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You may recall from Dr. Seuss’ 1957 classic, the Grinch was a sour, dour creature with a heart “two sizes too small.” So how small was that? To be sure it was too small to make room for Christmas.
The Grinch hated Christmas, especially when the melodious sounds of celebration in Whoville down below floated up to his solitary mountain top abode. Finally, he could take it no longer, so he plotted a scheme to steal Christmas. Disguised as Santa, he methodically stole all the gifts and goodies from every house in Whoville.
Alas, on Christmas Day the Grinch heard the same joyous sound of Christmas echoing from the village of Whoville. The Whos were celebrating Christmas with no gifts and no goodies. How could it be? Ah, but perhaps Christmas was about more than presents and palate. And you know the rest of the story.
Much like Charles Dickens’ Ebeneezer Scrooge, the Grinch became a ‘Christmas convert’ and celebrated along with the throng. And it was said the Grinch’s heart “grew three sizes.”
There was another Christmas antagonist long before the Grinch or Scrooge. His name was King Herod, The Great. The Bible says when he first heard about Christmas “he was troubled” (Mt. 2:3). He was, in fact, so troubled that he slaughtered all the Bethlehemite boys who had any possibility of being the Christmas Child.
It’s called in Bible history, “The Slaughter of the Innocents.” It was Herod’s attempt to steal Christmas. Of course, Herod failed as God intervened to rescue the Child. Unlike the Grinch or Scrooge, however, Herod never converted. He lived and died hating Christmas.
For the record, Christmas has always been and always will be theft-resistant. It cannot be stolen, nor can its celebration be silenced. The world’s secularized attempt at Christmas is consumed by commercialism, materialism, and sometimes by ritualism. The Biblical version that gave us Christmas transcends the world. It is celebrated in the world, but it is not of the world.
It is based on a miracle, specifically, the miracle of God’s incarnation in Jesus Christ. He was born into the world as “Emmanuel — God with us” (Mt. 1:23). Not everyone celebrates or is willing to celebrate the miracle, but everyone is invited to. As the Herald Angel proclaimed, Christmas is “good news of great joy for ALL PEOPLE” (Lk. 2:10). But only those people who embrace the miracle can truly engage the celebration.
The Grinch’s Christmas conversion evoked his celebration. While it’s not a Bible story, it does contain an interesting glimpse of Bible truth. Don’t forget that the Grinch’s Christmas antagonism encountered an unpretentious — perhaps unwitting — Christmas protagonism in one of Whoville’s resident children. Her name was Cindy Lou Who. Her words convey the power behind the Grinch’s conversion: “Don’t forget the Grinch. I know he’s mean and hairy and smelly. His hands might be cold and clammy, but I think he’s actually kind of sweet.”
Sounds like the heart of the Child who was born for us sinners. As Paul says, “When we were dead in our transgressions … because of His great love, He made us alive together with Christ” (Eph. 2:1, 4, 5). For the Grinch and for us, such love causes hearts “two sizes too small” to grow “three sizes.” It’s called ‘regeneration’ and that, too, is a miracle.
So, it’s the Incarnation that makes a way for regeneration. It’s the miracle of Christmas that engenders the miracle of a new heart. In that sense every Christian believer is a ‘Christmas convert.’ And, by the way, the Grinch didn’t steal Christmas; Christmas stole him. Christmas steals everyone who receives the miracle. Now that’s worth celebrating!
Ed Clevinger is minister at Grace Christian Church in Kingsport.
