A synopsis of the sermon delivered by the Rev. David L. Hicks at St. Paul’s Reformed Episcopal Church on Sunday, December 21, 2003, Advent IV. Please read Micah 5:2-4.

I can remember the excitement I experienced as a child looking at the wrapped gifts that were placed under the Christmas tree around this time of the year. At first, the large packages captivated my attention; however, in time I began to realize that size does not always correspond to the value of a gift. Sometimes gifts in smaller packages have greater value than those in larger boxes. Bigger is not always better.

The Scriptures show us that God most often reveals himself in small packages. The reading from the prophet Micah speaks of the city from which our Savior Christ was to come. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from Everlasting” (5:2). Because Bethlehem is well known to the world today as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, we are tempted to think that it was a notable town during Biblical times too. However, as Micah has stated, Bethlehem was one of the least of the cities in the kingdom of the tribe of Judah. It was not a great metropolis or center of commerce, but a simple country town whose only claim to fame was being the native home of King David. Through this small package God had purposed to bring the greatest gift - the gift of Jesus Christ who brings salvation to the whole world.

God continues to work in the world today through small packages. He has chosen you and me to be part of the church, and it is through the church that the good news of Jesus Christ continues to touch humanity. God could find so many other ways to make himself known to the world. He could have chosen the big packages – those people and things that command the wealth and prestige of the world – to communicate the gospel, but instead he has entrusted the message to the ordinary folk who make up the Body of Christ. God has chosen us to be the little package that has a gift of the greatest value. Let us give thanks to God for his great mercy in doing this, and ask for his grace that we might be faithful to this high calling.
Amen.