GOD TALK-St. Nicholas-A Servant Of Christ

What about Santa Claus? With our young children, it is fun to pretend there is this guy with eight tiny reindeer who lives at the North Pole. He delivers presents to every single household in the world all in one night! Just as other things, this will fade with age.
There is concern that the celebration of Christ’s birth during this season will be overshadowed by the anticipation of gifts, and the prominence of a make-believe “gift-bringer”. It is imperative that we discuss the historic figure of St. Nicholas with our children. Not so much Clement Moore’s depiction of “a right jolly old elf”, with rosy cheeks and twinkling eyes, but of the real man who lived a life devoted to God.
Between the blend of fact and legend, one thing is clear. He was a man of action, living out his Christian faith in word and deed. In all accounts, Bishop Nicholas would have readily agreed, the greatest gift ever given to mankind is salvation through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
History records, Nicholas was born in Patara, a city of southern Turkey, about 280 A.D. The only son of wealthy parents, Nicholas received instruction from the Holy Scriptures. From his youth, he disciplined himself through fasting and prayer. When his parents died, he began to give away all the money and property he had inherited to those who begged him for help. Nicholas earned a reputation for his kindness, generosity, and wisdom.
One account tells of a father who had lost all his money due to hard times. He had nothing to provide in dowries for his daughters. At midnight, Nicholas went to the man's home and threw a large bag of gold through a window, then fled into the darkness. Some say the bag landed in a stocking hung by the fire to dry. The father discovered the gold, and gave thanks to God, but did not know who had given him the money. Nicholas did many generous deeds; still others were attributed to him after his death.
Nicholas became the Archbishop of Myra. Stories written about him attest to his generosity and devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. After 303 AD, Nicholas was imprisoned for five years because he defied a command to worship Diocletian, the Roman Emperor, as a god. Even in prison, he instructed people in the Christian faith while confined to a small cell. Nicholas refused to recant from his beliefs, suffering cold, hunger, and thirst, but never wavering in his commitment. He was released during the reign of Constantine, and resumed his duties as Archbishop of Myra. Nicholas died on December 6, 343. By the year 450, churches in Asia Minor and Greece were named in honor of the bishop. By 800, he was recognized as a saint throughout the whole Church. Annual celebrations were held on the day of death, December 6.
Over the centuries, Saint Nicholas' popularity grew, as many people in Europe retold stories that illustrated his concern for children. Due to his secret generosity, and because his day is close to Christmas, legends developed about Saint Nicholas bringing gifts to children at Christmas time. He has many of names—Père Noël in France, and Father Christmas in England. Sailors called him their patron saint. The Dutch called him Sanct Herr Nicholaas, or Sinter Klaas. Early Dutch settlers in New Amsterdam (New York), brought their traditions of Saint Nicholas to North America. The pronunciation “Sinter Klaas”, gradually transformed into “Santa Claus.”
After the Protestant Reformation, many days celebrating saints were not observed as before. Several traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas survived though, but changed over time. Today’s image of a chubby, rosy Santa Claus who somehow keeps track of all naughty and nice children at his North Pole toy factory seems a far cry from the humble, austere fourth-century bishop. Essential qualities that endeared Saint Nicholas to many have remained through generations: his love for children, his generosity of spirit, and his ceaseless giving to others—always in the name and for the sake of his beloved Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us honor the Lord Jesus Christ in all we do and say, not only in our Christmas celebration, but with our lives every day of the year. In what is known of St. Nicholas’ character, there are aspects of a Christian faith “lived out”. It doesn’t really matter if Nicholas actually did everything that has been written about him. His active faith in Christ is what impacted people of his time, and has influenced others in each century that has followed him. Let us serve the Lord Jesus daily with our words and deeds, just as Bishop Nicholas served Him.
Yes, Virginia. There really was a St. Nicholas!