Images Matter

It’s the gift-giving time! Near the end of the year, stores fill up their shelves with things that appear once a year. Christmas is the time for many things to be stored away again once the New Year passes.

In contrast, consider the images associated with the life of Jesus. Is there a child who ever gets tired of the manger scene? The manger stall with farm animals close at hand, the visit by the shepherds, even the angels’ song: Mary and Joseph didn’t “own” anything except perhaps the donkey. Mary and Joseph took their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to Egypt. Christmas images of the Nativity matter, for they profoundly shaped our concept of the desire to give to others. It’s good to consider the messages we leave with children. Images matter.

Think of some events during Jesus’ life. He met in homes where he was invited but never “owned” one. We remember a boat he “borrowed” as a platform, for eager crowds almost pushed him into the water.

One image governs my daily actions. One day, the sun passed its zenith as even more crowds gathered. The masses were tired and hungry, and the disciples talked amongst themselves. “How will we feed this multitude?” Andrew found a boy who brought two loaves and five small fish for his lunch. After Jesus blessed the lunch, the food was more than enough for everyone. The image of two loaves and five fishes is now universally used as a symbol of generosity and God’s power. Jesus possessed nothing, yet he had everything: authority, compassion, grace, and love. Loaves and fishes. That’s the power of an image.

Many scenes in Jerusalem come to mind. In the days before the crucifixion, Jesus went down the Mount of Olives riding on a donkey; it was “borrowed.” The Upper Room? It, too, was “borrowed.” Even the Passover meal was prepared by his friends. Did Jesus own anything? Well, yes, for on the cross, Jesus was stripped of everything. But the soldiers gambled for his tunic. Those are all powerful images.

Christmas is about the coming of the Savior. He owned so little, yet he was rich. And on the cross, he became poor; he took on my sin there. He didn’t “borrow” my sin; he took it on himself and, in turn, offers me salvation. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him.” Isaiah 53:5 That’s the key image of the Scriptures. That image matters.

What will our children remember about Christmas during their adult lives? Will the remaining images be ones of wrapping paper, gifts, and faded family photographs, all too soon forgotten after the New Year? Or will the reality be that we possess true wealth? God’s riches. Images matter.