As a Christian, Christmas is an incredible time of year as we celebrate the earthly birth of the Son of God. The love and generosity of the Father is in plain view for all to see in every nativity scene. But as Christmas becomes more about greed and selfishness and less about generosity and sharing, you might be tempted to agree with Ebenezer and mutter your own “bah humbug”.
The Santa Claus legend is a constantly evolving story. Each generation and certainly various geographical regions have their own components to the myth. But unlike the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, the Santa Klaus legend is based on the life of a real person. Nicolas was actual person who lived in present-day Turkey from c.270-352 AD. He lived a life so passionate for God that it is hard to believe that the present concept of Santa Claus has developed from the simple stories of his life. I certainly understand that all the stories of his life aren’t historically documentable, but sometimes there is much truth to be learned from legend. Even though C.S. Lewis once said that myths were lies, albeit ,”lies breathed through silver", His friend J.R.R. Tolkien was committed to the idea of myth as the only way to express higher truths. Lewis in time was won over to Tolkien’s idea, and I am beginning to lean that way myself.
Nicolas was born in Asia Minor (present day Turkey) in the city of Patras around 270 AD. (Only a short 200+ years since Jesus had left the earth. His Father, Epiphanes and his mother, Johanes were very strong Christians. And they were also very rich, probably the wealthiest family in their city. Their wealth, however could not help them when a terrible plague flew through their area, and they both died in their thirties, leaving their young boy Nicolas all alone. Nicolas went to live with his uncle at a nearby monastery. There with the other monks, Nicolas learned more about Jesus and about the Bible. Before his thirteenth birthday, he was said to have been a passionate teacher of the stories of Jesus. The monks emphasized Jesus’ teachings of taking care of the poor to young Nicolas and by the time he was 16, he was distributing his vast wealth to the poor and needy of the area. He was always very careful to give his gifts secretly so that he wouldn’t get any credit for it, and so that God would be praised.
Nicolas was a person of great love
Obeying Jesus command to “love your neighbor”, and to “do it to the least of these”, Nicolas gave generously out of what God gave him to help those who needed help all around him. Not only did he give to people when he happened to come across a need, it is said that Nicolas would ride through the city on his horse at night looking for needy people to help. Nicolas took serious the command of Jesus to love others, He would tell others, “Love is what shows we are his followers and generous giving is the hands and feet of love.”
Although never revealing himself, while still in his teens Nicolas sent his city into an uproar because of the love for the poor and needy that was being seen. Those monks who lived with Nicolas and his uncle saw another part of Nicolas that was an incredible example to other believers.
Nicolas was a person of prayer.
Nicolas had an established habit of prayer. He would start and end each day in prayer, and attempt to stay in a constant state of prayer in whatever he did. Regularly, he was woke from his sleep to pray for some particular need and then he would return to sleep, only to find the next morning that God had answered his prayers and taken care of the needs. Nicolas prayer habits with God were so well known that people from all over the area came to him to have him pray for their sicknesses and needs. God answered his prayers in such a way that he began to be called Nicolas the Wonder-Worker. (A title that he refused to acknowledge.)
While still a young boy in his early teens, Nicolas had a strange dream. Not just once but several times and always the same. In his dream, Jesus gave him a book of the gospels covered with jewels and the robes of a priest. When Nicolas finally told his uncle about these dreams, His uncle told him that Jesus must want him to be a priest. Soon, Nicolas had finished his educational requirements and became a priest while still a boy in his teens. As a priest, Nicolas was passionate about telling everyone about Jesus and was constantly looking for ways to help people in need or children in trouble. People from all over the area began to speak of the “kind boy-priest.”
