我們所知道的聖尼古拉（Saint Nicholas）大約於公元270年，出生在一個富裕的希臘家庭。不幸的是，父母在他小時候就去世了。他跟叔叔一起生活，叔叔疼愛他，並教導他要跟隨上帝。傳說尼古拉年輕時，聽聞有三姐妹沒有結婚的嫁妝，即將落入悲慘的境地。尼古拉想要遵行耶穌關於幫助窮乏人的教導，便拿出自己繼承的財產，給這三姐妹一人一袋金幣。往後多年，尼古拉不斷把自己其餘的財產分給窮人，照顧許多人。在往後的數百年裡，尼古拉因慷慨給予而受到尊崇，也讓人們想像出「聖誕老人」（Santa Claus）這個人物。

雖然浮誇的商業行銷可能會扭曲聖誕節的真諦，但送禮物的傳統確實與尼古拉有關。尼古拉的慷慨是出自對耶穌的忠誠。他明白基督的慷慨超乎想像，基督帶給我們最寶貴的禮物，那就是上帝，因耶穌就是「上帝與我們同在」（馬太福音1章23節），祂還賜給我們救贖之恩。在這充滿罪惡、死亡的世界裡，祂「要將自己的百姓從罪惡裡救出來」（21節）。

我們相信了耶穌，就開始擁有慷慨給予的生命！我們照顧別人的需求，喜樂地提供援助，正如上帝供應我們一樣。這是聖尼古拉的故事，更是上帝的故事。

The person we know as Saint Nicholas (Saint Nick) was born around ad 270 to a wealthy Grecian family. Tragically, his parents died when he was a boy, and he lived with his uncle who loved him and taught him to follow God. When Nicholas was a young man, legend says that he heard of three sisters who didn’t have a dowry for marriage and would soon be destitute. Wanting to follow Jesus’ teaching about giving to those in need, he took his inheritance and gave each sister a bag of gold coins. Over the years, Nicholas gave the rest of his money away feeding the poor and caring for others. In the following centuries, Nicholas was honored for his lavish generosity, and he inspired the character we know as Santa Claus.

While the glitz and advertising of the season may threaten our celebrations, the gift-giving tradition connects to Nicholas. And his generosity was based on his devotion to Jesus. Nicholas knew that Christ enacted unimagined generosity, bringing the most profound gift: God. Jesus is “God with us” (Matthew 1:23). And He brought us the gift of life. In a world of death, He “save[s] his people from their sins” (v. 21).

When we believe in Jesus, sacrificial generosity unfolds. We tend to others’ needs, and we joyfully provide for them as God provides for us. This is Saint Nick’s story; but far more, this is God’s story.