But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Ephesians 2:4-8, ESV

I am an English teacher, and this time every year, my 9th-grade students study Charles Dickens’s classic, A Christmas Carol. At the beginning of the story, Dickens goes to great lengths to ensure that we all know that Jacob Marley was dead. My students think it’s an amusing way to begin the book and introduce the visitation of spirits to the protagonist of the story, Ebeneezer Scrooge. Even if you haven’t read the story (which you should), you probably have a mental image associated with that name. This name is synonymous with meanness and stinginess, juxtaposed with the abundance and generosity of Christmas. 

It’s easy to dislike Ebeneezer Scrooge. But if you view him more closely, you will see a wounded soul. Dickens describes him in terms of coldness: he had a “frosty rime about his head,” and “he carried his own low temperature with him.” He never bothered to change the sign above his business when his partner died seven years earlier. It still says Scrooge and Marley. And he doesn’t care if people call him Scrooge or Marley. He answers to both. He has lost his identity. Sometimes my students think he’s greedy, but I urge them to look deeper. Greed means you want to acquire more. At least there’s a passion there. But that doesn’t fit Scrooge. Scrooge is cold. Frozen. Comfortless. Dead. He returns home to a dark, cold house and eats gruel. There is no enjoyment in his life. He is a dead man walking.

We fault him because he doesn’t have a compassionate heart. But how can a dead man be compassionate? It would take something supernatural to wake him up to his own wretched condition before he can extend compassion to others. The three Spirits sent to him after his visitation from Marley’s ghost gradually awaken Scrooge—the first to his own pain of past rejection, the second to his pain of regret for choices made. These prepare him for the third visitation. Until he is thawed enough from his past, he is unable to see beyond his frozen nose to the needs before him. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come reveals the outcome of circumstances that Scrooge has the power to change if he chooses. Now that his heart is thawed, he can see beyond himself to make a difference in the lives of those who are near him. By God’s grace, he is given the ability to change, and he gratefully and immediately begins to generously impact those around him.

I love sharing this story with my students because, on some level, it touches all of us. We may not be as extreme as Scrooge, but we may be or know someone who is wounded and hiding, perhaps even frozen. And God loves us enough not to leave us in that state. Great is His mercy!

Lord, You can reveal and heal what is dead in my heart. Thank You for loving me enough to awaken me to Your compassion. May I extend Your love and mercy to those around me. Amen.

Copyright Vicki Milczewsky. 

Vicki is a teacher and a former Christian Educators staff member from California.

***This is the last daily devotional of 2025! They will resume on Monday, January 5, 2025. Thank you for being a part of our daily devotional community this year. You are a blessing! We hope you enjoy your winter break and have a blessed Christmas with your loved ones! 🎁 🎄 ♥️