shepherds in bathrobes, along with the chance to join our voices in “Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright, Round yon virgin mother and child! Holy Infant, so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace, Sleep in heavenly peace.”
We like the Christmas Jesus best.
But what if this tiny infant is a bit of a knockoff? Not a fake, but a version that is not quite as valuable as the original. The problem with knockoffs is that they can take our focus off the genuine article.
In New York City, a battle is raging between designers of high-fashion clothing and manufacturers who create knockoffs. My daughter Sadie has seen this first hand, as she spent this semester doing an internship at the fashion magazine Marie Claire. A designer dress will cost you $750, while a quality copy — a knockoff — can be purchased for $260. You will pay $300 for designer jeans, but can get something similar for $30. The factories that make these copies work fast, delivering knockoffs even before the designer version is available in stores.
So do you want the real deal, or a knockoff? With clothing, it probably doesn’t matter. You are going to be okay with either version. But when it comes to our Christian beliefs, it is important to separate the Knockoff Jesus from the genuine article. We don’t want Will Ferrell’s dear tiny Jesus in golden fleece diapers to distract us from the one who is the Son of the Most High God.
The story of the angel Gabriel’s visit to Mary gives us a glimpse of the original Jesus, and you can tell his authenticity by the presence of certain brand names — they include Favored One, Jesus, Son of the Most High, Servant of the Lord. Unless you see these names, you might find yourself looking at a knockoff.
posted by Henry Brinton | 9:58 AM
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