Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
– Hebrews 13:8 (NLT)
“Marley was dead, to begin with.” This is the classic opening line of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, a story that has been made into more than 100 movies since the book was written in 1843. My own earliest memory is of the 1992 version: The Muppet Christmas Carol. I saw it during a fifth-grade field trip to the theatre. Since then, I have watched it dozens of times, and now enjoy it with my 10-year-old daughter and remember that day in the theatre with my friends, eating popcorn and a lollipop when I was her age.
CHAINED TO TREASURE
The Muppet narrator, Gonzo, begins the story. “The Marleys were dead to begin with.” This line isn’t just a preface to the characters, it’s symbolic of the Marley brothers being dead even while they were alive. They lived chained to their treasure, selfishness, and greed. (Note: in the original, there is only one Marley, but the two old hecklers who are part of the Muppet crew fit the part.)
Their business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, fits right in with their lifestyle. When Scrooge meets the spirits of Jacob and Robert Marley, they are bound in chains and locked to cashboxes. They repent by singing about their earthly greed and cruelty that followed them into eternity. They issue a warning to Scrooge to make his life right—with the persuasion of three “spirits” who will visit him that Christmas Eve night.
As the three “spirits” reveal themselves, they take Scrooge on a tour of his life, the first through his past, the second in the present, and the third, the future. Scrooge sees the trajectory of his life through the eyes of the people in it and he feels the isolation of his own doing. He worked hard, but savored his treasure for himself. Scrooge’s love of money replaced his love for his fiancée; he denied giving to the poor; he mistreated his employees; and he declined the invitation to spend Christmas with his nephew.
TODAY MATTERS
When the “Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come” leads Scrooge into a graveyard, he sees his own tombstone, and Scrooge finally says, “These events can be changed, and a life can be made right.”
It was years after that fifth-grade field trip that I truly appreciated the meaning of this story. In high school, I learned how short life is, when my grandpa died unexpectedly. It hit me that I won’t know the day of my last breath and I should live accordingly. Our actions have consequences, and they can have a lasting effect. It matters what we do today.
Once Scrooge decides to change his life, he treats his employee, Bob Cratchit, with kindness, becomes generous to the poor, and spreads Christmas cheer to everyone. In the end, Scrooge sings, “Wherever you find love, you find Christmas.”
Isn’t that why we celebrate Christmas? Love. God loves us so much that he sent us Jesus. We don’t have to spend our lives or eternity bound in chains. He is the three in one—alive yesterday, today, and forever.
Reflect: How are you living chained to your treasure? What steps can you take to live the life God wants for you?
