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Do you know the TRUE story of St. Nicholas, the man who inspired the legend of "Santa Claus"?
Posted : 13 Dec, 2010 03:30 AM
I didn't know as much about him as I know now until I read this informative, heart-warming and inspiring article about him from one of the past Christmas issues of Charles Stanley's In Touch devotional magazine this morning.
This article will open your eyes and your heart about the first "Santa Claus", the REAL, living "Santa Claus", his faithful service to God and his love of children!!! :yay::yay::yay::applause::applause::applause:
Love,
Steve
Nicholas of Myra: Giving His Life
By Ace Collins
The Surpirsing True Story Behind the Legend of St. Nicholas
The roots of �Santa Claus� are not found in the snows of the North Pole but in the region now known as Turkey. Ancient Christian writings indicate that the real person was a wisp of a man little more than five feet tall. As a cardinal in the early church, Nicholas of Myra would have been seen in flowing red robes, and early Christian art reveals a white beard and balding head. Yet what made this church pioneer a model for the Christmas icon of goodwill was not his physical appearance but rather Nicholas�s giving spirit, great compassion, and unending generosity that inspired a holiday legend now known by billions around the globe.
Nicholas�s exposure to local culture was tempered by his parents�committed Christians who showed their faith not just through their words but also through action. They gave to missionary work and helped feed the poor. They also took Nicholas to church services and enrolled him in theology and history classes. Young Christians were taught The Didache, an early guide to righteous living that asked believers to fully embrace the two greatest commandments: to love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37-40). These lessons had a great impact on Nicholas. As a teen, he shared part of his allowance with poor children who didn�t have enough to eat. Yet the act which really set him apart began with a family friend�s business failure.
A Legend Is Born
The man and his three daughters lost everything and were forced to move to a slum outside the city. In an act of desperation, the penniless father began to negotiate with local brothel owners. He was seeking to sell his oldest daughter into slavery to provide for the two younger children.
When Nicholas became aware of the situation, he felt a call to action. The night before the girl was to be sold, Nicholas went to the family�s home, waited for the lights to go out, and tossed a bag of gold through an open window. He vanished before the father could open the door to see who had provided such a great gift.
Nicholas must have either asked his parents if there was a way they could help, or gone �on mission� at their request. Yet, no matter who suggested the action or provided the funds, this act of kindness was an example of the family�s devotion to Christ�s teachings. And it wouldn�t be just a one-time act of charity.
The money lasted the family more than a year. When it ran out and the father again contemplated selling one of his daughters, another bag of gold was secretly delivered at night. A year later Nicholas returned again, but this time was caught. The father was overcome with emotion when he saw that the person who had provided the lifeline was a boy.
Wiping away tears, he hugged Nicholas and asked, �Why did you give us these gifts?�
The response was direct and simple: �Because you needed them.�
�But why didn�t you let us know who you were?�
�Because it�s good to give [when] only God knows about it.� Nicholas�s answer would become the foundation for the legend and the form of modest, unrewarded giving still celebrated each Christmas season.
A Lifetime of Love
Nicholas�s three trips to the slum pale in comparison with what he did when confronted by the greatest tragedy a child can experience. It was during a time of deep grief that his life�s mission came into focus.
Nicholas was in his mid-teens when his mother and father died, probably the result of plague. The uncle he was named for, a priest, was placed in charge of the grieving boy. As the two prayed for understanding, Nicholas was overcome with a sense of urgency to live out the lessons taught in his own home. He felt the best way to memorialize his parents� ideals was to take his considerable inheritance, cash it into Roman coins, and give all he had to the poorest families in the region. Satisfied that his act honored his parents as well as his Lord, he then committed himself to study. He felt that if he learned more about God, he could live more like Christ. After being tutored by his uncle, he later attended school in a monastery.
Nicholas probably entered the priesthood before reaching his twenties. The life of the once wealthy young man was now filled with trials. Under emperors Diocletian and Maximian, Christians were hunted and persecuted for ten long years. Those who would not abandon their faith were often tortured or executed. As a church leader, Nicholas was jailed. Yet he saw an opportunity to share the gospel with fellow prisoners and even guards in the rat-infested prisons. Taking inspiration from the letters of Paul, Nicholas encouraged those outside the walls to pray, support the work, and look to the Lord for strength.
After his release, Nicholas was elected bishop of Myra. He oversaw a period of rebuilding: feeding the poor, locating shelter for the homeless, and finding families for those orphaned during the decade-long persecution. He spent a good portion of his day teaching and sharing food and clothing with the children of the poorest families. Because of the gentle way he expressed compassion and love�and because he often was seen carrying a bag filled with candy and gifts�it�s hardly surprising that whenever he ventured out in public, he always seemed to have scores of children clinging to his red robes and following in his footsteps.
Due to Nicholas�s power with local citizens, Roman officials often sought out his advice in matters of state. The influence he gained allowed him to work for the underprivileged and unrepresented poor. Many religious leaders of the day used church funds to provide a lavish lifestyle for themselves, building great homes and purchasing the finest food and clothing; in contrast, Nicholas opted to give the money away. As he traveled through his district, he often dropped coins into the windows of the poorest people or in shoes left on porches. Though his staff knew it was the bishop distributing these gifts, Nicholas did not allow the information to reach the public. Thus, when someone rushed up to him with the news of finding a coin in their home, the bishop smiled and assured them that God had heard their prayers and answered their needs.
Nicholas often inquired of local village officials where he could find those in greatest need. He traveled to the poorest areas, and without announcing his identity, gave away money, food, and clothing�then disappeared before the shocked recipients could thank him. Most had no idea he was a clergyman, and a legend grew that he was an angel dressed in red.
Yet what ultimately made him a legend was his love of children. As he grew older, he used more and more of his funds to purchase gifts for children. Giving toys or candy to little ones, Nicholas told stories of Christ and the gift He had given through His death on the cross. Then, he would add, �Jesus loves little children, and He loves you.� Through these gifts, many began to understand the full measure of their salvation.
As a servant of God, Nicholas saw himself as shepherding a flock of needy and often lost sheep. He dedicated his life to being their voice in a world that seemed to care little about them. Nicholas became a legend of faith as he won battles for the poor, convincing the most powerful leaders of the day to show compassion and help meet their needs.
Nicholas�s acts of service were so great that when he died, others picked up where he left off. Within just a few years, children all over Myra found gifts left in their shoes on his birthday. Over time, the legend of Nicholas of Myra grew; hundreds of churches were christened with his name. Yet this pales in the light of what his compassionate life has come to mean to countless souls each Christmas.
Saint Nicholas didn�t inspire the tradition of Santa Claus by chance; rather, it is a tribute to the spirit of this extraordinary man. Surely, if Nicholas could watch the joy on faces all over the globe at Christmastime, he would be pleased that his lessons of giving are still being taught, and that children everywhere are made to feel especially loved on the day celebrating Christ�s birth. Nicholas spent his life giving away everything given to him, and that spirit of giving continues to this day.
Taken from Stories Behind Men of Faith by Ace Collins. �2009 by Andrew Collins. Used by permission of Zondervan.
Copyright 2010 In Touch Ministries, Inc. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org. In Touch grants permission to print for personal use only.
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