Soon after becoming a priest, Nicolas went on a trip to see the lands where Jesus lived. While there, he had a dream that Jesus was placing a bishop’s hat on his head. (Usually these positions were reserved for the oldest priests with the most experience.) On his way home, his ship was caught in a terrible storm. The ship was battered and most of the sailors were lost at sea. The three sailors left were terribly afraid that the ship might get smashed on rocks or even be flipped over by the massive waves. The sailors began praying to God for mercy. Nicolas came on deck and joined them in their prayers. Just then, the storm stopped and the water became calm. Their little ship limped into the nearest port, Myra, but still a long ways from Nicolas’ home. The sailors began to tell of how their ship had been saved when young Nicolas had prayed. “It was like a miracle”, they said, but Nicolas quietly hurried off to find a church to offer thanks to God.
In Myra, the old bishop had just died and a group of priests had been praying about who would take his place. During the night before, all of them had had the same dream: they were to make the first worshipper who came to the church in the morning the new bishop. As they spoke to each other about their dreams, Nicolas entered. Though he was a stranger in Myra and still a teenager, the priests placed the bishop’s hat on Nicolas’ head just as he had dreamed.
Saint Nicolas was a dreamer.
Myra was an important city and Nicolas was a great bishop. He was widely known for his passionate teaching about Jesus. People said it was like he was handing them precious jewels! He continued to be loving and generous with the poor and needy. Many times helping people without them being aware. Many people believed in Jesus because of Nicolas’ humble work. One story in particularly demonstrates his humility and plays a big part in the Christmas legend today.
Nicolas’ neighbor was a nobleman who was greatly in debt. So far in debt he couldn’t pay the dowry for his 3 daughters to be married. The three daughters because of their father’s financial situation would have to become prostitutes to make the money for their dowry. Late one night, Nicolas secretly tossed a stocking full of gold coins into the oldest daughters room. People were surprised when soon after this the daughter was married. Soon after this Nicolas tossed a second sock full of money into the window of the second daughter. Soon she was also married. But when Nicolas secretly crept up to deliver the third sock of money, he found all of the windows locked. He quickly and quietly climbed up onto the roof and dropped the money down the chimney. The sock full of money landed in the girl’s shows which were on the hearth. The girls’ father heard the money hit the hearth and quickly ran outside to see the person who had so generously given his family so much. He caught a glimpse of Nicolas as he ran away, and shouted out for him to wait. Nicolas kept on running, not wanting to receive any credit for the gift. Finally, the father caught up with Nicolas and recognized him as the Bishop of Myra. He fell to his knees to thank Nicolas, who quickly joined him on his knees and together they thanked God for his provision. Nicolas made the man promise to not reveal his identity.
Saint Nicolas was humble.
Nicolas lived in a time of terrible persecution for Christians. The Roman Emperors were gathering Christians from all over the world and killing them in sport. Once in Nicolas home city, an execution was going to take place. Nicolas, completely forgetting about his own safety ran through the crowd and grabbed the executioner’s sword just before he beheaded the prisoner. Nicolas himself was imprisoned and tortured by 3 jailers for 8 years. Over and over they attempted to get Nicolas to deny his faith in Jesus, but over and over again, Nicolas refused. He stayed hungry and cold and in chains, but he eventually lead his three jailers to faith in Jesus by the example of love and prayer and humility that they saw. When the new Emperor took over, Nicolas was released and he returned to his life of love and compassion.
Even later in his life, Nicolas was an example for Jesus. In an important meeting of priests and bishops in 325 in Nicea, A certain man, Arius, tried to convince all of the bishops and priests that Jesus was not in fact God. Nicolas, so angered by this lie, stood up, marched up to Arius and slapped him in the face. The other bishops were angered, and Nicolas was removed as a Bishop.
Saint Nicolas was a person of action.
Later in his life, Nicolas was reinstated as bishop, when God gave all the other bishops dreams about Nicolas. He finished his life helping the poor, loving his neighbor and walking with God.
It is said of Nicolas that he was humble, prayerful, pure and yet very happy and joyful. What an example! That’s what I want to be. So there it is, I said it, I want to be like Santa Claus!
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