for men. He kept back nothing. In every particular and personal gift
that he made to certain people there was something of himself that
made it precious.

For example, at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, it was his thought for
the feelings of the giver of the feast, and his wish that every guest
should find due entertainment, that lent the flavour of a heavenly
hospitality to the wine which he provided.

When he gave bread and fish to the hungry multitude who had followed
him out among the hills by the Lake of Gennesaret, the people were
refreshed and strengthened by the sense of the personal care of Jesus
for their welfare, as much as by the food which he bestowed upon them.
It was another illustration of the sweetness of "a dinner of herbs,
where love is."

The gifts of healing which he conferred upon many different kinds of
sufferers were, in every case, evidences that Jesus was willing to
give something of himself, his thought, his sympathy, his vital power,
to the men and women among whom he lived. Once, when a paralytic was
brought to Jesus on a bed, he surprised everybody, and offended many,
by giving the poor wretch the pardon of his sins, before he gave new
life to his body. That was just because Jesus thought before he gave;
because he desired to satisfy the deepest need; because in fact he
gave something of himself in every gift. All true Christmas-giving
ought to be after this pattern.

Not that it must all be solemn and serious. For the most part it deals
with little wants, little joys, little tokens of friendly feeling. But
the feeling must be more than the token; else the gift does not really